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 well go back. Park Lauriston ain't going to let nobody but John Marley marry his Lida."

Bennet's face flushed more as the woman continued. "No sir. That's all settled. They're two proud families and the old men have fixed it up so's Lida and young John can hit it off together."

"What's the matter? Won't they let the young lady choose for herself?"

"Not much, they won't. Seems Lida went North last year and got herself mixed up in some scandal and now they're all against the girl. She's practically a prisoner till she makes up her mind to marry Young John. They're a cursed lot, with all their pride."

"What do you mean?" Bennet bristled defensively, surprised out of his determination not to make known his errand. "I chanced to meet the young woman, in the North and found her to be exceedingly ladylike."

"Going to call, are you?" Mrs. Gorton asked.

"That was my plan. I chance to be passing through, and knowing that she lived in this vicinity thought I'd call."

"Well, you won't be welcomed. I know.—Park Lauriston's too proud to let any strangers call on his child. Besides, I tell you they've fixed it up for Young John to marry her."

"I thought they didn't do those things here in the South. Thought they allowed the girl to choose," Bennet commented.

"Huh, you don't know the Lauristons. Though they

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 live in the country they're all pride—with nothing to pride over, either.—True they've got a lot of old names in their families. But they've got other things too, and one of them's Park Lauriston."

"Evidently you don't like the family," Bennet remarked drily.

"Why should I? Didn't Park Lauriston throw me off his land last year? Me, an old woman, who'd befriended his family and nursed his children after their mother died and cared for them? No, I put a curse on the family. Let Lida marry Young John Marley. When they're married I'll tell them a thing or two that'll curse them all. The whole brood."

The car was gliding along quietly and came to a clearing off the road at the back of which nestled a small house from whose chimney arose smoke suggesting that the evening meal was in process.

"That's my house," Mrs. Gorton indicated.

They turned into the roadway leading up to it and drove up to the little garden patch with its path leading to the door behind a lattice covered with roses. The sun was setting in a large red ball through the trees, while far off to the east, over the woods darkness began to creep up the sky. There was a sound of cutting wood in the distance, with a rich voice yodling an evening tune in tempo with each axe-blow, as the echoes carried both from forest patch to forest patch across the cotton fields.

"Better come in and eat with us. Not much of a table but what I have you're welcome to. Besides, you can't

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 get to Barnwell tonight, if that's where you're going," invited Mrs. Gorton.

Bennet gazed at the cosy inviting little cottage behind the rose trellis and debated whether to go on to Lida's home as was his intention or to accept the invitation and remain with this old woman's family. He thought of what the woman had told him about the Lauristons and concluded that perhaps in the circumstances it might be embarrassing for Lida. He decided to delay the visit till the morrow.

"Thank you, if it won't put you to bother," he responded. "I was not going to Barnwell, however. Are you fully recovered now?" he asked.

"My, yes. I've lived too long out among animals to let a thing like that disturb me for long. I'm not city bred like your women. I'm no doll," she answered in manifest pride in her vigor.

With that she stepped from the automobile and led the way to the little house. Summer twilight in the south is one of the most bewitching periods of the day and season; a time for romance and dreams and castle building. Bennet stood in the gateway also trellised over with rose bushes and looked toward the western sky. Dews were beginning to fall after the sun dropped behind the trees. From as far as the eye could see on one hand there seemed to be an unending forest, with tall long leaf pines standing out in silhouette, towering like giants over the remaining world of vegetation. Below them, far below, were the oak and other trees whose leaves were reddening. Across

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 the cleared land in the rear of the house, the tops of the pines and oaks were still red and golden green where the sun's rays glinted from them. Long yellowish rays of sunbeams reached far up into the sky, like some monster searchlights at play with the world. From far over the fields came the chattering of sparrows at their angelus service. Off in a copse of woods a mocking bird was rendering an evening concert with a robin accompaniment. Gradually from the farm houses that dotted the horizon at varying distances there arose straight into the sky from their single chimneys, climbing into the air, towering, ambitious pillars of smoke. From a farm house could be heard the bleat of a sheep answered by the hunger call of a calf or the deep bay of a bloodhound in the distance. Bennet was entranced.

"What a wonderful place!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"It is right smart country," answered Mrs. Gorton as she watched the expression of admiration grow. "If you stay here long, you'll never leave," she added.

"I don't wonder they sing of the 'sunny south, exclaimed Bennet. "It is a delightful country."

"Yes, we're famous for beauty. Pretty horses, pretty women."

"A land to be enchanted in! A land of beauty!" Bennet was still under the spell.

"It is enchanted—and a princess over there—(nodding in the general direction of the Lauriston's lands) is

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 waiting to be claimed by some prince and freed from her ogre of a father," commented Mrs. Gorton.

"I thought you didn't like the Lauristons," observed Bennet.

"I don't like Park. He did me wrong. But I've nothing against the girl. She's like her mother. The boy's like his father. They're making it a hell for that poor child now, just because she cast eyes over the Lauriston fence at some strange boy in the North."

"Is that true.—Do you know it to be true?" Bennet asked.

"I'm not sure. But what other thing could a poor girl be mixed up in that would make her father pen her up like a jailbird?" the woman asked.

"Oh, that can't be! That can't be," Bennet offered, his heart pained at the thought that Lida was perhaps suffering for him.

"Yes, it is. That Young John Marley is there all the time and the poor girl can't go anywhere without either Ellie Lauriston or he trailing after her."

Bennet's heart was agonized at the thought of what must be going on and how Lida must be suffering. He was glad now that he did not continue his journey to the house. He determined, however, to visit in the morning and if Lida was still suffering on his account and if her love had not lessened to take her away immediately.

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The rural south retires with the chickens and as darkness came on Mrs. Gorton prepared the guest chamber of her little home and her youngest son, a stripling of twenty years showed Bennet to his room. The others of her family were either married or off in turpentine camps—till harvest time. "There was a time, when our family had servants too, like the Lauristons," he explained as if apologizing, "but that was long ago. Then we could have shown you such courtesies as the South used to offer its guests."

"Oh, that's all right. I'm glad to get a place to sleep as cosy as this, and I know my dreams will be pleasant with the scent of roses blowing on me during the night. Good night." He grasped the outstretched hand, in a hearty grip. He liked this family of plain people.

It was far in the night, however, before sleep came to his eyes. He lay looking through the open window into the starry sky thinking of Lida and what their love had brought them. He wondered what suffering she had endured and regretted that they loved. With such thoughts in his mind his eyes closed on dreams that were fitful as well as troublesome. The sun was hours high the next morning when he opened his eyes. As he came into a realization of where he was, across the field adjoining the yard there floated the guiding voice of a plowman turning furrows in a corn field. "Gee!Haw!Whoa!Haw." He looked in the direction of the sound

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 and saw a man behind a plow, driving a team of horses in a field of head high corn, the reins from the team! thrown over the man's head which was beneath the widest-brimmed straw hat Bennet had ever seen. The smell of the freshly plowed earth, the green blades of corn and the general brightness of the air filled Bennet with sudden resolution. He sprang from his bed, hurried his toilet and was soon in the yard behind the rose trellis.

Not seeing Mrs. Gorton or her son he started for the road, determined to walk about this country a little before going to the Lauristons. The earth, moistened with the dews of night, was just being dried by the sun. The leaves under the shade of the trees were still damp. Vigor and vitalizing joy made Bennet stride along with a heart full of strength and a smile on his face. He walked along the edges of the growing corn and fairly reveled in the verdure that spread out before him.

He was just about to retrace his steps so as to be prepared for the noon meal when he turned into a cross road and noted a woman approaching, her head down. She was walking slowly as if in deep meditation. He determined to get a glimpse of her face to see if she bore out the traditions of the south. The woman approached to within twenty feet of him before she realized that she was meeting someone. She raised her head and Bennet looked into the eyes of Lida.

The girl was changed almost beyond recognition. There were great dark circles about her eyes which had become hollowed and sunken. The pink of her cheeks was fading.

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 She looked up, halted for a moment as if unable to believe her eyes then stumbled, half fell toward him. He sprang to her in time to prevent her falling.

"My Darling," he murmured.

"Truman—Truman—Truman—" was all she could say. "God has answered my prayer."

Bennet lifted her tenderly and folded her to his shoulder where she lay her head, weeping silently. Bennet was too moved for words. He could only press his cheek to hers while his arms held her tightly till her spell of weeping exhausted itself. When her tears ceased to flow and her heart stilled its flutter, she looked up shyly into his face. Her arms folded tenderly about his shoulder and their lips met.

"How I've prayed and hoped you'd come, Dear. I have wanted you—needed you so," she sighed.

"I wrote you several times after getting your last letter. Not hearing from you I wondered what had happened and came down to see," was his simple explanation.

"Take me away, Truman. Take me away." Lida's eyes filled again as she spoke.

"After I've seen your father," said Bennet.

"Don't do that, please. He'll kill you.—He's said so. Please don't think of that," Lida begged in alarm.

"He got one of my letters asking you to come.—He's placed a guard over me—he wants me to marry someone else—don't you see?—don't you see it can't be that way," she cried wringing her hands.

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 Bennet soothed her but held to his determination. As she yielded she said in explanation:

"I have waited so long for you to come—I have wanted you so much and I need you so much I dread any further parting."

He embraced her tenderly while saying:

"Thank you, Dear Girl for that. It's worth wading through Hell for, and I'll not leave you again. When I go you go with me, and we'll be married. I must first, however, have your father's refusal or consent."

