The next day, during the morning, the Mistress said she was going out to see about some business concerning the Boss’s affairs. And I was wondering if maybe it would soon be time to speak to her about my freedom. And I thought that when she returned, depending on her mood, I might mention it. In the meantime, while she was out, I reckoned I would carry out my promise to the Boss concerning the Indian belt, and get that done with. So I took the belt all wrapped up, and I started for Miss Clara’s house, which was down on Bridge Street.

Well, I had got halfway there, just past the end of Mill Street, when I heard a voice behind me.

“What’ve you got there, Quash?”

It was the Mistress. I was thinking maybe I’d pretend I didn’t hear her, and I glanced around quick to see if I could avoid her, but before I could do anything, I felt her hand on my shoulder. So I turned and smiled, and asked, “Anything I can do for you, ma’am?”

“No,” she says, “but you can show me what you got there.”

“Just some things of mine,” I said. “It ain’t nothing.”

“Then show me,” she said.

She can’t surely think I’m stealing from her, I thought, after all this time. I didn’t want to show her that belt, because the Boss had told me to keep it a secret. But she had her hand on the thing, and there wasn’t much I could do. So I started to unwrap it. And for a moment she looked puzzled, but then as she saw what it was, her face grew dark.

“You give me that,” she said.

“The Boss told me to take it,” I answered. I didn’t want to tell her where I was going with it, so I let her think he gave it to me.

“And I’m telling you to give it to me,” she shouted. She had suddenly started to tremble with rage. I had an idea why the sight of that belt made her so angry, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Well, just then I had to think mighty fast. I knew I must do what I promised the Boss. Also, if I did what he said and gave that belt to Miss Clara for her son, then no one could say I’d stolen it. And I reckoned that if the Mistress was angry, it didn’t really signify, because I knew I was already free. So instead of obeying her, I turned, and before she could get her hands on it, I ran as fast as I could, and dodged behind some carts, and then made my way to Miss Clara’s house.