and the Parsonage--of rides, drives,
walks, sailing or rowing about on the lagoon, and every other pleasure
and entertainment that could be devised, then the party began to break
up, those from the north returning to their homes, most of them by rail,
as the speediest and the most convenient mode of travel. However, Mr.
and Mrs. Dinsmore, Evelyn, Grandma Elsie and her youngest two, Cousin
Ronald and the Woodburn family, returned together by sea, making use of
the captain's yacht, which he had ordered to be sent to him in season
for the trip by the Gulf and ocean.

There was no urgent need of haste, and the captain did not deny that he
was conscious of a longing to be, for a time, again in command of a
vessel sailing over the briny deep; besides, it would be less fatiguing
for the little ones, to say nothing of their elders.

The little girls were full of delight at the prospect of both the voyage
and the return to their lovely homes, yet could not leave beautiful
Viamede without deep regret.

It was the last evening but one of their stay; all were gathered upon
the veranda looking out upon the lagoon sparkling in the moonlight, and
the velvety flower-bespangled lawn, with its many grand and beautiful
old trees. The little ones had already gone to their nests, but Evelyn,
Lulu, and Grace were sitting with the older people, Grace on her
father's knee, the other two together close at hand.

There had been some cheerful chat, followed by a silence of several
minutes. It was broken by a slight scuffling sound, as of a negro's
footstep, in the rear of Elsie's chair, then a voice said in mournful
accents, "Scuse de in'truption, missus, but dis chile want to 'spress to
you uns dat we uns all a'most heart-broke t'inkin' how you's gwine 'way
an' p'r'arps won't be comin' heah no mo' till de ol'est ob us done gone
foreber out dis wicked worl'."

Before the sentence was completed every eye had turned in the direction
of the sounds; but nothing was to be seen of the speaker.

"Oh, that was you, Cousin Ronald," laughed Rosie, recovering from the
momentary start given her by the seemingly mysterious disappearance of
the speaker.

"Ah, Rosie, my bonnie lassie, how can you treat your auld kinsman so ill
as to suspect him of murdering the king's English in that style?"
queried the old gentleman in hurt, indignant tones.

"Because, my poor abused cousin, I am utterly unable to account in any
other way for the phenomenon of an invi