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156   The Conjure Woman

gittin' wusser en wusser, 'tel fin'lly dis
yer man 'lowed Sis' Becky wuz gwine
ter die, sho' 'nuff. En ez he knowed
dey had n' be'n nuffin de matter wid
Lightnin' Bug w'en he traded 'im, he
'lowed mebbe he could kyo' 'im en fetch
'im roun' all right, leas'ways good 'nuff
ter sell ag'in. En anyhow, a lame hoss wuz better'n a dead nigger. So he sot down en writ Kunnel Pen'leton a letter. 
"'My conscience,' sezee, 'has be'n troublin' me 'bout dat ringbone' hoss I sol' you. Some folks 'lows a hoss trader ain' got no conscience, but dey doan know me, fer dat is my weak spot, en de reason I ain' made no mo' money hoss tradin'. Fac' is', sezee, 'I is got so I can't sleep nights fum studyi' 'bout dat spavin' hoss; en I is made up my min' dat, w'iles a bahg'in is a bahg'in, en you seed Lightnin' Bug befo' you traded fer 'im, principle is wuth mo' d'n money er hosses' er niggers. So ef you'll sen'