ittle
histories and explanations; and Kitty's was the next voice which I heard
ring out--

"Oh, you must never let it fall to pieces! It's the cunningest little
fossil I've seen in the South."

"So," said Charley behind me, "we let the other crowd buy their
strategic point; and I guess they know they got a gold brick."

I moved away from the financiers, I endeavored not to hear their words;
and in this much I was successful; but their inappropriate presence
had got, I suppose upon my nerves; at any rate, go where I would in the
little church, or attend as I might and did to what Mrs. Weguelin
St. Michael said about the tablets, and whatever traditions their
inscriptions suggested to her, that quiet, low, persistent banker's
voice of Charley's pervaded the building like a draft of cold air. Once,
indeed, he addressed Mrs. Weguelin a question. She was telling Beverly
(who followed her throughout, protectingly and charmingly, with his most
devoted attention and his best manner) the honorable deeds of certain
older generations of a family belonging to this congregation, some of
whose tombs outside had borne French inscriptions.

"My mother's family," said Mrs. Weguelin.

"And nowadays," inquired Beverly, "what do they find instead of military
careers?"

"There are no more of us nowadays; they--they were killed in the war."

And immediately she smiled, and with her hand she made a light gesture,
as if to dismiss this subject from mutual embarrassment and pain.

"I might have known better," murmured the understanding Beverly.

But Charley now had his question. "How many, did you say?"

"How many?" Mrs. Weguelin did not quite understand him.

"Were killed?" explained Charley.

Again there was a little pause before Mrs. Weguelin answered, "My four
brothers met their deaths."

Charley was interested. "And what was the percentage of fatality in
their regiments?"

"Oh," said Mrs. Weguelin, "we did not think of it in that way." And she
turned aside.

"Charley," said Kitty, with some precipitancy, "do make Mr. Bohm look at
the church!" and she turned after Mrs. Weguelin. "It is such a gem!"

But I saw the little lady try to speak and fail, and then I noticed that
she was leaning against a window-sill.

Beverly Rodgers also noticed this, and he hastened to her.

"Thank you," she returned to his hasty question, "I am quite well. If
you are not tired of it, shall we go on?"

"It is such a gem!" repeated Kitty, t