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Show 270 Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. been waiting for you this long ti1ne. I'n1 afraid Mr. Thorne has ·written to tell Dr. Flint where you arc. Make haste and co1ne in. ~Ir ·. IIobbs \vill tell yon all about it!" The story was soon tol<l. While the children \Yore playing in the grape-vine arbor, the day before, ~Ir. Thorne ca1ne out ·with a letter in his hand, \\rhi ch he tore up and scattered about. Ellen -vvas .·\\reeping lho yard at the tin1e, and having her 1nincl full of sn ·picion of hi1n, she picked up the pieces and carried thmn to the children, saying, "I \V01H.1er \vho ~1r. Thorne has been \vriting to." "I'n1 sure I don't know, and don't care," replied the olde t of the children ; " and I don't sec ho\v it concerns you.'' "But it docs concern 1nc," replied Ellen; ''for I'1n afraid he' been ·writing to the south about my n1othor.'' They laughed at her, ancl called her a illy thiug, but good-uaturcdly put the fragments of \Yriting together, in order to read then1 to her. They were no sooner arranged, than the little girl cxclain1cL1, " I doclare, Ellen, I believe you arc right." The contents of ~1r. Thorne's letter, as nearly as I can rc1ncn1ber, \Yore as follo\vs : " I have ·con your slave, Linda, and convcr cd \Yith her. She can ue taken very easily, if you nutnngc prudently. Tllero arc enough of u · here to S\\rcar to her identity as your property.. I an1 a patriot, a lover of my country, and I do this as an act of justice to the la-vvs.'' lie concluded by informing the doctor of the street and ntunber where I li vcd. The children carried the pieces to l\frs. IIohbs, who hnn1cdiatcly went to her brother's [ The Hairbreadth Efcape. 271 room for an explanation. lie wa. not to be found. The servants said they saw· hin1 go out with a letter in his hand, and they .· u~poscd he hau gone to tho pot office. The natural Inference was, that he hacl sent to Dr. Flint a copy of tho:c fragtnents. \Vhen he returned, his sister accu eel hhn of it, and he did not deny the charge. IIc \vent in1n1ediatoly to his roorn and the next 1norning he was 1nissing. lie had O'On~ b over to N c'v York, before any of the family were a:ti1 -. It was evident that I hau no titno to lo e; ancl I hastened back to the city \vith a heavy heart. Again I was to be torn from a co1nfortable home, and all 111y plans for the welfare of my children were to be frustrated by that dc1non lavery ! I now regretted that I never told Mrs. Bruce n1y story. I had not concealed it merely on account of being a fugitive ; that would have n1ade her anxious, but it would have excited syn1pathy in her kind heart. I valued her good opinion, and I was afraid of lo ·ing it, if I tolcl her all the particulars of 1ny sad story. But now I felt that it was necessary for her to know ho\r l was situated. I had once left her abruptly, without explaining the reason, and it would not be proper to clo it again. I ·went home rcsolveu to toll her in the morning. But the sadness of rny face attracled her attention, and, in answer to her kind inquiries, I poured out my full heart to her, before bed tin1c. She Ii 'tcned with true \VOinanly sympathy, and told 1nc she would do all she could to protect 1ne. II ow 1ny heart blessed her ! Early the next n1orning, Judge Vanderpool and Lawyer IIoppcr were consulted. They saicll had better leave tho e!Ly at onec, at:l Lhe ri~k would lJe great |