with her, she turned and went into one of a row of small houses which
he knew belonged to Nichols, the coloured barber, and were occupied by
coloured people. Thinking he had been mistaken in the woman's
identity, he slackened his pace, and ere he had passed out of hearing,
caught the tones of a piano, accompanying the words,

_"I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls,
With vassals and serfs at my s-i-i-de."_

It was doubtless the barber's daughter. The barber's was the only
coloured family in town that owned a piano. In the moonlight, and at a
distance of some rods, the song sounded well enough, and the colonel
lingered until it ceased, and the player began to practise scales,
when he continued his walk. He had smoked a couple of cigars, and was
returning toward Mrs. Treadwells', when he met, face to face, Miss
Laura Treadwell coming out of the barber's house. He lifted his hat
and put out his hand.

"I called at the house a while ago, and you were all out. I was just
going back. I'll walk along with you."

Miss Laura was visibly embarrassed at the meeting. The colonel gave no
sign that he noticed her emotion, but went on talking.

"It is a delightful evening," he said.

"Yes," she replied, and then went on, "you must wonder what I was
doing there."

"I suppose," he said, "that you were looking for a servant, or on some
mission of kindness and good will."

Miss Laura was silent for a moment and he could feel her hand tremble
on the arm he offered her.

"No, Henry," she said, "why should I deceive you? I did not go to find
a servant, but to serve. I have told you we were poor, but not how
poor. I can tell you what I could not say to others, for you have
lived away from here, and I know how differently from most of us you
look at things. I went to the barber's house to give the barber's
daughter music lessons--for money."

The colonel laughed contagiously.

"You taught her to sing--

_'I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls?'_"

"Yes, but you must not judge my work too soon," she replied. "It is
not finished yet."

"You shall let me know when it is done," he said, "and I will walk by
and hear the finished product. Your pupil has improved wonderfully. I
heard her singing the song the day I came back--the first time I
walked by the old house. She sings it much better now. You are a good
teacher, as well as a good woman."

Miss Laura laughed somewhat excitedly, but was bent upon her
explanation.