"It will never be consent, Dear. But tell me, where are you stopping. Whom do you know about here.—When did you get here," she prattled happily on, her mood shifting, not waiting for answers to any questions. When she paused, Bennet said:

"I stopped last night with a Mrs. Gorton, back on the road here. I came from Orangeburg yesterday."

At the mention of Mrs. Gorton, Lida gave a little gasp. Bennet turned to her questioning.

"Why, what's the matter? Wasn't that all right?" he asked.

"Ye-e-e-e-e-e-es, I suppose so. How'd you happen to stop there?" she queried.

Bennet then recounted the experience of the day before, telling of the alligator episode and Aunt Sally's hospitality. When he concluded, Lida said:

"She dislikes us—I don't know why.—She even pronounced a curse on us last year," Lida stated half in soliloquy.

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 "You're not superstitious enough to believe her curse could have any effect on you, do you?" Bennet asked.

"I don't know. I seem to have a lot of troubles.—Somehow I like her, yet I'm afraid of her."

"She seems a good old soul," was Bennet's observation.

"Well, it was good of her to take you in.—I thank her for that," Lida clung to his arm tenderly.

"Where will you stay tonight?" she asked.

"Don't know.—Suppose I'll make arrangements with her to keep me another night."

"I'll be happier tonight than I have been in weeks," Lida sighed as she looked into his eyes.

They had now started to walk along, Lida clinging to his arm when suddenly out of the shrubbery at the side of the road into their path stepped Young John Marley. Lida gave a gasp of dismay and surprise. John Marley stood in the middle of the road as if to dispute their passage, his feet spread apart.

Bennet felt a slight shudder run through the body of the girl at his side. He started forward. Lida stood still, her hand clenching and reclenching nervously about his coat sleeve. John Marley ignored Bennet and looked directly at the girl.

"Thought you'd skip out, would you—?" he snarled. Lida's face flushed with indignation.

"Skip out?—No—Why should I skip out? I'm not yet your wife," she answered with a haughty toss of her head.

"Not yet—but you will be," Marley threatened.

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 "Not to the man who has to stand guard over me," Lida retorted indignantly. "I won't stand for your following me any longer. And I tell you now I'll never marry you. I—I—I'll kill myself first. I want no more of your insults."

Marley ignored the words but indicating Bennet, asked: "Who's your friend?"

"A real friend and a true gentleman," replied Lida proudly.

"Your northern friend, I suppose?" Marley continued.

"Northern or not he's chivalrous enough not to impose himself on a lady when he's not wanted—and he's not cowardly enough to spy on a girl. He's too much of a gentleman for that," she ended.

Marley started toward the girl. Bennet quickly placed himself in front of her; menace in his attitude. "The lady has said that she wants none of your company.—You'd better go. Stand aside," he warned.

He took Lida's arm and walked by Marley, passing between him and the girl. When they had gone a few paces the latter turned to the couple. "So that's your northern white nigger is it. Well, we treat 'em all the same down here. Better watch out or he'll be decorating a tree too."

Neither Lida nor Bennet heeded the insults or taunt, though Bennet felt a tremor in his companion's arm. They passed on. When they reached the road that led to Lida's house, the girl turned to Bennet.

"I'm sincerely sorry I can't take you to my house tonight. I'll get word to you tomorrow, however, where we

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 may meet. And then, Truman Dear, we must get away."

Bennet looked at the drooping girl at his side, saw the lines of forlorn weariness manifested in the face and a great pity well-ed into his heart. He was reminded of the figure of Eurydice as she must have appeared to Orpheus when the latter looked back to see if she was much changed by her journey in the land of Proserpina. She seemed so weak and helplessly suffering that he longed to snatch her away from the present into a golden bright future.

"Dear Little Girl," he said," I am just beginning to know what you must be enduring for my sake. I love you so I don't want harm to come to you. It kills me to see you suffer so. Would you be very lonesome should I go away.—Would it relieve you of your suffering?"

Lida looked up, touched his arm, tears dripping from her lashes.

"It would serve no good purpose to leave me. I'd—only—die. I cannot—and will not marry another. It is too late now, Dear. How would my love fare with you away?"

"Ah, but I only bring suffering to you.—And I can't bear to see you suffer. My love is not selfish enough to feed upon your suffering."

Lida shook her head in a sad negative. "I thought over all these things when we walked down the cinder path at college that night of the reception. You know, a woman looks at her love differently than a man. She weighs the cost. A man simply sees the object of his love, wants that

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 love and strives to possess. Not so a woman. She calculates the cost, the obstacles, the chances of happiness and weighs the character of her man. When once she makes up her mind nothing changes her. I love you truly, and always will. I'm not one to love lightly."

"I know that, Dear, and I love you as sincerely. What love, however, can endure to see the object of that love suffer. Suppose I were suffering as you must be. Would you want to do differently than I?" he asked tenderly.

"I'd try to get you out of trouble as speedily as possible, but I'd never leave you," Lida suggested. "Take me away, please."

"I believe you—and bless you for it. I'll take you away tomorrow. I must be honorable, though, in the taking and honorably say to your father that I am taking you. At least I owe him that."

Lida smiled, as she stood on tiptoe to reach her lips to his. "Aufwiedersehen, then."

Never had words a deeper meaning to Bennet than these. He clasped her to his heart in a long embrace. "Aufwiedersehen," he repeated, tenderly. He stood watching her till she passed in at her gate far down the white sandy road and turning waved to him. As she tripped up the steps and entered, Bennet lifted his hat and bowed reverently then turned to retrace his steps to Mrs. Gorton's.

Once there he lost no time in asking for a chance to remain with her for a few days. He liked the locality so well, its picturesqueness and scenery. Her family was

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 very willing to entertain the guest and soon placed him at his ease. Southern hospitality is so open and frank that a stranger is accepted at his face value till he proves himself undesirable.

Bennet spent the remainder of the day in unpacking his belongings and making himself at home in his surroundings. His mind was happier than it had been for several weeks. As he arranged his clothing on frames provided, and in the cedar chest Mrs. Gorton provided from her linen closet, he could not refrain at intervals from stepping to the window which opened toward the Lauriston house and gaze in the direction of Lida. The great live oak in front of the veranda seemed to wave its branches; Bennet was uncertain whether in a hostile or a friendly manner.

When Lida entered the house she was happier than she had been for weeks, knowing that her lover was near and that she would soon be leaving with him. Her heart was full of plans for the future and elopement. As she crossed the threshold of the door and was on her way to her room, the fiercely blaspheming voice of her father greeted her. She paused to listen. She distinguished three other voices also. Colonel Lauriston was pacing to and fro in the dining room raving as a madman, cursing God, his family, the world and himself. In his raging Lida realized that she was again the cause. She paused in the hallway long enough to hear her brother, Elvin, also angrily speaking to Young John Marley.

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 dog in his tracks? I'd have killed them both," she heard.

"There's plenty of time to kill," was Marley's sententious answer.

"Well, he's got his nerve with him. I thought you were going to watch Lida and take care of her. What sort of a husband would you make if you can't protect her." It was again Elvin's voice she heard.

"I'll protect her all right, all right when she's my wife. I went down to the stables for a minute and when I came back she was gone. I went right after her though," Marley explained.

"Yes, you went right after her—and was too much of a coward to protect her when you found her," sneered Elvin. "We don't want him about. First thing you know they'll be eloping."

"That's just what we will do," observed Lida mentally. She was on the point of taunting them with the fact but decided that discretion was better and continued to her room then locked the door securely behind her. "It's to be one woman against the pack of you now," she resolved.

During the remainder of the afternoon her maid, Chloe, was the only person she allowed to enter. She busied herself packing what belongings she considered her personal property. This occupied her till time for the evening meal which she ate in her room. As darkness came on she looked from her window at the familiar haunts and one by one bade them a mental farewell.

"I wonder, when, if ever, I'll see you all again. It's a sad way to leave you all, my friends, my woods, my hero

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 pines, my cave where my childhood has been spent. I love you all and will carry you in my memory. You all were the best friends I had. Even your solitude was friendly to me. Love calls me and love must be obeyed."

Long she stood at her window, looking into the darkness. At a distance a hoot owl gravely spoke to the world out of his wisdom while in some nearer tree a screech owl answered.

"Good-bye, old friend. You've hooted me your last salutation, I fear. How fair one's birthplace seems when far away, or about to leave it. I wonder if at the hour of death we treasure what we've known in life as I treasure you at this moment. I shall smell the honeysuckle in my dreams; I shall build wreaths of the jasmine in my day dreams. Wish me well, friends, wish me well." She ceased to speak as her mind wandered off into pleasant fantasies.

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Long she remained at the window going over the events of the past year and dreaming of Bennet; wondering if he had retired yet and if he had thought of her. She wondered if he realized how happy he had made her by coming in her time of need. All the world about her was in slumber and darkness such as is only known to a southern night.

Here and there a lightning bug flashed in the trees and shrubbery of the garden. A cricket chirped and a locust sang his quavering raspy number. Lida was still looking from her window, when, at her door, there sounded a faint and excited knocking. "Miss Lida—Miss Lida—Miss Lida," the voice whispered.

Lida returned regretfully from her dreams. She felt her way to the door. She recognized the voice as that of Chloe, her maid, and opened the door. The girl's eyes were so wide that they shone even in the darkness.

"Miss Lida," the girl reached out to feel for her mistress's hand. Lida touched her. "I'm here, Chloe," she said. What'ssaid." What's [sic] the trouble?"

The girl silently closed the door then stepped close to Lida. "They's sumthin' goin' on. Sumthin' mystery-like—very mystery-like."

Lida waited for details.

