heir horses
looked as if they must drop where they stood. Many of the soldiers were
hatless, powder smirched, and, oh, so tired!

"Rebecca took me to her room and locked the door.

"'Selina, did you see that tall dark officer--the one that kept smiling
at us? Well, he is my best friend, and I want you to fall in love with
him. He knows all about you and I showed him your picture a long time
ago, so he knows you quite well, you see.'

"I laughed merrily at Becky's match-making.

"'Oh,' she sighed, as her thought rushed to something else. 'Wasn't it
just like Providence that we got Imp and all of those supplies hidden
away in time?'

"'Yes, but it is not necessary with the rebels in command of the place,'
I said, using the term 'rebel' quite unconsciously, for the first time.

"Rebecca noticed it, too, but said nothing at the time.

"'Well, I showed you just how to get in and out of that cave in case you
are the only one who can take care of Imp. One never knows what may
happen, but you, being my guest, are safe with our friends, and, being a
Yankee, will be taken care of in case the enemy take the place. But,
remember, if Imp is to be taken from me, I would rather you had him than
anyone on earth--and you must assert your ownership if necessary to take
him home with you.'

"That was a great reunion, that dinner! Besides all of the young
soldiers, their families were there, listening to their account of the
struggle.

"The happy families had finished dinner and were about to have coffee
when a colored boy raced up the steps of the piazza. His face was gray
with fear as he gasped, 'De Yanks am comin'--oh, dey am comin' pell mell
foh dis house! oh, Lud, Lud!'

"'Tell all the folks, Jeremiah, quick!' shouted Becky, as she sprang
forward to warn her friends.

"'The horses--quick, Tim! The horses--rush them to the house!' yelled
Newell, as he grabbed his gun and threw on his cap.

"'Mother, good-by,' cried Ed, as he caught a kiss from her lips, and
Newell hurriedly did the same.

"The next minute all was confusion as the soldier boys jumped into the
saddle, while still buckling on knapsacks and ammunition belts.

"Five minutes after Jeremiah had given the alarm, the boys were lost in
a cloud of dust galloping on the way to Nashville. But not soon enough!"

Here, Aunt Selina leaned back in her chair and looked away over the
lawns as if she saw again the scurrying horses racing for dear life in
one direction,