and dragged her back agin. Upheld by them her uncle could compel her to
give her service wherever he wanted her to work, and he wuz owin' this
woman and she wanted Serepta's work, so she had to submit.

But the third time she made a effort so voyalent that she got away. A
good woman, who bein' nothin' but a woman couldn't do anything towards
onclinchin' them powerful arms that wuz protectin' her, helped her to slip
through 'em. And Serepta come to Jonesville to live with a sister of that
good woman; changed her name so's it wouldn't be so easy to find her; grew
up to be a nice industrious girl. And when the woman she wuz took by died
she left Serepta quite a handsome property.

And finally she married Lank Burpee, and did considerable well it wuz
spozed. Her property, put with what little he had, made 'em a comfortable
home and they had two pretty children, a boy and a girl. But when the
little girl wuz a baby he took to drinkin', neglected his bizness, got
mixed up with a whiskey ring, whipped Serepta--not so very hard. He went
accordin' to law, and the law of the United States don't approve of a man's
whippin' his wife enough to endanger her life, it sez it don't. He made
every move of hisen lawful and felt that Serepta hadn't ort to complain
and feel hurt. But a good whippin' will make anybody feel hurt, law or no
law. And then he parted with her and got her property and her two little
children. Why, it seemed as if everything under the sun and moon, that
could happen to a woman, had happened to Serepta, painful things and
gauldin'.

Jest before Lank parted with her, she fell on a broken sidewalk: some
think he tripped her up, but it never wuz proved. But anyway Serepta fell
and broke her hip hone; and her husband sued the corporation and got ten
thousand dollars for it. Of course the law give the money to him and she