still a young man."

"I should not object if she loved you, but I have never seen any
indications of it."

"Will you let her know that you favor my suit?"

At this Mrs. Ruthven shrugged her shoulders.

"But I am not sure that I do," she returned slowly.

"Have you heard anything to my discredit?" he demanded stiffly.

"No, no, St. John; but don't be precipitate. Let the matter rest for the
present."

"Well, if you insist upon it, Aunt Alice," he said, his face falling.

"It seems to me best."

"But still, Aunt Alice, if Marion allows her affections to drift in
another direction----"

"I do not think she will, for the present. She is more interested in the
war than in anything else. Why, if I would allow it, she would go off
and offer her services as a nurse."

"Don't let her go, aunt--I beg of you."

Mrs. Ruthven looked at her nephew curiously.

"What makes you so afraid of this war, St. John?"

"Afraid? I am not afraid exactly," he stammered. "I was thinking of dear
Marion. It would be horrible for her to put up with the hardships, and
such sights!"

"But somebody must bear such sights and sounds. War is war, and our
beloved country must be sustained, even in her darkest hour."

He trembled and turned pale, but quickly recovered.

"What you say is true, Aunt Alice. I have wanted to go to the front, but
my mother positively refuses her permission. She is in mortal terror
that the Yankees will come to our plantation and loot the place in my
absence."

"Do you think you can keep them from coming?"

"No, but I can--er--I can perhaps protect my mother."

"If you went off, she could come over here and remain with me."

"She wishes to remain at home. The old place is very dear to her. It
would break her heart to have the enemy destroy it."

"I should not wish our place destroyed. Yet the only way to keep the
enemy back is to go to the front and fight them."

"Well--I presume you are right, and I shall go some time--when I can win
my mother over," said St. John lamely.

He wanted to speak of Marion again, but, on looking across the garden,
saw his cousin and Jack approaching. Soon the pair came up and Marion
greeted St. John with a slight bow.

"We have been out rowing, mother," said Jack, as he came up and kissed
Mrs. Ruthven. "It was lovely on the bay."

"Did you go far?"

"We went over to Hoskin's beach. Marion rowed part of the way."

"I hope you had a nice time," said St. John stiffly,