"Young Mr. Lauriston done gone off in the dark. Took his gun and gone off. John Marley gone with him too. Yessum, gone with him too. I was sitting on the steps by

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 the post when they passed me. John Marley was saying, 'I got men all waitin' down by the cotton gin. They gwine take some Bunnit, or sumpin' like that and string him up. Sumpin's going on. They's up to mischief. They's mischief afoot. Shore's you born."

Lida was perplexed for a minute but at the name Bunnit she recalled the threat of John Marley and his confident tone of the afternoon. She blanched. "Oh, Father," she groaned. "They're planning to kill him. Oh, God! The Brutes!" For a moment or two her mind was in a whirl. Anger and fear raced one another across her brain. Anger at the dastardliness of the plan and fear that their plan would be consummated and her lover killed.

"He must be warned! He must be saved!" she thought, as she puzzled her brain for a plan. Finally she grabbed the girl by the arm with such force that Chloe was forced to bite her lips to prevent crying out. The maid tried to free the grip but could not. Lida's mind was tortured for but a few moments, then plan after plan suggested itself only to be rejected.

"I must do something! I must do something!" she kept repeating to herself. Finally she thought of the cave in which she had played as a child. She could not find her way there at night even if she were successful enough to beat them to Mrs. Gorton's and warn Bennet of his danger. Then a daring plan evolved itself. She would hide Bennet in her own house till he could be piloted to the cave in safety. They would never think of looking in her house for him. He could be hidden in the old unused attic.

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 No sooner was the plan framed in her mind than she began to plan for its execution. "Quick, Chloe," she said. "Go to the barn and bring me my horse, never mind saddling him." The maid departed. "They'll wait down at the cotton gin till all their crowd have come. I hope that will give me a chance to beat them," she reasoned.

Hastily throwing about herself a heavy wrap she went to the yard to await the coming of the horse. She heard the steps and realized that if she galloped, footsteps would be heard and her plan discovered. "Quick, Chloe, some burlap bags. Bring me some quick." The girl was gone and in a few minutes returned. "Some string—some string. Oh, why didn't you think of some string? Quick, girl, some string," she whispered excitedly.

Before the girl could offer any explanation Lida had shoved her in the direction of the house again. Chloe ran nimbly up the steps and into the kitchen, returning soon with a ball of twine. Having been on familiar terms with the horses of her father's place since girlhood it was not difficult for Lida to tie the burlap mufflers about the feet of the horse. With that done she led the animal to a block and was soon mounted. Cautiously she started and breathed a sigh of relief as she noted that the footsteps of the horse could scarcely be heard.

The animal stepped out gingerly at first but soon became accustomed to the mufflers. As far as the gate at the end of the lawn, Lida walked the horse. The cotton gin was somewhat to the rear of the house and off to the left of the road about a half mile. Once into the highway

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 she struck the animal in the side with her heels and urged it into a gallop.

The hoofbeats could barely be heard. Lida smiled at the fact. It was a ten-minute ride to the Gorton house. As she neared the house a hound challenged and raced to the gate. Lida dismounted and soon made friends with the dog. This accomplished she led her horse to the yard fronting the house, hitched him to the trellis and then started for the rear.

Bennet had been unable to sleep and was sitting at his window watching in the direction of the Lauriston house, hence, when he heard the hound he was all alertness. When the horse came to the yard and he heard the creaking trellis, he was all attentiveness. He waited for a rapping at the door and when none came started to peer from his window. Until someone rapped he would not disturb the family. He was still waiting when he heard faint footfalls coming around the corner of the house. In the darkness they recognized each other. Lida's tension relaxed as her heart filled with joy that she had been in time. Joy forced tears to her eyes.

"Truman—Truman—Truman," she whispered, a great tenderness enveloping her. "Is that you?"

"Lida, Heart, what are you doing here at this time? You ought to be home," he cautioned.

"Sh-h-h-" was her warning. "You're in danger. They've planned to kill you.—Oh, God, how can men be such brutes?" she agonized.

Bennet climbed through the window and leaped lightly to the ground.

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 "Going to kill me?" he asked incredulously, taking the now trembling girl into his arms. "Why, I know no one here except these people in this house. Who would kill me?"

"John Marley, the man we met today.—He and my brother have gotten together a group of their friends and they're perhaps on their way now. God knows what they'd do to you. You must hide.—I must hide you."

"Why hide? They can't kill me without cause."

"You love me. That's cause enough for them," she explained.

"My Little Girl, how sorry I am for you. What trouble I've brought to you," said he.

"Sh-h-h-h" she silenced him with a finger to his lips. "You've brought me yourself—the best man, and the only man, in the world for me. What do I care more?"

"You're a jewel—and I adore you for saying that, Heart O' Mine, but I must not allow it," he argued.

"Don't stand there.—Come on—they'll be here any minute. Thay shan't kill you unless they kill me first." She led the way back to the house, made Bennet lift her then mount behind her. Gently and quietly she turned the horse's head toward the road again and home. Her nerves were all atingle with excitement. Intently she scanned the darkness ahead of her and listened for sounds of any horses' feet. Once she thought she detected sounds and pulled up on the bridle. Knowing that the horse would also detect the sounds and indicate the fact by a listening attitude of its ears she studied these. They were

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 moving slowly back and forth indicating that her way was still safe.

She was almost half way home when this time she detected the sound of galloping of many horses still some distance away. Wheeling her mount to the left she deliberately entered a nearby cotton field and was soon hidden from view. Once in the field and behind the roadside hedge of trees she dismounted and stood by her horse's head lest he neigh and make known to the riders that someone else was about. The riders soon passed them and were on their way to the Gorton home. With these once behind her, Lida breathed a sigh of relief and began to cry softly.

Bennet comforted her and she soon regained her composure. Now she hurried the horse till near her own yard when they slowed down to a silent walk. Into the yard they came like spectres.

"Here we are, at last. Thank God," she breathed, as she dismounted with the aid of Bennet's hand. "I'm going to hide you in our attic for tonight, and tomorrow you must get away."

Chloe, the maid, was still waiting in the darkness for the return of her mistress and turning the horse over to the girl, Lida led the way to the attic.

"You'll have to make the best of it for tonight, Dear, and be sure to keep quiet. I'll come to you when the coast is clear tomorrow and get you away. I have a cave where I used to play when a girl. I'll see if that's safe and then take you there till we can get away."

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 "You're a trump of a girl. God has been good to me to give me your love. I pray God I'll always deserve it," he said fervently. "You're a brave, jewel of a girl."

She clung to him in a long embrace then silently stole back to her room. Once in the room she recklessly threw herself across her bed and surrendered to tears as a relief to her emotions and a relaxation from the excitement of the past hours. It was well toward morning when she regained control of her nerves. Her body was still wracked by great dry sobs at intervals when she heard the footsteps of her brother's horse in the yard. She heard the horse led to the barn and the young man return, then enter the house.

The heaviness of the steps indicated the anger of the man. Lida listened intently, anger gripping her body and resentment at the atrocity of which he would have been guilty had she not thwarted their plans. She listened eagerly for any indication of whether Elvin suspected how Truman had been saved. He was grumbling and muttering as he undressed and prepared for bed. Footsteps back and forth in the room which was across the hallway from hers told Lida of his retirement act. The thud of a shoe sounded. Lida held her breath awaiting the fall of the second shoe. This came shortly and then she heard her brother's slippered feet shuffling about the room. Presently his steps passed her door on the way to the bath room. As he passed Lida heard him say:

"Must have heard us.—Durn him,—it's lucky he got away.—But he can't go far—we'll get him today."

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 At that threat Lida shook a clenched fist in the direction of the bath room. "Never, if I can help it," she vowed in answer to the threat. She listened further to the mutterings of disappointment uttered by her brother, then finally succumbed to the drowsy feeling which followed her night of excitement and exertion. Bennet, immediately that the door was closed and the girl gone, stretched himself on the floor near it so as to prevent any sudden intrusion, should those who sought to harm him discover his hiding place. He could not sleep, however. Long he lay awake staring into the darkness of the room and pondering over his course of action. In the face of all the dangers he was causing, he wondered whether it was right for him to bring so much trouble on the one he loved with all his being.

"Which is the truer love," he argued with himself. "To persist in wooing the girl I love in the face of such hardships as I am bringing on her for the sake of that love, or to sacrifice that love for the peace of mind and bodily ease of the object of my love?—Which is the truer love?

"I love the girl with all the devotion within me. I shall love her all of life till the end of time for me. Which is right? To give her up and continue loving her or to take her and flee. Once out of this unGodly country our loves and our lives would run smoothly.—I can make her happy, and will make her happy—." Thus through the long hours he debated till finally he swept all doubts from his mind as to the true course with the decision, "Oh, why worry? We'll get away today and forget this land."

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 He was far removed from the sounds of the footsteps of the returning horseman and the incidents of which Lida was aware, and though tired he fought off the sleep that almost overwhelmed him until daylight appeared. With the first stream of light that came under the door he relaxed and closed his eyes. His next conscious moment was hours later when there was a slight tapping at the door and a whispered—"Truman,—Truman. Wake up, Dear. They've gone to hunt you. Now's the time.—Put these things on over yours, and put this paste over your face. When you've finished I'll come in."

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Lida had taken her maid into her confidence and won the girl's support to her plan. It was this. Bennet would dress as one of the farm hands, wearing a wide brimmed palmetto hat pulled well down over his face, leave the house and be piloted to the secret cave, after his face had been blackened.

Already Lida and the girl had been over to the cave and made it comfortable with a good meal there to welcome Bennet. From there, at night, when the coast was clear, the couple would make their escape and flee.

