ng news reached the Ruthven plantation that night. A large force
of Federal soldiers had loomed up in the vicinity, and the Confederate
army had been compelled to fall back to the mountains and to the valley
beyond.

"Our victory is swallowed up in defeat," said Marion, but even as she
spoke a soft look came into her eyes. Perhaps, if the Yankees were
coming again, she would see Harry Powell once more. Even though she did
not wish to acknowledge it to herself, Marion thought much of her
dashing cousin.

"What a man he is, compared with cowardly St. John!" she said to
herself. And then she prayed to Heaven that Harry might come out of the
war unharmed.

Marion's wish was gratified so far as seeing Harry Powell was concerned,
for the young surgeon dashed up on horseback early in the morning.

"I could not keep away," he said, after shaking hands with Mrs. Ruthven
and his cousin. "I heard that the fight was fierce in this neighborhood,
and I wanted to learn if you had suffered."

"We had a cannon ball go through the sitting room," answered Mrs.
Ruthven.

"And was anybody hurt?"

"One of the wounded soldiers was hit. He has now a high fever in
consequence."

"Thank God the cannon ball did not hit you or Marion!" ejaculated Harry
Powell, and gave Marion a look that made the girl blush deeply.
"Somebody said the Ruthven place had been on fire."

"That was at St. John's place," answered Marion. "But the fire was put
out before great damage was done."

"I am happy to see that you were not hurt, Harry," said Mrs. Ruthven.
"You must have been in peril many times."

"I was in peril, aunt, and I did not escape wholly. I was wounded in the
shoulder, although the hurt is of small consequence."

"I am glad that you escaped," cried Marion. And she gave him a look that
meant a good deal.

"Poor Colonel Stanton was not so fortunate," went on the young surgeon.
"He was shot through the breast, and now lies between life and death."

"Jack saw him shot, from a distance," said Mrs. Ruthven.

"Did he? And where is Jack now?"

"He has disappeared," and the lady of the plantation gave her nephew
some of the particulars.

Harry was invited into the house, and he remained to lunch, in the
meantime telling of the general progress of the war.

"Frankly, I wish it was at an end," he said. "I hate to see one section
of our glorious country fighting the other. It is not right."

During the talk it developed that Colonel Stanto