de arrangements to close my
partnership on July 1st."

"Oh, Uncle Jim!"

"The President, I hear, will call for three hundred thousand men--I can
stand it no longer--I am eating my heart out. I refused a regiment some
time ago; now I shall ask for one. I wrote at once to the Governor."

She leaned over, laid a hand on his arm and said, "Is not one dear life
enough?"

"My child, John had to go. I could, of course, find some excuse for not
going. I set myself free to-day. But now I am to settle with Ann. Except
for that I would be supremely contented. You would not keep me here if
you had the power, nor would you bring home John if you could, dear."

"No," she said faintly. Some quickly dismissed suspicion rose to
consciousness as he stole a glance at her face. "I understand," she
added, "it is a question of honour--you must go."

"It is a question of duty, dear; but what Ann will say I do not know--but
I shall go."

She turned. "Uncle Jim, if you did not go and the war went on to--God
alone knows what end--she would be sick with shame. I know. You see I am
a woman and I know. She will suffer, but she will not break down again
and she will not try to hold you back. But this house without you and
John will be rather lonely. How did you get out of the mills, uncle?"

He answered her at length as they rode homeward with more to think of
than was pleasant. At the avenue gate she said earnestly, "Don't wait
too long before telling Aunt Ann."

"Upon my word, I am sorry," returned the Squire, "for the unfortunate
man who may become your husband. If you undertake to offer advice at
your tender years, what will you do when you are older?"

"My husband-that-is-to-be sends you his compliments," laughed Leila,
"and says--I don't know what he says, but it is exactly the right thing,
Captain Penhallow. But really, don't wait, uncle."

"You are quite right, my dear." Nevertheless he waited. Decisiveness
in affairs and in moments of peril he had, but where Ann was concerned
he became easily unsure, and as McGregor said, "wabbled awful." This
was to Leila. "What gets the matter with men? The finer they are, the
braver--the more can a woman bother their judgment. He wires for a
regimental command--gets it; and, by George, throws away a fortune to
get the privilege of firing a cannon at Mrs. Ann's beloved Rebels. He
mustn't make guns it seems--he tries not to believe her hysterics at
all affected by his tossing away this big con