er children, and several
times small packages of bank-bills were found in the parlor, which,
when presented to him, he would always disclaim being the owner of;
and although Mrs. Wentworth truly believed that they had been left
there by him, the kind and respectful tone he used to her, and the
intense interest he appeared to take in the welfare of her children,
were such that she never imagined, for a moment, he was using this
means to cloak a vile and unmanly purpose. Once, and only once, was
she made aware that the scandal tongues of her neighbors were being
used detrimental to her honor; and then the information was given by
her slave Elsy, who overheard a conversation between two of her
neighbors not at all complimentary to her, and which the faithful
negress lost no time in repeating to her mistress, with the very
indignant remark that, "ef dem people nex' doh fancy dey can do
anyting to take away your name, dey's much mistaken, as I will tell
you ebery ting dey say 'bout you, an' you will know what to do." Mrs.
Wentworth made no reply to the negro, but on the next visit of Mr.
Awtry's, she candidly told him what had been said of her in
consequence of his visits. He appeared very much surprised, but told
her that such scandalous remarks, emanating as they did out of pure
malice, should not be noticed, as all who were acquainted with her
knew very well that her character and fair name were above suspicion.
With that the subject was dropped, and he continued paying her his
visits.

New Orleans fell into the hands of the enemy, and the whole
Confederacy was convulsed, as if shaken by an earthquake. None
anticipated such a thing, and its fall brought misery to thousands.
The enemy had scarcely taken possession, than Horace Awtry and his
bosom friend, Charles Bell, went to the provost marshal's office and
took the oath of allegiance, after proving, entirely to the
satisfaction of the Yankees, that they were Northern, and had always
been Union men. Mr. Awtry immediately received a commission in the
Federal army, and by his willingness to point out prominent
"secession" men and women, soon ingratiated himself in the favor of
"Beast Butler."

No sooner had he gained the favor of Butler, than his attentions to
Mrs. Wentworth changed to that of unmanly presumption, and at last he
had the baseness to make proposals at once dishonorable to her as a
lady of virtue and position in society, and disgraceful to him as a
man. Th