tiptoed to his
desk. There are some things at which even a reporter may not gaze.

"Do you agree with me that there should and will be war, Roger?" Mr.
Strong was saying half an hour later. They were comfortably settled now,
with cigars alight, and except for slight traces where tears had marked
their cheeks no one would have suspected aught but a lifetime of
congeniality.

"Both should and will, Amos! It is one of the few expressions in your
columns with which I have thoroughly concurred."

Mr. Strong burst into a merry laugh and waved the handkerchief that was
still in his hand, crying:

"Truce, truce! You forget, Roger!"

"So I do, so I do, Amos! We sha'n't open the old wounds again--at least,
not so long as our country is in need of cohesion. My anger, I assure
you, was never as great as my amazement that one of your talents
could--but there, there! I may have been somewhat wrong, also--as a
matter of fact, Amos, I shouldn't be surprised if that were so! Tell me
of Marian! When is she coming back to us again?"

A look of new pleasure crossed the editor's grizzled face as he
answered:

"She got home last night, Roger--and the first thing she did was to ask
about you, whom she believed I hated!" Again he laughed, with a buoyancy
that had not been in his voice for many years.

"She did that?" the Colonel cried, his eyes filling with tears. "God
bless her! She's a noble girl, worthy of her noble father! Do you know,
Amos, I'm beginning to believe that she showed extraordinary foresight
in taking that training! Why, even I considered it a romantic waste of
time,--and so did you, Roger," he turned accusingly. "Admit it!"

"I did, but I wanted to humor her; for the purpose was noble, and it
does a girl no harm. But I hope she won't hold me to a foolish promise I
made, to let her go across should we become involved in this titanic
struggle."

"God guide her aright," the Colonel whispered; to which his old friend
murmured:

"Amen."

"I stopped by the Tumpson's," the Colonel resumed, after they had been
for a moment silent. "Miss Sallie tells me that Jeb is out again with
his rifle, as usual, and is showing more eagerness to be ready. I
believe all our young men will respond nobly if the President calls for
volunteers."

"Without a doubt of it, Roger; and Jeb ought to make a fine
soldier--although he's had no military training."

"Well, no; but he's a handsome fellow, and a gentleman, and his father
was ou