Oklahoma Writers‘ Project	~	84



	I wants to know if I can go back to my mammy some time, and he say “Sh~‘, of course you can, some of these times. You don‘t ieion~ to me, Jo, I1se jest your boss and. not your master.“

	He live in a bi~ o1~ rottencly house, but he amt farming none of the land. Jest as soon as he git home he goc~off again, and. sometimes he only come in at night for a little while.

	Hj5 wifets name was Kate and his name was Mr. John. I was there about a week before I found out they name was Deeson. They had.~two children, a girl about my size name Joanna like me, and a little baby boy name Johnny. One day Mistress Kate tell me I the only nigger they got. I been thinking maybe they had some somewhar on a plantation, but she say they amt got no plantation and they amt been at that place very long either.

	That little girl Joanna and me kind of take up together, and. she was a mighty nice mannered little girl, too. Her mammy raised her good. Her mammy was mighty sickly all the time, and. thatts the reason they bind me to do the work.

	Mr. John was in some kind. of business in the War too, but I never see him with no soldier clothes on but one time. One night he come in with them on, but thé next morning he come to breakfast in jest his plain. clothes again. Then he go off again.

	I shot had a hard~ rôw at that . It was old and rackady, and I had to scrub off the staircase and the floors all the time, and git ~ the breakfast for Mistress Kate and the two children. Then I could have my own breakfast in thekitcheù. Mistress Kate always get the supper, though.

‚ Some days she go off with the two children and leave me at the

.	house all day by myself, and I think maybe I rim off, but I didn~t 1~tow whar
	to go..	. .

‚ . ~ .After I been àt that place two years Mr. John come home and stay.