The Battle Ground

anch road, and started shrieking for the house. "Hi! hit's Marse Dan! hit's Marse Dan!" he yelled to his father Cupid in the pantry;

excitedly. "Bless my soul,

muslin cap, and by the time Dan had dismounted at the

nervously about, "this is a surprise, indeed. We

imple souls touched him with a new tenderness; he felt unworthy of his grandmother's kisses and the Major's tears. Why had he

g home again; and the sight of your faces is better than the wonders of the world, I declare. Ah, Cupid, old man, I'm glad

ut his hand over Congo's head, and "Hyer I is, too," shouted Cephas

York just to see that it was safe. Oh, don't smother me, I say." The dogs came bounding in, and he greeted them with much the same affectionate condescension, caressing them as they sprang upon him, and pushing away the one that licked his face. When the overseer ran in hastily to shake his hand, there was no visible change

is arms about the old people and led them into the library. "Why, what's beco

ightfoot to be seated before he drew up his chair. "His heart's gone roving, I tell him, and he foll

hearing the one word. "Wha

tretched out his slippered feet. "Well, I should say that he was

if that's what you mean

, "and I repeat that it is a very commendable thing to do-why, wher

ng. "I don't doubt that I should be quite as wel

he Major, with a sigh; "but I'm very

ned visibly, but s

e found it out, sir,"

he room, threw himself into a chair beside hi

a, I suppose,

ed until his sp

dkerchief. "Listen to the boy, Molly, he believes every last one

have done before him," interposed Mrs

it Virginia

-a first-rate fellow. I declare, he came over here one evening and I couldn't begin a single quotation from Horace that he didn't know the end of it. On my word, he's not only a fine fellow, but a cultur

atient jerk. "Tell me, g

ared to transfix the question with the end of her knitting-needle.

etty?" demanded Dan, while he rose to his fe

love has any meaning in him, it takes a man in love to find it out. M

ght the lamps, and stopped to inquire if Mrs. Lightfoot would like a blaze to be started in the fireplace. "It's a little chilly, my dear," remarked the Major,

ays in England. He asked after St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey half as if they were personal friends of whose death he feared to hear; and upon being answered that they still stood unchanged, he pressed eagerly for the gossip of the Strand and Fleet Street. Was Dr. J

n the hearth-rug, his white hair tossing over his brow, as he recited

r clothes," was Champe's greetin

arelessly, "and, by-the-way, there was an I

he tall vases. "It's a pity you didn't stop by Uplands," he

nd a moment afterward he added with an effo

for Virginia, and to-day he could barely stammer Betty's n

moment he seemed about to speak again; then changing his mind,

l believe me, I haven't spoken to my old love, Aunt Emmel

cade, smiled her changeless smile from out the darkened canvas. There was wit in her curved lip and spirit in her humorous gray eyes, and the marble whiteness of her brow, which had brought her m

arth in Aunt Ailsey's cabin. It was not in the mouth alone, nor in the eyes alone, but in something indefinable which belonged to every

nt door stood half open. Then taking down his hat, he descended t

From the branches of the old elms fell a few yellowed leaves, and among them birds were flying back and forth with short cri

d up tenderly at the gray sky and the small flying birds. There was a glow in his face, for, w

urned brightly on the hearth, and Betty had knelt upon the flat stones drying her hair. Again it seemed to him that he had never looked into a woman's face before, and the shame of his wandering fancies was heavy upon him. He called himself a fool because he had followed for a day the flutter of Virginia's gown, and a dotard for the many loves he had sworn to long befor

him that "supper was on its way"; and, with an impatient movement o

in the gloom of a perpetual solemnity. The girl, herself, made a bright spot of colour against the damask curtains, and as he looked at he

both her cool white hands, and asked him a hundred shy questions abo

y things have happened-one of the big trees blew down on the lawn, and Ja

but I rather think the tree's

ried half the day, just as if it were a human being. Aunt Lydia has been trying to build a rockery over the root, and she's going to cover it with

gone riding earlier with Champe. "She is showing him a new path over the

itably. "I believe in women keeping at home, you know," and as

she answered shyly, going back t

It blew down yesterday," she explained sadly. "The storm did a great deal of damage to the flowers, and the garden looked almost desolate this morning, but Betty and I worked there until dinner. I tell B

to go with you," he answered. "Do you know I never see you without thinking of your roses? You seem to carry their fragrance

n the tall grass strewn with rose leaves. Beyond the high box borders the gay October roses bent toward her beneath a light wind, and in the square beds tangles of summer plants still flowered untouched by frost. The splendour of the scarle

eath of the fragrant air. "I declare, it is l

up at him. "Even the verbenas were not nipped, and I don't think I e

s Lydia talking in her gentle, monotonous voice, and Dan bendin

old lady after he had gone, and thought i

ild the great doors were standing open, and from the drive he saw Mrs. Ambler sitting midway of the hall, with her Bible in her hand and her class of little negroes at

n she looked up and said, smiling: "Shall I ask you to join my class, or will you look for the girls o

ly, and with a gay "good-by" he untied Prince

pike gave place to a heavy clay soil, which went to dust in summer and to mud in winter, impeding equally the passage of wheel

of blue sky that showed between the tree-tops. At the sound of his horse she threw a startled look behind he

you!" she excla

assure you it would be always I. You mustn't blame a fellow for his ill l

u haven't been treati

need to put on more humility?" she questioned, h

o know why you went riding three afternoons

e why I went riding with Champe," she confessed, "a

allantly, "only I warn you that I

ampe," s

ing with you three af

d; and must I

t go home until you d

a handful of aspen leaves,

ming Hector (isn't that th

O fair Helena (it's the way they

rned you are!

vely you are

ly force me to tel

don't let it come

hat you are strong

anything," he assured

went because-" she drew back, "I implore

y," urged Dan

ce yourself-I went

cried, and c

ughed, and drew

dare you play with the green-eyed monster I'm wearin

r," said Betty. "I sh

be gently strok

ke often-po

is abashed ey

that depends-" h

our fancies," finished B

me up with her, and when he

my fancies, Betty

infully. "Why, what ha

? nothing-so hel

face. As they rode on silently they heard the rustling of the leaves beneath the horses' feet, and the soft wind playing through the fo

but fearing the stillness, s

ck to college?" sh

t's all the same t

n't. I shall

rned irritably. "I beg your pard

I wasn't lying-I sh

between them, and he imp

aid angrily. "As I told you before, Betty, when I'm not Light

ou're just yourself, and it's then, after all, that I like you best. Shall we turn now?" She wheeled he

efying her fears, met it with her beaming eyes. "When you're just yourself, Dan," she answered and galloped on. Her