“Don’t be afraid of me,” he went on. “I just want to ask you one question.” “Yes, sir,” I said in a waiting, neutral tone. “Tell me, boy, are you hungry?” he asked seriously. I stared at him. He had spoken one word that touched the very soul of me, but I could not talk to him, could not let him know that I was starving myself to save money to go north. I did not trust him. But my face did not change its expression. “Oh, no, sir,” I said, managing a smile. I was hungry and he knew it; but he was a white man and I felt that if I told him I was hungry I would have been revealing something
...more