In twenty minutes after leaving the clothing, Lida again knocked at the door. This time a deep brown-skinned Bennet greeted her. "Will I pass?" he asked as he stood before her. Lida looked at him in his garb, inspecting him from head to foot.

"You look like a native," she confessed. "I don't like you that way and you'll have to get out of it as soon as you get to the cave. I want you as you are to me.—Just you."

Bennet touched her hand gently to his lips. "Hurry," she warned. "We've only a little while. They'll be coming back. When you leave the yard go straight to the field at the back of the house. There's where the hands are at work. Walk along by the fence to the end of the lane. When you get there a girl will be waiting. Follow her."

Bennet again kissed her hand. "I don't like to do this, Lida, Mine. It's not fair—but I suppose it's best."

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 "It is best." She stamped her foot impatiently. "You must do as I say this time."

Bennet was led to the floor below and guided to the rear of the house. Lida pointed to the direction he was to take. She watched him leave the yard and walk toward the field. She stood watching for several minutes and then returned to the house, hurried into a light wrap and was about to leave the house when she came upon her father. He was staring vacantly about him and murmuring under his breath. Lida went up to him.

Colonel Lauriston looked at her without recognition. "Daddy," Lida called gently. "Daddy," whygently. "Daddy, why [sic] won't you—" she got no further. Colonel Lauriston began to murmur something about sheep in the pasture and passed her by, going to his own room. Lida's eyes filled with tears as she went down the steps of the veranda, then turned the corner of the house and started for the rear and down the field, following Bennet at a distance. One hand she held close to her breast just over her heart.

Bennet reached the end of the lane, passing the place where the hands were at work but giving no heed to him, except to glance at him casually from the middle of the field where they were. At the end of the lane stood Chloe, Lida's maid. Before Bennet overtook her she started off through the woods. For some distance she followed a beaten path. Bennet noted this but after going about a quarter of a mile the path was lost on the carpet of dead oak leaves and pine needles over which they walked.

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 Birds were singing in the shadows. As they passed deeper and deeper into the forests, with their blazed pines oozing turpentine pitch into a box hole cut into the tree the woods became more and more quiet. On they walked till Bennet began to wonder where they were, when suddenly he heard a waterfall and through the trees he could see the glistening spray some one hundred feet at his right. At the base of the falls where the copse opened into a narrow bit of green meadow through which the rivulet from the falls ran trailing off to the Edisto River, the girl halted. The water was falling over a sheer cliff in three steps from the higher land above, draining a pond some miles away. The cliff seemingly having been formed ages ago when some cataclysm of nature caused a fault in the rocky bed by which the land below dropped.

At the base of the falls, stood a tall poplar tree whose roots seemed to have dipped into the little stream for sustenance. This poplar tree grew close to the cliff and some thirty-five feet up its limbs reached over and touched the cliff just where the water passed. By a process of erosion with the swaying winds these limbs and water had dug into the cliff behind the white sheet of water and hollowed out a cave. Moisture had softened the rock and clay till it crumbled and fell into the little pool at the base of the falls. Lida, in one of her play days of girlhood, in exploring the woods had climbed this tree and discovered the cave. Since then it was her cave and she spent many a day behind the water shed, making the cave wider and deeper as she dreamed of primitive days when Indians inhabited this section.

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 As if by inspiration, when she heard her brother make his threat, she was reminded of this cave and thought it an ideal place for hiding. When she awoke in the morning she hurried to make preparations to take Bennet there. She and her maid had made two trips to the place and had refurnished it from her girlhood days, providing a camping outfit and a table and chair.

When Bennet reached Chloe she pointed to the trees. "See that tree," she said. "You'all hav to clum up to wher 'at hole is. Thas yo' home fur now. Miss Lida'll be here soon. She'll tell you'all de rest."

From the tree there hung a grapevine rope, leafy and heavy with green grapes, this entwining about the limbs of the tree above and losing itself in curtains of Florida moss. After giving her instructions the girl wheeled and was gone. Bennet looked at the tree and after stepping off some fifteen or twenty feet ran toward it and leaped as high up the trunk as he could, climbing up the remainder of the distance, with the help of the grapevine rope. As he reached the heavy limb extending into the cave he paused to view the sight within.

Here was a cave, well lighted from the sun shining through the spray, about as deep and as high as a large room. Far back in a corner was a book shelf with a few volumes on it, while on the opposite side at the wall was a camp table covered with food. Between the two was a cot covered over with a couple of horse blankets.

"Well, of all things," he exclaimed. "Who'd have thought such a thing possible. As dainty a room as could

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 be wished for.—And this is hers." He almost felt it too sacred to enter. "Well, well, well," he exclaimed. He was still admiring the place when he heard a voice from below:

"Well, hurry and get in. I'm coming up."

Bennet looked down and beheld Lida standing at the foot of the tree gazing up at him. He stepped into the cave and awaited her. Practice had made her adept at climbing up, and a pair of knickers, and puttees gave her the freedom to climb. She was soon standing by his side, her cheeks pink and a bewitching roguish smile on her face. Bennet reached a hand to help her into the cave.

She stepped to the center and stood, arms akimbo, turning from side to side viewing the three walls with pride. "Well, what do you think of it?" she asked admiringly.

Bennet looked at her, then about the cave and at her again. "A true fairy bower," he exclaimed. "Who'd ever think there was such a place. I never dreamed there was outside of story books of younger days."

Lida smiled joyfully. "And they'll never find you here. No one—not a soul except Chloe knows of this place, and she only knew of it today.

"What a wonderful place for my Fairy Sweetheart," Bennet exclaimed looking at the girl in her trim suit, from her puttees to knickers and open-throated blouse.

"It is a darling place," Lida added with pride. "Everything at hand for comfort. Grapes within reach—water for bathing and drinking and, with a camp cooking

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 outfit, a very happy time could be spent here." At the words suggesting happiness, Bennet's face clouded.

"It would be a happy place for you were it not for me," he said sorrowfully.

"What do you mean?" Lida asked.

"I mean that by my loving you I've brought trouble to you. I can't bear to see you suffer," Bennet returned.

"Why, I'm not suffering. Can anyone suffer who loves really and truly? And does not love counterbalance any suffering? It is a joy to suffer for the man I love. It makes love all the dearer. It is what makes life worth living now. Why I've only lived since I've known you."

"If all these experiences have been yours what must mine be, to whom you are life itself—to whom you are dearer than life?" Bennet's voice was low and vibrant with feeling. "It is I who have learned to live since loving you. Your love has opened the world to me—made me realize that I'm a real part of the universe. I understand better now, the light of the stars at night; the light of the moon, and the very darkness itself since your love has come into my existence. I can better sense the motion of the universe about us because of your love, and My Heart, My Heart, O, how I love you!"

He had taken the girl into his arms and her head lay confidingly and contentedly on his shoulder. The world itself seemed forgotten. They stood silently after the speech for some minutes, each dreaming and looking into space. Bennet was the first to be recalled back to the present.

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 "Won't they miss you at the house?" he asked.

"Why should I care? I'm with you. That's enough."

"Yes, but you know we must get away tonight or tomorrow at latest. We have to plan for that."—After a moment's pause Bennet continued. "And yet, Dear Heart, I wonder if I'm right in taking you away from all you've known and loved in your growing years?"

Lida turned to him. "You just said you loved me."

"Yes, it is this love,—the very strength of it that makes me hesitate to ask you to leave all and go with me—to make such sacrifices as you are making, to endure what I am bringing on you."

Lida stood away from him suddenly. As she did so a small silver and pearl handled revolver dropped from her bosom. Bennet, surprised, stooped to pick it up. Lida also reached for it at the same time. Their hands met warmly. Bennet grasped the weapon. He held it before him in his open palm.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Lida'sLida's [sic] face flushed as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "That was to save you, Dear. I—I—didn't want any harm to come to you."

Bennet looked at the girl so intently that her eyes drooped. "The only one who could have wished me harm would be your brother or Marley. Would you have shot them for me?"

Lida leaned her head on his breast and clutched the lapels of his coat as she began to weep. "I love you more than anything else in the world. I would kill even—to—save you."

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 Bennet placed his arm about the girl and comforted her. He looked at the face below his own and then at the revolver in his hand while into his mind came Kipling's words about the female of the species. He lifted the girl's face till their lips touched in a lover's embrace. Then he handed the revolver to her and pulled one of his own from his pocket. "That's enough protection for me," he said. "I don't believe I need that as long as I have two good hands," he added.

"You'll be careful, always, won't you, Truman?" she warned solicitously.

"Yes."

"For my sake, Truman, you'll always be careful?" she asked again.

"Don't you worry, Little Girl. I'll take care of myself. Better be getting back to the house. They'll be missing you."

"Oh, I forgot all about your breakfast. You must be starved," she turned to the table.

"Well, there is a decided emptiness somewhere about me. Hadn't thought of it before, though," he laughed.

"You poor boy. And Chloe and I brought food here for you this morning." She turned to the little table and lifted napkins from the luncheon. "Come," she said, "Let's eat."

Bennet lost no time in placing the table where he could sit on the cot and Lida on the chair. "All the comforts of home," he said. "God bless our home," he added.

The two sat and soon devoured the food, both being

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 hungry and like two children at play over this meal. When the meal was finished, Lida gathered the dishes together. "I'll leave them here we may want them again," she said. "I'll wash them though, and you can dry them. Come on," she invited. Bennet jumped to the task with relish. Leaning over the cliff, Lida allowed the water to wash each dish then handed it to Bennet who dried each as it was handed to him.

