grant bunch of
mint to his face and pausing a step while he drank its breath; yes, the
boy must be a throw-back. It wasn't in the Newbolt blood to do a thing
like that.

The colonel heard the front gate close sharply, drawn to by the stone
weight which he had arranged for that purpose, having in mind the
guarding of his mint-bed from the incursions of dogs. He wondered who
could be coming in so early, and hastened forward to see. A woman was
coming up the walk toward the house.

She was tall, and soberly clad, and wore a little shawl over her head,
which she held at her chin with one hand. The other hand she extended
toward the colonel with a gesture of self-depreciation and appeal as she
hurried forward in long strides.

"Colonel Price, Colonel Price, sir! Can I speak to you a minute?" she
asked, her voice halting from the shortness of breath.

"Certainly, ma'am; I am at your command," said the colonel.

"Colonel, you don't know me," said she, a little inflection of
disappointment in her tone.

She stood before him, and the little shawl over her hair fell back to
her shoulders. Her clothing was poor, her feet were covered with dust.
She cast her hand out again in that little movement of appeal.

"Mrs. Newbolt, Peter Newbolt's widow, upon my soul!" exclaimed the
colonel, shocked by his own slow recognition. "I beg your pardon, madam.
I didn't know you at first, it has been so long since I saw you. But I
was thinking of you only the minute past."

"Oh, I'm in such trouble, Colonel Price!" said she.

Colonel Price took her by the arm with tender friendliness.

"Come in and rest and refresh yourself," said he. "You surely didn't
walk over here?"

"Yes, it's only a step," said she.

"Five or six miles, I should say," ventured the colonel.

"Oh, no, only four. Have you heard about my boy Joe?"

The colonel admitted that he had heard of his arrest.

"I've come over to ask your advice on what to do," said she, "and I hope
it won't bother you much, Colonel Price. Joe and me we haven't got a
friend in this world!"

"I will consider it a duty and a pleasure to assist the boy in any way I
can," said the colonel in perfunctory form. "But first come in, have
some breakfast, and then we'll talk it over. I'll have to apologize for
Miss Price. I'm afraid she's abed yet," said he, opening the door,
showing his visitor into the parlor.

"I'm awful early," said Mrs. Newbolt hesitating at the door. "It's
shameful to c