.

"One minute--" cried the Colonel. "Time enough; the absent
ones fust"--and he stooped down and peered among the
branches--"yes,--that's just the very one. This candle, Mr.
Klutchem, is for our old Mammy Henny, who is at Caarter Hall,
carin' for my property, and who must be pretty lonely to-day--ah,
there you go, Mammy!--blazin' away like one o' yo' own fires!"

[Illustration: Each guest had a candle alight.]

Three candles now were all that were left unlighted; two of them side
by side on the same branch, a brown one and a white one, and below
these a yellow one standing all alone.

The Colonel selected a fresh taper, kindled it in the flame of Aunt
Nancy's top candle, and turning to Chad, who was standing behind his
chair, said:

"I'm goin' to put you, Chad, where you belong,--right alongside of me.
Here, Katy darlin', take this taper and light this white candle for
me, and I'll light the brown one for Chad," and he picked up another
taper, lighted it, and handed it to the child.

"Now!"

As the two candles flashed into flame, the Colonel leaned over, and
holding out his hand to the old servant--boys together, these two,
said in a voice full of tenderness:

"Many years together, Chad,--many years, old man."

Chad's face broke into a smile as he pressed the Colonel's hand:

"Thank ye, marster," was all he trusted himself to say--a title the
days of freedom had never robbed him of--and then he turned his head
to hide the tears.

During this whole scene little Jim had stood on tiptoe, his eyes
growing brighter and brighter as each candle flashed into a blaze. Up
to the time of the lighting of the last guest candle his face had
expressed nothing but increasing delight. When, however, Mammy
Henny's candle, and then Chad's were kindled, I saw an expression of
wonderment cross his features which gradually settled into one of
profound disappointment.

But the Colonel had not yet taken his seat. He had relighted the
taper--this time from Mammy Henny's candle--and stood with it in his
hand, peering into the branches as if looking for something he had
lost.

"Ah, here's another. I
wonder--who--this--little--yaller--candle--can--be--for," he said
slowly, looking around the room and accentuating each word. "I reckon
they're all here--Let me see--Aunt Nancy, Mr. Klutchem, Katy, Fitz,
the Major, Mammy Henny, Chad, and me--Yes--all here--Oh!!" and he
looked at the boy with a quizzical smile on his face--"I came v