"This is great fun," she smiled as she handed him the last glass. "Like camping out, or living as the early settlers and pioneers did. What a glorious time they must have had."

"Yes, and many a hardship," Bennet added.

"All for us, though, and the land we have," Lida observed.

When the table had been tidied Lida decided to return to the house. It was after noontime then and hurriedly sliding down the grapevine rope she looked up to give a last warning to Bennet. "Be careful now," she said. "I'll be back before sundown."

With that, after blowing a kiss to Bennet from the tips of her fingers so daintily that Bennet was almost tempted to descend and get a real one, she turned and was soon lost in the shadows of the trees. Bennet turned to his hiding place, and being drowsy, took one of the books from the shelf and started to read. He was not occupied long with this, however, before his eyelids drooped and he stretched out on the couch, sound asleep.

It was far into the afternoon before he awoke again.

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 When he did so it was without opening his eyes. With his eyes closed his first consciousness was that someone was watching him. He kept his eyes closed for a moment or two longer as if to make sure that his sense was right. With the surety that some eyes were staring at him he slowly opened his to see Lida standing over him.

"Oh, what a sleepy head! I thought you'd never wake."

"Why should I wake with such a sweet guard as you watching over me," he bantered.

"Yes, but I might have been someone else—some enemy."

"Never mind what might have been. It was you and I'm glad," Bennet said thankfully.

She seated herself beside him, placing her hand in his. Her face clouded. "I'm afraid I can't go with you tonight, Dear." Bennet's heart sank into a dungeon of gloom.

"I thought you'd realize I was bringing too much trouble on you."

"It's not that, Dear. I'm going, but not for a day or two. Daddy's not well. I think his mind's weakening," she explained sorrowfully.

Lida then related her experience of the morning when she met Colonel Lauriston and he failed to recognize her. "He's been woefully upset," she continued. "He hates to think of my loving you and marrying you. It has worried him so that I think his mind is breaking."

"Heart of Mine, even though we love as dearly as we do, I think we'd better separate—at least for a time.—Time, perhaps, will right things."

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 "Time will never righten things to the extent that my father or my brother will change. I know you're white so far as blood, bearing and character are concerned. And the rest makes no difference to me. Down here, though, people see things differently and time will never change them.

"I don't want to live down here. I want to be where you are. I want to be where my love is—and that's with you. I don't want to leave Daddy, just yet, though. I may never see him alive again when I leave," she prophesied.

"I think it best for your sake that I go back alone. It will be sad for me.—Life will be gone but the memory of you will always be with me. Can't we let the love we feel remain in our hearts,—can't we treasure each other though far apart, for having known and loved each other? I have never intended that my love should bring you harm—that it should cause you a moment's pain."

"You'll cause me more pain by leaving me. Life will be dark and drab without you."

"Still I don't think I'm worthy of all the sacrifice you're making."

"Am I the only one making sacrifices?" she asked.

"Aren't you making sacrifices for me? Your family opposes the match as well as mine. You are sacrificing them, why should I cling to mine. We have our own lives to live. We have our own ways to make in the world. You, yourself have said that. I'm willing to make my sacrifices for you, just as you're willing to make them for me."

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 "After all, how much difference is there between us? None in reality. It's just a matter of pride and narrowness. Loving you I have not lost anything. Rather have I gained," Bennet concluded.

"Yes, and my life has been enriched by your love.—No, let's think about other things. I can't leave my father just yet. He just sits about and stares and stares. He won't eat. And this afternoon I came across him in the barnyard praying to a calf.—Wait a few days to see if he gets better, then we'll go. You'll be perfectly safe here," Lida assured.

"Oh, it's not my safety that I think about," Bennet explained.

Lida looked out through the curtain of falling water. Iwater. "I [sic] must go back to the house now. I've brought you something more to eat and I'll come back before dark with news. By the way, they're scouring the whole of creation for you. Ellie went to Mrs. Gorton's this morning when he got up and got your bag. He brought it to the house and has it in his room. The whole countryside has been called on to find you.—And here you are," Lida chuckled gleefully.

"Oh, why didn't you wash that stain off your face?" she asked. "I don't want to see you that way. I want you to be as you are."

With that she took a napkin from the lunch basket and held it under the spray then stepped over to where Bennet was sitting and began removing the stain.

"Naughty Boy," she said playfully. "Don't want to

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 wash his face, eh. Well, I'll do it for you." After removing all the stains she looked at Bennet tenderly. "There," she said, "You look like the man you are, not like someone else."

She soon started down the ladder again and on reaching the ground called:

"I'll be back before dark. Cheer up. Don't be lonesome."

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Lida's heart was light as she neared her home despite the troubles that swirled about her. So lighthearted was she that she was whistling gaily. Her brother heard the tune and watched her as she crossed the yard. Seeing her gaiety aroused his resentment against the girl and her lover. He looked at her long and steadily, a scowl on his face. As she reached the top step he grew suspicious of her happiness. She was about to pass him and enter the dining room when he caught her by the shoulder.

"Here! Where've you been?" he demanded abruptly.

She whirled from under his grasp and stood facing him, piquancy and daring in her attitude. "What matter's it to you?" she asked.

"No girl's got any business running about over the country alone."

"Indeed? Since when?—I've done that all my life. At least until you and Daddy, appointed Mr. Marley my guardian?" she taunted.

"You need a guardian, all right. You ought to be put away," Elvin observed.

"And why?"

Elvin refused to answer. Suddenly he pointedly asked:

"Where's that—that—" he hesitated then continued—"Bennet?"

"How should I know," she answered innocently. "You knights of the old fields ought to know best. Didn't you find him last night?"

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 "No, we didn't find him, but we will and when we do—." He did not finish the threat for Lida whirled snapping her finger in his face.

"That for your threat. I'm ashamed of you all.—Murderers at heart. Murderers in soul.—And all for what? All because I want to marry the man of my choice."

"Yes, but he's got black blood in his veins. And no sister of mine will ever marry a black man.—No! by God, No."

"Ellie, Brother of Mine, he's as white as you—and in some ways whiter," Lida taunted.

"He may be white in skin but a drop of black blood in his veins, you know what that makes him, down here."

"It doesn't alter his manhood or character, or humanness. And from what I've seen of southern chivalry he overtops all of you. You men are chivalrous superficially. At heart you're just animal. I've had chance to think over some of the things I've seen down here lately and they don't compare very favorably with chivalry. Every woman is fair game to you men, whether she is black or white. It little becomes any of you to talk.

"Besides birth is a mere matter of accident. We can't help what we're born but we can improve on circumstances and environment. And I'm beginning to believe that there's as much nobility in one race as another, taken man for man."

"Well, you'll never marry Bennet. This country won't stand for that kind of a marriage," her brother predicted.

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 "No, it won't stand for that kind of a marriage. A marriage that is honorable, and clean, and noble, and Godlike, but it will stand for associations in the dark between white men and black women, where these associations are forced on poor defenceless women. It will stand for the rearing of two families, one white and the other black, so long as they're in adjoining counties," Lida fought back.

"That's true, and it's not always that the counties are different either." Both Lida and Elvin turned quickly to see the speaker. They looked into the eyes of Mrs. Gorton.

"Howdy, Mrs. Gorton," Lida greeted the woman. "Come up and join us. We were just having a brotherly spat."

"Yes, I heard your quarrelling and didn't want to spoil a good fight. You know the best fight I ever saw was a family affair. They're always the best and sometimes the most vicious. I don't know why nature made it so but there seems always antagonisms between brother and brother, and brother and sister. Sometimes they're bitter and last a lifetime. Sometimes again they're just temporary and, like all children, the fights are soon forgotten. But that's right about these men and their didoes. I've had the experience, I know.

"But I didn't come here to settle or to join any fussing. I came here to find out what all this excitement's about—this running around over the country looking for a white man and calling him a black man."

"But he is black, Mrs. Gorton," maintained Elvin. "He is black."

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 "G'long with you. Didn't I have him at my house? Didn't he save me from a 'gator in the road 'tother day? If he's black then you're black. But what's he done, that you should run him off in the night and go hunting him in the daytime?" She looked from Lida to Elvin and back to Lida again.

"He wanted to marry Lida," Elvin blurted out. "Fancy a man with black blood wanting to marry my sister."

"He's as good as you," defended Lida hotly, "and a lot better."

"I don't give a hooting hang, he won't marry you. I'll see you both dead first." Then turning to Mrs. Gorton. "Mrs. Gorton, tell her how preposterous the thing is. My father is already losing his mind over the affair."

"Park losing his mind? Park losing his mind? Not over that. He's got better sense. He's got a lot of pride but his family is cursed. I told him so last year. I tell you so now. What right's he got to lose his mind over Lida's marrying the man she wants? What difference does it make if there is black blood in his veins. Most likely there's some black blood in the veins of all of us. Perhaps there's some in mine. I know there's some in Park's and therefore there's some in yours, Elvin, and some in yours too, Lide. Go on, marry your man, if he's good. Don't mind these airs."

Elvin reeled as from a blow at the news the woman imparted. For a few seconds he was dazed. His eyes went wide. He looked at his hands, studied his fingers, the bony, hair-covered, vein-bursting back of his hands, in a

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 long silence. His intakes of breath were deep and spasmodic. To Lida the news was appalling also. It likewise took her breath. But she soon recovered and there filled her heart a happiness that almost forced her to scream. Before she could speak, Elvin recovered himself and spoke.

"Woman, you lie. You came here last year to taunt my father when he kicked you off his place. You come again to taunt him. If you were a man I'd kill you. I'd make you eat those words."

