Like a spider at its door Fortescue was waiting
for me. Whether he or I should be more benefited by Zoe's death remained
to be seen. As I left I asked Reverdy to write Dorothy and tell her what
had happened to Zoe.
When we got to Springfield I left Fortescue to his own ways. I looked
up Douglas and asked his advice. As always, he was busy in politics. He
was now master of his party's organization. But as I had tortures
because of my position he had anxieties because of the lack of means.
The law business did not bring him a great deal; it could not, for his
mind was on other things. He was trying to be secretary of state in
order to supplement his earnings as a lawyer. He was catching at
whatever offered to float himself along. His life was, therefore,
patchy. Would it ever be a whole, well-fitting garment to his great
genius?
I took up with him at once the matter of Zoe's common-law marriage.
There was first the question whether Zoe could enter into any marriage
with a white man. But I had settled that with Mr. Brooks, when going
into that matter of my father's marriage with Zoe's mother. Zoe was not
a negro, not a mulatto; she had less than one fourth negro blood.
Therefore, she did not fall under the inhibitions of the Illinois law
forbidding marriages between persons of color, negro or mulatto, with a
white person.
Pages:
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186