Free Stealing Freedom by Elisa Carbone Page A

only own slaves for a short time. I will draw up manumission papers—as an attorney for the Washington Gas Light Company, I'm able to do that sort of thing in my spare time. Once the papers are signed, you will become free people.”
    Ann's stomach did a little flip. It sounded so wonderful and so simple. There would be no running through the woods at night, no fear of being caught and punished. She hoped it would happen before too many years passed.“Where can we live?” Arabella asked. “We'll have nowhere to stay once we don't work for Master Charles anymore.”
    Mr. Bigelow nodded, as though he'd already thought it all through. “I live in Washington City, and I'll be happy to help you get settled there. I will sign for you for rooms to rent, and I have friends at the docks in Georgetown who can offer you a job, Mr. Weems.”
    “Thank you. Thank you, sir,” Ann's father fidgeted nervously. “But…what about my boys?” he asked.
    “We have been working to find them,” said Mr. Bigelow. “There's still no word, but the Vigilance Committee won't give up easily. Once the rest of you are free, you'll be able to help.”
    Ann's father grasped her mother's hand and squeezed it.
    Rising to leave, Mr. Bigelow asked, “So, are we all in agreement?”
    Ann, her mother and father, and Catharine each emphatically agreed to the plan.
    “Good,” said Mr. Bigelow. “Then I will go immediately to Mr. Price to make the offers.”
    Excitement shot through Ann's limbs. It was to happen
today?
Right now?
    It was a Saturday. They'd stopped work early, as was usual for a Saturday, and because the days were long springtime days, the sun still hung in the sky. Suddenly the cabin didn't seem large enough to hold her joy. Ann ran out into the cool air and twirled around, her arms flung wide. Catharine joined her, and Ann, breathless, threw her arms around her sister. “Let's go listen,” she whispered.
    Catharine hesitated, but then agreed.
    They ran quietly up the hill. The windows of the stone house were open, so they only needed to place themselves under the correct one. They followed the sound of voices, then pressed themselves against the cool stone wall, holding their breath to keep from giggling.
    “I hear you're getting out of farming,” Mr. Bigelow was saying.
    “If the price of a sack of guano wasn't fat enough to choke an ox, I might have been able to make my land fertile again. How do you figure they can charge so much for a pile of putrid bird dung?” said Master Charles.
    “I reckon it's the shipping, halfway around the world from Peru,” said Bigelow.
    “I reckon you're right.”
    Bigelow began again. “I hear you're selling off your farmhands. I'd like to make you an offer on the rest of the Weems family.”
    “Now, I hadn't planned on selling them all off. My wife will still need help around the house.”
    “I'm prepared to make you a fine offer. It should help with any debts you still have from running the farm.”
    Master Charles cleared his throat. Ann grasped Catharine's hand and squeezed it hard. A breeze stirred the branches of the maple so that it tossed like a horse's mane against the clear sky.
    “A thousand dollars for the mother. Sixteen hundred for the older girl, and five hundred for the younger one.”
    Ann pouted and scowled at Catharine.
    Catharine shook her head. “It's not a compliment to us noran insult to you, Ann,” she whispered. “It's only that…” Her voice trailed off.
    “It's only
what
?” Ann whispered too loudly.
    “Shhh,” Catharine admonished. They sat like statues for a moment to make sure no one had heard. Inside, the negotiations continued. “I'll have to consider if my wife can do without her seamstress—but it's true, I do have more debts to pay off.”
    Ann poked Catharine in the arm, still demanding an explanation.
    “It's just that—” Catharine blushed as she continued. “You can't have babies yet, and Mamma and I both can. Babies they