and it is not reasonable for me to detain him
any longer."

"But, young man, you wrong me, you wrong my daughter, and above all, you
wrong my son, who is your friend, by leaving in this manner," said Mr.
Raynes earnestly. "You actually charge us with a want of hospitality by
this abrupt withdrawal."

"You will pardon me, sir, for saying it; but after the description I have
given of myself, if you do not know me, I am compelled to believe that it
is because you do not wish to know me."

"That is very unjust, and we do not comprehend the force of the remark."

"Why, sir, I have written to you, and to your daughter, and your daughter
has written to me; and now you seem never to have heard of me. I have
told you that I reside in Union, Alabama; and that I am a friend of
Owen."

"We know a young man from that town very well, though we never saw him.
His name is Allan Garland; but it is impossible that you should be the
person."

"I must go, comrade," said Somers desperately, as he rushed out of the
door.

"Wait a moment!" exclaimed Mr. Raynes, grasping him by the arm; for the
old farmer seemed to think his presence was necessary to the perfect
unraveling of the mystery. "It seems to me you ought to know this young
man, if none of us do."

"I do not, Mr. Raynes; never saw him before in my life," protested
Somers, feeling very much like a condemned criminal.

"My name is Allan Garland," quietly continued the dignified young rebel.
"I am, undoubtedly, the person to whom you allude."

"Impossible!" exclaimed Mr. Raynes, still holding Somers's arm with the
grasp of a vise.

"Impossible!" almost shouted the fair Sue, more excited than she would
have been, if, through patient reading, she had arrived at the last
chapter of a sensational novel, where the pin is pulled out and all the
villains tumble down to perdition and all the angels stumble upon their
apotheosis.

"Impossible!" chimed in Mrs. Raynes, who had preserved a most remarkable
silence, for a woman, during the exciting incidents we have transcribed.

"May I be allowed to inquire why you think it is impossible?" calmly
demanded the gentle rebel, who, in his turn, was amazed at the singular
course of events.

Sue did not know what else to do; so she sat down in a chair, and laughed
with hysterical vehemence at the strange aspect of the affair. The old
man opened his eyes, and opened his mouth; but he did not forget to hold
on with all his might to the arm