l with the venture, that
tobacco would have done so, and left a handsome surplus. Charlie Mason
is a man of fine judgment, and that he failed that time was through no
fault of his. It was the fortunes of war."

Mrs. Mason sighed and dropped the subject. She was unconvinced, and
continued to feel regret that Mr. Byrd had been allowed to work his
speculative will with his wife's little patrimony. It would have been
a serviceable nest-egg for the children, and a help to Jim in his long
struggle. All of her life, she had been accustomed to seeing husbands
assume full control of their wives' property, using it as their own,
and she had taken little thought of the equities of the matter. To her
it appeared natural that a wife's surrender to her husband should
embrace things financial as well as things less material, but in this
case she had always felt it a trifle hard. It would have been such a
pleasant thing for Jim to have had some money, and been able to hold
Shirley.

Pocahontas helped herself to hot waffles, and sugared them with a
liberal hand.

"Dear old Jim," she said, calmly, "I wish he had come in: you should
have insisted, Berkeley. It's cruel for him to have to give up the old
home to strangers, and start life in a new place. I can't bear to
think of it. Jim's such a good fellow, and Mexico seems a long way
off. When is he coming to say good-by to us, Berke?"

"This evening. He is coming to tea; so mind you have something
special."

After a pause, Mrs. Mason resumed the subject with the inquiry whether
he had heard any thing relative to the purchaser of Shirley. But
Berkeley only knew that the place had been bought by a northern man, a
retired army officer, and that his name was Smith.

After they rose from the table, he lingered awhile, watching his mother
gather the cups and saucers into the waiter in readiness for Aunt
Rachel, and Pocahontas collect scraps for the dogs, two of which were
already poking impatient, wistful noses into the room. Beyond the
threshold they were not allowed to intrude, but they stood in the
passage outside the open door, and whined and indulged in sharp "yaps"
of protest against hope deferred. When they saw their mistress
advancing with a heaped-up plate of food, both gave reins to their joy,
and jumped and barked around her with delight. Pocahontas loved
animals; the nobleness and fidelity of their instincts, harmonized with
the large faithfulness of her own