he
care of old Mr. Beever, her overseer, and he and the negroes worked the
land and raised the crops, and Mr. Copp, her lawyer, attended to the sale
and shipping of the tobacco and--and all that, you know."

"I see."

"And Miss Notley lived on her other place down in Florida. At least, she
lived there all the year round except the summer months, when she always
went to Europe. She died in Florida, and left Felicia--her estate
there--to her Florida relations."

"Ah!" said the colonel, trying to seem interested, while really brooding
over his own schemes.

"And she left Greenbushes to Le, who is the only relative by her mother's
side."

"Quite so."

"And it is a great thing for Le and Odalite, for now they can marry and
settle at once."

"Precisely."

"And as Wynnette and I shall spend half our time at Greenbushes, we mean
to pick out our room and choose the paper and furniture for it."

"In--deed!"

"Oh, yes! Mr. Copp sent to New York and got illustrated catalogues from
the furniture dealers and books of patterns from the paper hangers, and
samples from the--the--the--oh! what do you call them, Wynnette?--the
people who color the walls that are not papered, you know?"

"The kalsominers?"

"Yes, that is what I mean! And all sorts of things! And we are going to
choose our room and have it fixed!"

"Without consulting Mr. Brother-in-law?"

"Of course! Why, it is all to be done at once--at once! It is to be
completed and quite ready by the time Le gets home! Won't that be jolly?
Le wrote to Odalite to do just as she pleased with the house, and wrote to
Mr. Copp to advance all the money that was necessary and give her all the
advice and assistance that he could. So father wrote to Mr. Copp to meet
us here to-day, and he is to do it. Father would have been here, too, but
he was subpoenaed this very morning to attend court. Oh! do look at that
flock of wild geese, colonel! I'm glad you haven't got your gun and dogs
this time!"

So chattering and letting their tongues run before their wit, the
children, with their companions, reached Greenbushes, and turning from the
shore, began to ascend the hill going toward the house, which stood on the
summit a few hundred yards back from the bay, and in the midst of a grove
of pines, cedars, yews, firs and every description of evergreens that
would grow on the soil; so that winter, as well as summer, the mansion was
sheltered, and the lawn was heavily shaded by a canop