The Conjure Woman Charles W. Chesnutt (best fiction novels .TXT) đ
- Author: Charles W. Chesnutt
Book online «The Conjure Woman Charles W. Chesnutt (best fiction novels .TXT) đ». Author Charles W. Chesnutt
âSo coâse Solomon went down ter Aunâ Peggyâs dat night, en she gun âim a roasted sweetânâ âtater.
âââYou take dis yer sweetânâ âtater,â sez sheâ ââI done goophered it âspeshly fer dat noo nigger, so you better not eat it yoâseâf er youâll wush you hadnââ âen slip off ter town, en finâ dat strange man, en gib âim dis yer sweetânâ âtater. He musâ eat it befoâ mawninâ, shoâ, ef he doan wanter be solâ erway ter Noo Orleens.â
âââBut sâposen de patteroles ketch me, Aunâ Peggy, wâat I gwine ter do?â sez Solomon.
âââDe patteroles ainâ gwine tech you, but ef you doan finâ dat nigger, Iâm gwine git you, en youâll finâ me wusser ân de patteroles. Des holâ on a minute, en Iâll sprinkle you wid some er dis mixtry outân dis yer bottle, so de patteroles canât see you, en you kin rub yoâ feet wid some er dis yer grease outân dis goâd, so you kin run fasâ, en rub some un it on yoâ eyes so you kin see in de daâk; en den you musâ finâ dat noo nigger en gib âim dis yer âtater, er you gwine ter hab moâ trouble on yoâ hanâs ân you eber had befoâ in yoâ life er eber will hab sence.â
âSo Solomon tuk de sweetânâ âtater en staâted up de road fasâ ez he could go, en befoâ long he retchâ town. He went right âlong by de patteroles, en dey didnâ âpear ter notice âim, en bimeby he founâ whar de strange nigger was kepâ, en he walked right pasâ de gyard at de doâ en founâ âim. De nigger couldnâ see âim, ob coâse, en he couldnâ âaâ seed de nigger in de daâk, ef it hadnâ beân fer de stuff Aunâ Peggy gun âim ter rub on âis eyes. De nigger wuz layinâ in a coânder, âsleep, en Solomon des slipâ up ter âim, en hilt dat sweetânâ âtater âfoâ de niggerâs nose, en he des nachâly retchâ up wid his hanâ, en tuk de âtater en eat it in his sleep, widout knowinâ it. Wenâ Solomon seed heâd done eat de âtater, he went back en tolâ Aunâ Peggy, en den went home ter his cabin ter sleep, âway âlong âbout two oâclock in de mawninâ.
âDe nexâ day wuz Sunday, en so de niggers had a little time ter deyseâves. Solomon wuz kinder âsturbâ in his minâ thinkinâ âbout his junesey wâat âuz gone away, en wondârinâ wâat Aunâ Peggy had ter do wid dat noo nigger; en he had saântered up in de woods so âs ter be by hisseâf a little, en at de same time ter look atter a rabbit-trap heâd sot down in de aidge er de swamp, wâen who shâd he see stanâinâ unner a tree but a wâite man.
âSolomon didnâ knowed de wâite man at fusâ, âtel de wâite man spoke up ter âim.
âââIs dat you, Solomon?â sezee.
âDen Solomon recoânized de voice.
âââFer de Lawdâs sake, Mars Jeems! is dat you?â
âââYas, Solomon,â sez his marster, âdis is me, er wâatâs lefâ er me.â
âIt waânât no wonder Solomon hadnâ knowed Mars Jeems at fusâ, fer he wuz dressâ lack a poâ wâite man, en wuz barefooted, en lookâ monstâus pale en peaked, ez ef heâd des come thâoo a haâd spell er sickness.
âââYou er lookinâ kinder poâly, Mars Jeems,â sez Solomon. âIs you beân sick, suh?â
âââNo, Solomon,â sez Mars Jeems, shakinâ his head, en speakinâ sorter slow en sad, âI ainâ beân sick, but Iâs had a monstâus bad dreamâ âfacâ, a regâlar, nachâul nightmare. But tell me how things has beân gwine on up ter de plantation sence I beân gone, Solomon.â
âSo Solomon up en tolâ âim âbout de craps, en âbout de hosses en de mules, en âbout de cows en de hawgs. En wâen he âmenceâ ter tell âbout de noo nigger, Mars Jeems prickâ up âis yeahs en listenâ, en eveây now en den heâd say, âUh huh! uh huh!â en nod âis head. En bimeby, wâen heâd axâ Solomon some moâ queshtuns, he sez, sezee:â â
âââNow, Solomon, I doan want you ter say a woâd ter nobody âbout meetinâ me heah, but I wants you ter slip up ter de house, en fetch me some cloâs en some shoesâ âI fergot ter tell you dat a man robâ me back yander on de road en swapâ cloâs wid me widout axinâ me whuther er noâ âbut you neenter say nuffin âbout dat, nuther. You go en fetch me some cloâs heah, so nobody wonât see you, en keep yoâ mouf shet, en Iâll gib you a dollah.â
âSolomon wuz so âstonishâ he lack ter fell ober in his tracks, wâen Mars Jeems promusâ ter gib âim a dollah. Dey suâtânly wuz a change come ober Mars Jeems, wâen he offerâ one er his niggers dat much money. Solomon âmenceâ ter âspecâ dat Aunâ Peggyâs cunjâation had beân wukkinâ monstâus strong.
âSolomon fotch Mars Jeems some cloâs en shoes, en dat same ebâninâ Mars Jeems âpeared at de house, en let on lack he des dat minute got home fum Robeson County. Mars Johnson was all ready ter talk ter âim, but Mars Jeems sont âim woâd he waânât feelinâ veây well dat night, en heâd see âim ter-morrer.
âSo nexâ mawninâ atter breakfusâ Mars Jeems
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