t may be of risk to shelter me."

"Oh," she cried clasping her hands in dismay. "What shall I do? What
shall I do? Why, Clifford, both father and Robert Dale are here. They
are of the army, and may deem it their duty to give thee up."

"I see," he said with some bitterness. "I should not have troubled
you, but I thought---- It did seem for the sake of our kinship that
you would give me shelter at least for the night."

"Stop!" she cried, laying a detaining hand on his arm as he turned to
go. "Thee is so hasty, Clifford. Of course I will help thee, but I
must think how to do it. As I said, father and Major Dale are here;
and Fairfax Johnson too. Of Virginia, thee remembers? Remain here for
a moment, my cousin. I will send Sukey out of the kitchen, and then
thee shall come in. 'Tis cold out here."

"After all," he said, his lips meeting in the straight line of
determination that she remembered so well, "I do wrong to ask aught of
you. There may be--nay, there is, risk in harboring me, Peggy. I must
not get you into trouble. Is there not a barn where I could abide for
the night?"

"Thee would freeze in the barn to-night," she cried. It had stopped
snowing, but the wind had increased in violence, and it was growing
colder. It would be bitter by night, the girl reflected, noticing the
fact in a perfunctory manner. "I could not bear to think of thee
there, my cousin. Thee is cold now. Thy lips are blue, and thou art
shaking. Wait for a moment. Thee must."

She pushed him back behind the door, then catching up the dish-pan
entered the kitchen hurriedly. Sukey, the black servant, was its only
inmate.

"Sukey," said Peggy trying to speak naturally, "has thee seen to the
beds yet? They should be well warmed for so cold a night as this will
be. And the fires? Is there wood in plenty? I will set the kitchen in
order if thee will look well to the up-stairs."

"Hit am done looked aftah," said Sukey drawing closer to the fire.
"Eberyt'ing's all right, Miss Peggy. Now yer kin jest go right erlong
ter yer fren's, and let ole Sukey red up."

"Thee must take more wood up-stairs," spoke the girl desperately.
"There must be an abundance, Sukey. Does thee hear?"

"Yes'm; I heahs, Miss Peggy," answered the black rising, and giving
her young mistress a keen glance. "I heahs, an' I'se gwine. Dem wood
boxes am full, ebery one of dem, but I'se gwine. Ef yer want ter talk
secrets yer might hab tole ole Sukey widouten makin' a 'scuse te