"You might kill me," Mrs. Gorton hurled back, "but you can't make me eat true words for the records will tell. You go to the Courthouse and look over the old records. You'll see where, in one branch of the family way back, one member married a half breed slave woman, ran away with her, and raised a family, perfectly respectable. An offshoot of that family came back years after to claim his part of the estate and married into the Lauriston line. Out of that union came Park's father and out of that union came you, Elvin and Lida. Put that in your pipe. Go see the records and believe."

Elvin wheeled, with an oath on his lips and went into the house.

Mrs. Gorton continued: "Now if you've murdered that boy and made off with his body I'll have the law on you all, Such a good manly boy. Much like my Ben. If you all have murdered that boy I'll hound you to jail."

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 closure. It relieved her of any reason for listening to the pleadings of her family. They were all of one blood. She cared not for prestige of name such as the Lauristons had borne.

The statement of fact by Mrs. Gorton caused no change in her. She was tempted to take the old woman into her confidence and tell her that Bennet was safe but wisely held her counsel. As the old woman departed muttering threats against those who had made off with Bennet, and vowing vengeance, Lida rushed to her room where she gave vent to her feelings of joyousness. Once alone she danced like a girl gone mad, intermittently laughing and singing snatches of songs. She decided she must tell Bennet immediately. Scarcely could she control herself. With her desire to give Bennet the news she could with difficulty wait till late afternoon as she had promised.

As she pondered over the new turn in her affairs she heard her brother raging in his room. Suddenly she heard his door open and shut with a loud slam while he strode down the stairs and out to the stables. A short while later she heard him ride away. She gave him no further thought for the moment, realizing that Truman was safe. She remained in her room for a time lest her brother return. When he did not after an hour, she made preparations for going to Bennet.

The sky had now become overcast. "Oh, Dear!" she mused. "It looks like rain and I fear our plans will be spoiled for tonight. Still she hurried toward the cave. Once there she peered behind the sheen of water to see

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 Bennet watching her approach. When she had climbed to the cave Bennet extended a hand to help her in. She was all smiles and gaiety while Bennet's face was clouded. Before she had time to recover her breath he said:

"I've been thinking since you've been gone and have decided that I must leave you."

"Why leave me, when I've such good news for you?"

"Don't jest, Lida, Heart. This is not a matter for jesting," Bennet said seriously.

"All right, Old Grouch. I'll keep my good news, then," she pouted. "Just when I'm dying to tell you, too."

"Well," he capitulated. "What's this great and good news?"

"Guess," she teased, coming to where he was sitting and placing a hand confidingly on his shoulder.

"I give up.—Couldn't guess in a thousand years," he admitted.

Lida waited for a few moments hoping he would make an attempt. When he continued to refuse she started: "Mrs. Gorton's been to the house this afternoon."

Bennet perked up at the information. "I thought you were enemies," he observed.

"She's worried about you." She stroked his head as she spoke. "She came to inquire of Elvin, what had become of you and to threaten to make it hot for him and the rest of them if they have done away with you. You've won her favor, all right. I've a mind to be jealous—but I won't, just for that," she teased.

"She's a nice old lady," Bennet commented.

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 "That isn't the best news, though," continued Lida. "She gave me news today that makes me happier than I've ever been."

"Ever?" he questioned as he placed a hand on hers resting on his shoulder. Both were looking out through the sheet of water pouring down in front of them.

"Yes, ever," Lida continued. "Shecontinued. She [sic] bent over till her lips nearly touched his ear as she whispered, "She told me there was colored blood in our family too."

Bennet turned slowly to look at her, doubt showing in his face as lie realized the import of her words. "There's colored blood in our family—in me too.—And I'm glad—proud of it." At this announcement she kissed his cheek tenderly. "And that's not all," she added. "There's some of that blood in many of the families about here.—Elvin is raging."

"That can't be so," Bennet doubted.

"Truly," Lida answered soberly. "She said the records are at the courthouse and would prove it."

"Many a family will be shocked to learn the news," Bennet commented drily.

Lida then recounted the events at the house, with her quarrel with Elvin, and of the appearance of Mrs. Gorton while they were in the midst. "And after she told us, as I was waiting for time to come to you, Elvin saddled his horse and rode away, bursting with madness," she concluded.

As she ended she looked out among the trees then exclaimed: "Oh, dear, it's raining."

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 Bennet came and stood beside her. "Too bad—too bad," was all he said.

"Now we can't get away tonight. It'll probably rain a couple of days."

"We can wait."

"You won't mind staying here?" she asked doubtfully.

"Of course not. You'll be visiting me, won't you?"

"Certainly, Goosie," she twitted. "I must be getting back now before it gets dark." In a few moments she was gone and Bennet was alone.

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Upon Elvin Lauriston's hasty departure from home which Lida had witnessed, he rode straight to Young John Marley's. Riding into the wide yard of the Marley home, he found Young John sitting on the veranda. Without dismounting he beckoned to Marley.

"Come here, John," he bade.

Marley leisurely left his seat and approached the horseman. "What's the trouble?" he asked. "You look as if you had buried your last friend," he commented.

"I want you to come with me to Orangeburg," Elvin explained.

"What tonight?" the astonished Marley asked. "Why, man, it's going to rain before morning."

"That won't matter. 'Twon't be the first time you've been out in the rain, will it?" Elvin inquired.

"Yes, but what's the rush? Won't tomorrow do?" he parried.

"No, tomorrow won't do. We've got to get there tonight so's I can look up some records first thing in the morning. Aunt Sally Gorton's made some statements about my family that I want to look up. If they're not so, woman or no woman, she'll answer to me for them," explained Elvin.

"If you take my advice you'll not go digging into the past and let Aunt Sally rave. I don't know what she said but there's a chance that what she said might be true. She's a wise old bird, she is," he advised.

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 "What she said's not true and I'll prove it. She said there's black blood in my family and if she's lied then she'll take back the words or take a beating," he threatened while his face scowled.

"Aunt Sally's been in this world a long time and may know a lot about us we don't ourselves. You can go looking in old closets for skeletons if you want but here's one that won't. If Aunt Sally said anything like that about me, I'd say she was crazy and let it go at that. You know lots of our ancestors, mine and yours, weren't all purists or saints just as you've not been. I say forget it," Marley advised again.

"So or not so, I want to know," Elvin insisted. "Come on, saddle your horse and let's go. We'll get there before midnight."

"Well, if you must go, I suppose I might just as well go with you," Marley yielded. "Suppose you find what she says is true? What'll you do about it? You can't change the blood now. You'll best forget about it," he again exhorted.

Elvin was obdurate, however, and it was not long before the two men were on the road to Orangeburg and the courthouse. They reached the city an hour or so before midnight and, after seeing their mounts well rubbed and in their stalls for the night went to the Planters Hotel where they secured rooms for the night. Marley was soon asleep but Elvin Lauriston was so disturbed over the events of the day that sleep refused to visit him for several hours.

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 Both men were astir early the following morning and were at the courthouse shortly after the doors were opened for business. The city had now recovered from the horrifying mental state which the lynching and deaths had created and life was resuming its usual tenor. There were more than a dozen loiterers about the fence near the gates, mere idle, indolent citizens eager to debate any subject with his neighbor, or to expound theories on how to manage everything from the street cleaning to farming and directing the Universe.

As Elvin and Marley entered the gate and started for the door this group turned from their weighty discussions, to the visitors, following with their eyes till both men were lost to view inside. Their curiosity satisfied to that extent they turned to their task of viewing the pageant of passing life across the street, after expectorating and shifting their tobacco to the other sides of their mouths.

Elvin strode to the clerk's office followed by Marley. The clerk a dapper, little, quick-motioned individual met them as they entered, at the same time rubbing his hands like a country salesman.

"Good morning, gentlemen," was his blandishing greeting. "Can I help you in any way?"

Elvin lost no time in explaining his errand. "You have here the records of births, deaths and marriages?" he asked.

The clerk bowed and smirked again, "Oh, yes," he replied.

"Records of black as well as white people?" Elvin asked again.

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 "I repeat," observed the former, "I cannot endure this life any longer!"

"Hush!" whispered his companion. "Don't get so excited. We can't hurry, so be patient."

"That is all you can say. Patience! We have been here two months already and how far are we advanced?"

"How can we help it? One cannot break iron with his hands. You know that our enterprise is one in which we risk our necks."

"Quite so. Still if this should last much longer, I intend to take a leap into the river."

"That would be a treat for the crocodiles; but the all same it would be a poor way of gaining your liberty, unless you look upon death as your only possible liberator."

"Well I would rather be dead than remain a prisoner like this."

"But 'dead is dead.' I must own that I prefer"

Schlickeisen had no time to finish the sentence. Some one had crept unperceived between their beds. Two hands were pressed upon their shoulders as if to compel them to remain passive. Then a voice whispered in the softest accents:

"Don't talk so loud; you fail to notice that Corporal Dunkelhof has been listening this last quarter of an hour. If he has overheard any of your talk, you may expect to be reported to-morrow morning."

"For my part," muttered Wienersdorf, "he may hear all we have said."

"You may tell that to your sister, but not to me," said the visitor, still whispering. "If the Colonel should only hear a


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 "Well, sir," the clerk smiled ingratiatingly. "We have the records of the whites as far back as Colonial days but those of the blacks are only of recent years. You know marriages among blacks got but little attention from our fathers in the old days. Hence those records are not completely kept, except as to slaves and their owners."

"May we see the records?" Elvin asked.

