Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/398

 of water, and he give me a whistle," she replied with a pout of her pretty lips and a frown.

Tom seized her by the arm and shook her. "Didn't I tell you to run every time you seed a nigger unless I was with you!"

"Yes, but he wasn't hurtin' me and you are!" she cried bursting into tears.

"I've a notion to whip you good for this!" Tom stormed.

"Don't Tom, she won't do it any more, will you Flora?" pleaded Gaston taking her in his arms and starting to the house with her. When they reached the house, Tom was still pale and trembling with excitement.

"Lord, there's so many triflin' niggers loafin' round the county now stealing and doin' all sorts of devilment, I'm scared to death about that child. She don't seem any more afraid of 'em than she is of a cat."

"I don't believe anybody would hurt Flora, Tom,—she's such a little angel," said Gaston kissing the tears from the child's face.

"She is cute—ain't she?" said Tom with pride. "I've wished many a time lately I'd gone out West with them Yankee fellers that took such a likin' to me in the war. They told me that a poor white man had a chance out there, and that there wern't a nigger in twenty miles of their home. But then I lost my leg, how could I go?"

He sat dreaming with open eyes for a moment and continued, looking tenderly at Flora, "But, baby, don't you dare go nigh er nigger, or let one get nigh you no more'n you would a rattlesnake!"

"I won't Pappy!" she cried with an incredulous smile at his warning of danger that made Tom's heart sick. She was all joy and laughter, full of health and bubbling