NELSE HATTON'S VENGEANCE
from one side of his brow. "Doesn't this convince you?"
"It's you—it's you; 't ain't nobody else but Mas' Tom!" and the ex-slave and his former master rushed joyously into each other's arms.
There was no distinction of colour or condition there. There was no thought of superiority on the one hand, or feeling of inferiority on the other. They were simply two loving friends who had been long parted and had met again.
After a while the Negro said, "I'm sure the Lord must 'a' sent you right here to this house, so 's you would n't be catin' off o' none o' these poor white people 'round here."
"I reckon you're religious now, Nelse; but I see it ain't changed your feeling toward poor white people."
"I don't know about that. I used to be purty bad about 'em."
"Indeed you did. Do you remember the time we stoned the house of old Nat, the white wood-sawyer?"
"Well, I reckon I do! Was n't we awful, them days?" said Nelse, with forced contrition, but with something almost like a chuckle in his voice.
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