"Certainly, sir. They're kept in the basement. You may find the place dusty," the clerk explained apologetically. "It's been years since they've been used." As he spoke he was piloting the two to the basement of the courthouse and into the far regions off in the right hand corner. The basement was poorly lighted except for the oil lamps resurrected by the clerk and as they walked rats and mice were heard scampering from under the feet of the visitors, excited over the intrusion to what had been for years their unmolested domain.

As the men walked, in the dim light Marley and Elvin espied in front of them a large, mouldering, oaken door of a design, hand carved, no longer in architectural vogue. To this the clerk approached and from a bunch of disused keys selected a long rusted one and inserted it into the lock. As the key creaked its way into the lock the scampering of many more vermin feet could be heard. The lock turned with difficulty. After several attempts the lock yielded and the knob turned. The clerk placed his body against the door and it also yielded, though stubbornly. As it opened the long rusting hinges squeaked so sharply as to make the spine twist nervously. A gust

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 of sickening, vitiated musty air greeted the men, causing Elvin to turn and gasp, and the others to breathe in spasms.

"Wait a minute. Don't go in yet," the clerk cautioned. "Let the air clear first," he warned. Elvin and Marley halted as advised. "There ought to be a ventilator here somewhere," the clerk continued. "If we can find that and open it the air will soon be cleared so one can enter safely." After hunting for a moment or two, "Ah," he exclaimed. "Here it is."

The ventilator proved to be a window just above the ground in the foundation. It had been neglected for so long, sand and dirt from rains of many years, had almost hidden it. The clerk unlatched it and pushed it open. "Now, that's better," he exclaimed. "You gentlemen can now remain and work as long as you want," he said, as he departed. "You will find the older records here," indicating the left hand corner of the room. Fromroom. "From [sic] here they go forward to the later years. All recent records, however, are up stairs. I presume you don't want those, do you?"

"No, here's what we want," Elvin explained.

"Stay as long as you wish," the clerk invited. "When you leave close the doors. Everything will be all right."

"Thank you, I don't know how long we'll be," Elvin replied.

Left to themselves the two men began their search. "What a dismal sickening place," Elvin commented. Their oil lamps gave off a flickering light that made the place appear some long forgotten catacomb. Raising the lamps

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 above their heads the two men looked at the place.

"Elvin, you're crazy to have come in here. It gives me a creepy feeling.—It's like uncovering some old tomb.—If these old books could talk what a story they could tell."

"They do tell stories," Elvin commented drily. "And I've come here to learn one of them.—Let's see. We'll trace the Lauriston family first.—We'll have to start with my father's father." Here he reached for one of the volumes. His hands blackened with the dust and the air filled, causing both men to cough distressingly. When relieved they continued.

"How're we going to begin looking?—We won't know where to start for we don't know just what we're looking for?" Marley questioned.

"I'm looking to see where the black blood, Aunt Sally Gorton mentioned, comes into the family," asserted Elvin. "And I'm going to find it, if it's here."

"Guess you'll have to trace the marriages then. I think they went by families from generation to generation, according to this book," Marley suggested. "My! they gave a lot of time to penmanship in the old days. How faded and yellow the ink is.—Look at this. Here's the Middleton family.—That's right. See they kept the family name running from one set to the other."

"Look for Lauriston, then.—See if you can find that book," suggested Elvin.

"Lauriston—Lauriston—L—L—L—. Here's Livingston," Marley called as he studied the pages. "Here's Lucas," he continued, andcontinued, "and [sic] Lomax—and Lesters—and

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 Littlejohns—And—Ah, here you are. Here you are," he finally exclaimed excitedly. Lauriston hurried to him and bent over his shoulder peering at the page in a leather bound volume of unusual dimensions.

"There's Dr. Frederick Lauriston who attended General Oglevie in the Revolutionary time," Marley continued. "He married—Let's see. He married," his finger traced across the page. "He married Elizabeth Cooper. Their three sons married white, all right. And,—the male children of the next generation married white; and the next generation; and the next generation," he continued to trace, while Elvin looked over his shoulder following the tracings. "And the next," he continued. "Ah," he drew a long breath. "Here it is. Here it is," Marley exclaimed excitedly. "See, see, one of the sons in this generation, a lawyer, married out of the race. See, Elvin, there it is, sure's you're born. Married Elspeth Witherspoon, femme de couleur. Well, well, well. Femme de couleur. That means colored woman."

Elvin was speechless. He stared vacantly at the words written on the page and standing out before him from another day and time. He could not believe the words though they seemed to stand out in two-inch size. His breath came quick and in pent up bursts; his eyes widened and seemed to bulge from their sockets. His companion's finger rested at the expression. The room was so still a mouse gnawing in the far corner of the room could be heard.

Marley was the first to break the spell. "Well, well,

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 well," he continued. "Who'd ever have believed it."

Elvin recovered his breath. "My God," he exclaimed. "She was right.—Aunt Sally was right!"

"That's nothing," comforted Marley. "Let's look at some of the others. See here. Here's another—and here's another femme de couleur marriage. They must have been pretty white and pretty women for that."

"Turn over to your own family. Let's see that," suggested Elvin.

"Not by a durned sight!" exclaimed Marley positively. "Not by a durned sight! What I don't know I don't want to know. Let the dead stay dead. You wanted to know about yours and you found out. I don't want to know about mine. I know enough," he announced emphatically.

"Why almost every family, somewhere along the line, seems to have spoiled the strain," observed Elvin. "What a land. I wonder if these people knew their origin?" he asked indicating the pages containing the family names.

"Of course not!" exclaimed Marley. "Did you know yours?"

A cold moisture dampened Elvin's forehead as he stood in the cold clammy vault. "These books and records ought to be destroyed. Suppose bye and bye somebody else sees them?"

"Yes, just suppose," suggested Marley facetiously.

"They must be destroyed," murmured Elvin musingly. "They must be destroyed. Come on John," he urged. "I've seen enough."

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 "I've seen too much, myself," Marley commented.

Both men closed and replaced the books, stepped from the room and closed the door gently, as if in awe. They made their way above and went silently to the street. Once again in the open, despite the cloudy skies, they blinked and rubbed their eyes to accustom themselves to the change. Still silently, they made their way to their hotel, where for a time they busied themselves removing the dirt and dust from their hands and clothing.

By the time this was concluded, rain which had been threatening all the morning began to drip steadily from the sky. Toward evening there was a letup and the two men left the hotel and made ready to start for their homes. They were on their way before darkness set in.

It was nearing midnight when Orangeburg awoke from its first slumbers to the sound of clanging bells, yelling of men and the hurrying of many feet. Here and there from houses all over the city there peered night capped heads of men and women. The sky at the center of the town was ablaze. Others were leaving their homes hurriedly donning their outer garments as they ran. The whole city was seething with excitement again.

"Come on. Fire down town," one rushing passerby urged to another. "Whole city's burning up," shouted others. Horse drawn and hand tub apparatus clanged or lumbered by. In a few minutes the entire square, scene of so many thrilling experiences, was packed with a slowly moving, jostling, excited mass, their faces reddened from reflection of the flames which were mounting to the sky

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 and vieing, with the church steeple nearby, and which was threatened by the flying sparks.

"Courthouse on fire! Courthouse on fire!" back the words were hurled from mouth to mouth till all the city, white and black, seemed to be pouring into the center. Frantic efforts were being made to save records. Most of the recent ones were saved. The old historic building, however, that had stood for so many generations, and had been the scene of so many experiences from slave selling to murder trials, was doomed. As its cindered rafters and framework caved in, sending clouds of sparks into the sky, the old elm tree that had stood, like a companion to the courthouse for so many years and which had been used for the double lynching not long before, surrendered to the flames and was soon also a mass of burning embers. The limb from which the bodies had swung was the first to fall after the leaves. It drooped with a heavy crash, devoured by flames and sparks which seemingly had pounced on it like a mass of devouring, revenging insects.

The courthouse, being of inflammable material and being so old that it was a veritable tinderbox was almost completely consumed. As the last shower of sparks illuminated the air, two lone sentinels, who had been seated quietly on their mounts at the outskirts of the city on a slight elevation, turned the heads of their horses to the road, clicked to them, dug into their sides with stirrups then rode into the darkness. Neither spoke but both were satisfied with their work and assured that such records as they had viewed that day would never be again visible

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 to mortal eyes. Daylight was breaking when Elvin Lauriston turned his horse into its stall and tramped wearily and despondently to his room. So exhausted was his body that he sank into deep slumber almost before his head touched the pillow.

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Truman and Lida were strolling, late in the afternoon, their plans for eloping having been delayed. The day had been lowery and threatening, with low banked clouds crossing the sky with swift menacing proportions from the south. Every cloud threatened a shower, thus keeping all except the lovers within doors. The trees seemed depressed with the heaviness of the atmosphere.

The two had been walking along the edge of the woods not far from the cave, when they decided to step out into the open to view the sky to see if rain still threatened. The sky was of a deep blue overcast. While from the south there came up these heavy clouds, also from the southwest there began to form and scud across the horizon, other lower, smoky clouds. The couple were now walking in the fields several hundred feet away from the woods, crossing the rows of corn.

From where they were they could see for several miles across fields of cotton, corn and wheat. In one direction there was a wide expanse of open farm land while almost directly opposite some two miles away was another copse where tall pines reared their heads proudly to the sky and soughed sadly to the wind. Below these, as if under their protecting wings were giant oaks, hickory and other trees with a southern profusion, with undergrowth nearer the ground.

