e story, and not to plead one cause or
another. Whatever the story itself pleads, let it plead. Outside the
"haunted house," far and near, the whole community was divided into two
fiercely hostile parties, often at actual war with each other, the one
striving to maintain government upon a co-citizenship regardless of race
in all public relations, the other sworn to make race the supreme,
sufficient, inexorable condition of supremacy on the one part and
subjection on the other. Yet for all this the school prospered.

Nevertheless, it suffered much internal unrest. Many a word was spoken
that struck like a club, many a smile stung like a whip-lash, many a
glance stabbed like a knife; even in the midst of recitations a wounded
one would sometimes break into sobs or silent tears while the aggressor
crimsoned and palpitated with the proud indignation of the master caste.
The teachers met all such by-play with prompt, impartial repression and
concentration upon the appointed duties of the hour.

Sometimes another thing restored order. Few indeed of the pupils, of
whatever racial purity or preponderance, but held more or less in awe the
ghostly traditions of the house; and at times it chanced to be just in
the midst of one of these ebullitions of scorn, grief, and resentful tears
that noiselessly and majestically the great doors of the reception-rooms,
untouched by visible hands, would slowly swing open, and the hushed girls
would call to mind Madame Lalaurie.

Not all who bore the tincture of the despised race suffered alike. Some
were fierce and sturdy, and played a savage tit-for-tat. Some were
insensible. A few bore themselves inflexibly by dint of sheer nerve; while
many, generally much more white than black, quivered and winced
continually under the contumely that fell, they felt, with peculiar
injustice and cruelty upon them.

Odd things happened from time to time to remind one of the house's early
history. One day a deep hidden well that no one had suspected the
existence of was found in the basement of the main house. Another
time--But we must be brief.

Matters went on thus for years. But at length there was a sudden and
violent change.

VI.

EVICTIONS.

The "Radical" party in Louisiana, gorged with private spoils and loathed
and hated by the all but unbroken ranks of well-to-do society, though it
held a creed as righteous and reasonable as any political party ever
held, was going to pieces by the s