Lucy (Chapter_19)

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3408 she sighed deeply - and again her head sunk in her lap. -

"Can't you tell a body your project then? replied he not, now, not now. by n by I'll tell you all about it.-"

"I'm reckoning its no mighty project, or you would be [nea..] enough to tell.

"Its a project, I don't half like," she answered.-" but what to be done? one can't starve. one can't lay out o' doors such weather as this. - one must do, what one don't like sometim

The embers being now all expired, and having no food to prepare; these poor people went supportless and shivering to bed. - Lucy still lay in the closet, which was divided from their room, by only a thin partition, between the boards of which were many cracks, so that she could distinctly hear all that was said, by the old couple, this was a circumstance of which they did not think, and soon after they had got into bed, Lucy overheard the following con versation. -

"Well"), daddy (crossed out), now for the project I as telling you

you must know then - that, that [cross out] Captain has been after me two or three times, and he says as how, if I will let him have Miss Lucy, he'll give me forty dollars - real silver dollars and more than that, he will bring a heap of com pany to the house - so that we shall never want for nothing -

Now [daddy -crossed out], I clean refused him and told him I despised him and his dollars too. - but law whats to be done - if the quality would pay you and we could but get a livin, I would scorn to to do the like – But after all, ones own flesh and blood is dearer than another body's, and [ if - crossed out] so I've been reckoning in my own mind – I would go to morrow n conclude the matter with the captain." –

"Thats a bad reckoning old woman, and I can't be o' consenting to the like wickedness". –

"Nor would I either [daddy - crossed out] – if to morrow wasn't pay-day

and there's no choosing. – besides, it an't like given up an innocent girl like. – Shes [2 words crossed out] ruinated already, without our help – [three lines crossed out - Not one of her [?] of our will take her in and she [?] any work and she must come to it, whether she will or no, so we might as well get something by her –"

"Why thats true," said the old man –" There's a main difference certinly between giving up an innocent child and just letting this poor thing keep in the path we found her – She must [perish in - crossed out] [go - on - written above] the streets as you say, at any rate - so to be sure, it will only be doing her a kind turn, to get her into any kind of service. – Tho' poor thing, she took on so A'other night – my heart misgives me." –

"And mine too [daddy - crossed out] - I do pity her – but as for the sin of the matter, it won't lay at our doors – we would willing enough be honest if the quality would be honest – We might be rich now – so be, they were–"

"Well," said the old man with a sigh –" if it must be it must be

Lucy had heard enough to banish sleep from her eyes that night and needed no awakening to be up and dressed before