Suddenly the two halted in their tracks and stood wonderingly at the low rumbling noise greeting their ears. It

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 was like the roll of continued distant thunder. The wind, too, was beginning to freshen into a gale. Lida's hair blowing to the wind despite her efforts to control it. As they stood a jack rabbit bounded across their path on its way to a burrow in the furze near the edge of the woods. A squirrel followed closely behind, chattering in a frightened way, as it ran.

A flock of crows that had been feeding in a field nearby, flying in the wind, cawed excitedly as they passed. A pair of blue jays, also fluttered by. The rumble grew louder as the velocity of the wind increased and the trees began to sway far over as if to seemingly almost bend and snap. Unconsciously fear seemed to grip the hearts of the two as they stood helplessly looking from one to the other. They were just about to start back for the woods and the cave when from far across the woods to the south could be seen a funnel-shaped blue-black cloud, darker than those which formed a background to it.

This funnel-shaped cloud twisted and gyrated from one side to the other coming ominously on toward them. Truman's arm was about the waist of the girl while she leaned unconsciously toward him for protection. They gazed at the cloud as if entranced out of their wills. The gale was so fierce by this time that they scarcely kept their footing. Truman uttered but two words: "a cyclone." Into Lida's face there crept not fear but confidence.

Truman realized that to run for the woods would be to court danger of death from flying tree branches and

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 limbs, for as they stood watching the cloud, huge branches of trees were twisted from the bodies of the tall pines and wrenched high up into the air. Great limbs of leaving oaks were tossed about after being torn away from their trunks as if they were so many feathers. Trees were falling, with the seeming ease of sticks that had lost their balance. The cyclone's action was enough to fill any soul with awe at its power. When he could take his eyes from the awe-inspiring sight, Bennet looked about for a place of safety. He knew that, could they remain stationary their best chances for life without injury would be to remain in the open. Yet who could withstand the force of that blow. They were now fighting to keep their balance and to prevent being blown away. They stood with difficulty.

In looking about him he discovered a tree stump of small size nearby. Toward this he maneuvered with the girl. They were almost blown past it by the wind. Truman managed to grip it, however, and placing his lips close to Lida's ears he shouted, "Lie down and clasp your arms about this stump. Hang on for dear life."

He was about to lie down by her side when he looked toward the woods they had left a short while before. His hair almost stood on ends. His eyes became wild. "My God," he cried. Lida looked in his direction and muttered one heart despairing word, "Daddy."

Unmindful of the danger which threatened him, Colonel Lauriston was walking at the edge of the woods, taking a step or two but to be blown back as he struggled in the

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 grip of the storm, whose howling voice was like a dozen furies madly trying to bear him away. His hands were flying as if in defiance of the elements that raged about him. There was a wild look on his face. He raged and struggled, his mind completely gone.

As Truman looked at the old man, pity in his heart at the sight, he noted that there was a stump not very far from the edge of the woods to which if he could get the old man, his life would be saved. To shout a warning would not suffice since no human voice could carry above the roar and rumble of the cyclone which had reached almost the height of its fury by this time. He could not bear to think of the old man being carried away to a horrible death, crushed among the falling tree trunks and other dèbrisdébris [sic]. Colonel Lauriston had now grasped a bending sapling and was hanging on instinctively. Bennet leaned over to Lida and shouted, "Don't let go. Hold on. I'll save him."

As he released his grip on the stump he was blown so rapidly that he was almost forced out of the path of the old man. Like a man crossing a swiftly flowing stream, tacking at an angle to reach the other shore, Bennet struggled. At each stump, where he rested and regained his breath, he paused, to select another anchor toward which he would be blown and cling. At the third stump he failed to guide his way so that he was knocked against it with such force as to be almost stunned. Recovering himself he made another effort and this time was carried to the edge of the woods and to Colonel Lauriston. The lat-

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 ter was still struggling and trying to stand to the wind. His hair was blowing straight back from his head, sand slashing his face and bringing tears to his eyes. He was raving incoherently.

Bennet reasoned that, since the wind was blowing across the woods, he would be fairly safe if he could make the stump not far away. Pausing to measure distances accurately, and to gauge the angle at which he would have to be carried by the stump he wanted to reach, after taking Colonel Lauriston by one hand, he stepped out and both were borne to the trunk of the tree. Colonel Lauriston lost his balance in the struggle and was half dragged, half blown across the distance. Bennet clinging to his hand.

Throwing the elder man to the ground, he fell prostrate across his body and grasped the stump, holding for dear life, at the same time locking his legs in a scissors grip about the elder man's body. He was not a moment too soon for the apex of the cyclone was upon them the next minute. The roar was deafening. Sand and dirt blew in blinding gusts. Truman felt his body lifted and pounded to the ground till it seemed he was breathless. Colonel Lauriston tried to rise, but Bennet forced him to lie prone by pressing his locked legs about the man's body.

Suddenly the fury of the storm abated. The cyclone had come and was gone. As soon as the fury was spent, Bennet released his grip on the old man and arose. He rushed to where Lida was still on the ground. She had swooned. Colonel Lauriston was now running around on

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 all fours and barking like a dog. Running around the stump as if tied to it. Lida's hair, which had been blown loose was half buried in sand and dirt. Bennet tenderly lifted her to a sitting position and, with his handkerchief, began brushing the sand from her face and eyes. She was still unconscious. He shook her gently and called her name. Her head fell back in his arm displaying her well formed throat. There was sand between her lips. After a few moments she slowly opened her eyes then closed them. When she next opened them she was herself.

"Where's Daddy?" she asked.

Truman kissed her tenderly. "My own," he said. "I should not have left you alone." She returned the caress, with:

"Never mind me. Did you save my Daddy?" She insisted.

"I saved him but I fear he will never know you again," Bennet explained sadly.

As he finished speaking, Truman started with Lida toward Colonel Lauriston who was still near the stump, though now standing, staring blankly toward the approaching pair. As she advanced Lida began to weep, pity at the plight of her father well-ing into her heart till she felt she could no longer bear the pain.

"Daddy, Dear Daddy. To think that life should bring us to this!" she murmured as she grasped his sanded hands and started to guide him away. He submitted as readily as a child, still muttering to himself. Bennet took the other hand and the two started toward the house,

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 which by luck had not been blown over by the storm, being out of its direct path. They were within a quarter of a mile of the house when Lida realized the danger into which Bennet was running. Suddenly she paused, consternation at the thought, bringing a look of wildness to her face.

"Better not go any further, Truman," she said gently. "You'll be discovered if you do."

Bennet realized the truth of the words but asked, "Hadn't I better go a little further? Will you be able to manage?"

Lida indicated that she could. Darkness was now approaching and Bennet yielded. "I'll come to you as soon as possible tomorrow, Dear, and we'll leave tomorrow night. I'll have to make plans to see that Daddy will be cared for before I go."

"That will be all right, Lida," Bennet consented, and returned to his hiding place.

Elvin slept most of the day following his return home and was only awakened by the howl of the storm and the frightened noises of the animals in the barn, and the Negro hands, who gazed on the storm with awe, while at the same time huddled into a group, they mumbled prayers. He had given no thought to Lida or his father until he saw the couple coming out of the approaching darkness along the lane leading to the house. Without a word to his sister he assisted his father into the house and his room, where the servants soon had the old man prepared for bed while Lida caused hot drinks to be made and given him.

She was busy most of the morning of the following day

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 securing medical attendance for Colonel Lauriston and making plans for his care. She and Elvin met but twice during the day and then spoke to each other only in monosyllables. At last plans were completed to her satisfaction and she started for the woods to meet Bennet. As she walked down the lane leading to the woods Elvin was looking from his window.

"Ah," he muttered in surmise. "She's not going into that woods for nothing. She's meeting him there, durn her. Well, she'll meet him the last time today." With that he turned into his room loaded his revolver and started to follow her. When he left the house Lida was now lost to view and he hunted in the woods some time before he discovered a trace of her.

Lida and Bennet had met and were walking at the edge of the forest planning their departure, unmindful of the menace stalking them down.

"Do you know, Truman, there are but two regrets that I have at leaving this place."

"I know you must love it, Lida Mine.—I know how you must feel. In a way I'm sorry to take you away.—It's your home."

"That's it. It is all the home I have known. How existence changes as we go through life.—Here's the spot that has known all my childhood joys and happiness—all my little troubles and cares and worries. Yet I'm leaving them—and willingly for—" she looked up tenderly at the young man at her side, then softly said—"you." As she spoke she pressed the arm to which she clung, a

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 little more weightily. She looked out on the drab fields of cotton swaying in the gray day. "I shall miss you, land of my home, however many pains I have known here. I shall miss you beloved woodland, and most of all I shall miss my cave."

Bennet looked down at her, deeply touched. "Never mind, some day perhaps we'll come back and they will be glad to greet us."

"I hate to leave my father in the condition he is. And if your life were not in danger every moment you remained I wouldn't go away. I wonder if he'll ever recover and become reconciled?" Tears filled her eyes.

"Dear Daddy," she said. "I love you and am sorry."

"I'll wait, Lida Mine, while you nurse your father. I'll go away and wait, though I should miss you just as the falls would miss the water if the creek's path were turned away. I should be mighty lonesome. I'd go and wait though."

"I know you would, Truman. But I could not go on without you. Harm would come to me here. What would I do without you now? Heaven only knows what I'd have to endure once you're gone.—No, we must go. I'll have to leave Daddy to the care of the servants and his friends here for a while. Perhaps time will change things. No new land ever has the same reverence that a childhood home has. We must come back—sometime."

"We'll come back, as you wish, whenever you wish, Lida."

They walked along in silence for a few moments when

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