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
âWâen Mars Dugal hearn âbout de ham, he say he wuz mightâly âceived en disappâinted in Dave. He say he wouldnâ nebber hab no moâ conferdence in no nigger, en Mars Walker could do des ez he wuz a mineter wid Dave er any er de resâ er de niggers. So Mars Walker tukân tied Dave up en gin âim forty; en den he got some er dis yer wire clof wâat dey uses fer ter make sifters outân, en tukân wrapâ it rounâ de ham en fasten it tergedder at de little eenâ. Den he tuk Dave down ter de blacksmif-shop, en had Unker Silas, de plantation blacksmif, fasten a chain ter de ham, en den fasten de yuther eenâ er de chain rounâ Daveâs neck. En den he says ter Dave, sezee:â â
âââNow, suh, yerâll wear dat neckliss fer de nexâ six montâs; en I âspecâs yer ner none er de yuther niggers on dis plantation wonâ steal no moâ bacon dyoinâ er dat time.â
âWell, it des âpeared ez if fum dat time Dave didnâ hab nuffin but trouble. De niggers all turnt agâinâ âim, caze he beân de âcasion er Mars Dugalâ turninâ âem all ober ter Mars Walker. Mars Dugalâ waânât a bad marster hisseâf, but Mars Walker wuz hard ez a rock. Dave kepâ on sayinâ he didnâ take de ham, but none un âem didnâ bâlieve âim.
âDilsey waânât on de plantation wâen Dave wuz âcused er stealinâ de bacon. Ole mistâiss had sont her ter town fer a week er so fer ter wait on one er her darters wâat had a young baby, en she didnâ fine out nuffin âbout Daveâs trouble âtel she got back ter de plantation. Dave had patienâly endyoed de finger er scawn, en all de hard words wâat de niggers pileâ on âim, caze he wuz shoâ Dilsey would stanâ by âim, en wouldnâ bâlieve he wuz a rogue, ner none er de yuther tales de darkies wuz tellinâ âbout âim.
âWâen Dilsey come back fum town, en got down fum behine de buggy whar she bâen ridinâ wid ole mars, de fusâ nigger âooman she met says ter herâ â
âââIs yer seed Dave, Dilsey?â
âââNo, I ainâ seed Dave,â says Dilsey.
âââYer des oughter look at dat nigger; reckon yer wouldnâ want âim fer yoâ junesey no moâ. Mars Walker cotch âim stealinâ bacon, en gone en fastenâ a ham rounâ his neck, so he canât git it offân hisseâf. He sutânly do look quare.â En den de âooman busâ out laffinâ fit ter kill herseâf. Wâen she got thoo laffinâ she upân tole Dilsey all âbout de ham, en all de yuther lies wâat de niggers beân tellinâ on Dave.
âWâen Dilsey started down ter de quarters, who should she meet but Dave, cominâ in fum de cotton-fielâ. She turnt her head ter one side, en purtenâ lack she didnâ seed Dave.
âââDilsey!â sezee.
âDilsey walkâ right on, en didnâ notice âim.
âââOh, Dilsey!â
âDilsey didnâ paid no âtention ter âim, en den Dave knowed some er de niggers beân tellinâ her âbout de ham. He felt monstâus bad, but he âlowed ef he could des git Dilsey fer ter listen ter âim fer a minute er so, he could make her bâlieve he didnâ stole de bacon. It wuz a week er two befoâ he could git a chance ter speak ter her agâin; but fineâly he cotch her down by de spring one day, en sezee:â â
âââDilsey, wâat fer yer wonâ speak ter me, en purtenâ lack yer doan see me? Dilsey, yer knows me too well fer ter bâlieve Iâd steal, er do dis yuther wickâness de niggers is all layinâ ter meâ âyer knows I wouldnâ do dat, Dilsey. Yer ainâ gwine back on yoâ Dave, is yer?â
âBut wâat Dave say didnâ hab no âfecâ on Dilsey. Dem lies folks bâen tellinâ her had pâisenâ her minâ âgâinâ Dave.
âââI doan wanter talk ter no nigger,â says she, âwâat beân whipâ fer stealinâ, en wâat gwine rounâ wid sich a lookinâ thing ez dat hung rounâ his neck. Iâs a âspectable gal, I is. Wâat yer call dat, Dave? Is dat a chaâm fer ter keep off witches, er is it a noo kine er neckliss yer got?â
âPoâ Dave didnâ knowed wâat ter do. De lasâ one he had âpended on fer ter stanâ by âim had gone back on âim, en dey didnâ âpear ter be nuffin moâ wuf libbinâ fer. He couldnâ holâ no moâ praâr-meetinâs, fer Mars Walker wouldnâ âlow âim ter preach, en de darkies wouldnâ âaâ listenâ ter âim ef he had preachâ. He didnâ eben hab his Bible fer ter comfort hisseâf wid, fer Mars Walker had tuk it erway fum âim en burnt it up, en say ef he ketch any moâ niggers wid Bibles on de plantation heâd do âem wussân he done Dave.
âEn ter make it still harder fer Dave, Dilsey tuk up wid Wiley. Dave could see him gwine up ter Aunâ Mahalyâs cabin, en settinâ out on de bench in de moonlight wid Dilsey, en singinâ sinful songs en playinâ de banjer. Dave useâ ter scrouch down behine de bushes, en wonder wâat de Lawd senâ âim all dem tribberlations fer.
âBut all er Daveâs yuther troubles waânât nuffin side er dat ham. He had wrapâ de chain rounâ wid a rag, so it didnâ hurt his neck; but wâeneber he went ter wuk, dat ham would be in his way; he had ter do his task, howsomedever, des de same ez ef he didnâ hab de ham. Wâeneber he went ter lay down, dat ham would be in de way. Ef he turn ober in his sleep, dat ham would be tugginâ at his neck. It wuz de lasâ thing he seed at night, en de fusâ thing he seed in de mawninâ. Wâeneber he
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