sly housed in heavy garden
gloves, became expressive of horrified amazement.

"What?" he demanded, looking more than ever furious.

The little ladies jumped, and Miss Sallie made haste to say:

"Why--why nothing."

He eyed them for a moment; not suspiciously, but with anger at
everything in the universe--themselves, perhaps, excepted.

"Where's Jeb?" he asked.

"He went into the country again with his rifle this morning," Miss
Sallie answered. "He feels as you do, Colonel, that the time has come to
strike and we must be preparing for it."

"But I wish you'd speak to him," Miss Veemie imploringly added. "He's
bent on getting ready and being among the first, if the time comes,
and--and----"

"And he'll do it in splendid style, rest assured of it, m'em! Jeb will
make a fine soldier!--he comes from a line of soldiers!"

Tears filled Miss Veemie's eyes.

"We've never seriously thought that Jeb----" she began, but could get no
farther and relapsed into a sorrowful contemplation of the tulip bed.

"There, there; I know, I know," the old gentleman interrupted gently. "I
know how you feel about him; I know how you've both been more than
mothers to him!"

"We've done our best," there was a tightness in Miss Sallie's voice. "He
never remembered his own mother, and was so little when dear brother
Jebediah died."

"I know, I know," he murmured. "How old is Jeb?"

"Twenty-six."

Another silence fell upon them. Then the Colonel sighed, turned and
started on his way downtown, still muttering to himself as he went:

"I know, I know. All the same, that Kaiser's a damned murderer, and
we've got to smash him if it takes the last drop of blood in Hillsdale;
yes, sir, the last precious drop!" So by the time he reached the hotel
his step was vigorous and the ferrule of his cane struck the sidewalk
with military precision. Fifty-three years ago he had marched that way
with Grant--or was it with Lee? Hillsdales do spread over such a lot of
territory!

"Did you ever!" Miss Sallie gasped, breaking the silence.

"Sakes alive," Miss Veemie whispered, calling upon her nearest approach
to profanity. But they continued to stare after him, by unspoken accord
moving to the fence and leaning over it, farther and farther, to keep
him in sight as long as possible.

It was while they were so occupied that a girl stepped out upon the side
veranda. She hesitated an instant, poising lightly in surprise at their
rather unusual attitudes