friendly as any people you ever saw, but, of course, I
naturally place them high above me. The old General doesn't appear to
know that I have grown to be a man; always talks to me as if I were a
boy--wants to know what father's doing and all that sort of thing. He
doesn't give a snap what father's doing."

"And the girl. How does she talk to you?" It was several moments before
he answered me.

"I was just trying to think," he said. "To tell you the truth, I don't
know how she talks to me. I can't recall anything she has ever said to
me. She calls me Alf and I call her Miss Millie, and we laugh at some
fool thing and that's about all there is to it. But I know that the old
man would never be willing for me to marry her. He is looking pretty
high for her or he wouldn't have spent so much money on her education."

"But, of course, the girl will have something to say," I suggested.

"I don't know as to that," he replied; "but, of course, I hope so. You
can't tell about girls--at least, I can't. The old General married
rather late in life and has but two children. His wife died several
years ago. Chydister, the boy, or, rather, the man--for he's about my
age--is off at a medical college. He doesn't strike me as being so
alfired smart, but they say that he's got learning away up in G. The old
man says that he is going to make him the best doctor in the whole
country, if colleges can do it, and I reckon they can. He and I have
always got along pretty well; he used to stay at our house a good deal."

We crossed the creek, by leaping from one stone to another, and pursued
a course along a rotting rail fence, covered with vines. And from over
in the low ground came the "sqush" of the cows as they strode through
the rank and sappy clover. We crossed a hill whereon stood a deserted
negro "quarter"--the moldering mark of a life that is now dreamy and
afar off--and after crossing another valley slowly ascended the rounding
bulge of ground, capped by the home of the General. Alf had begun to
falter and hang back, and when I sought gently to encourage him he
remarked: "But you must remember that this is the first time that I have
ever been here with new clothes on, and I want to tell you that this
makes a big difference."

"It has been some time since I went anywhere with new clothes on," I
replied, which set him laughing; but his merriment was shut off when I
opened the gate. Behind the house, where the ground sloped toward the