pread into side-streets. Drinking-houses were gayly bedight
and busy.

"That's the new _Courier_ building."

The main crowd had gone down to the railway tracks, and it was
midsummer, yet you could see and feel the town's youth.

"Why, the nig--colored people have built themselves a six-hundred dollar
church; we white folks helped them," said Garnet, who had given fifty
cents. "See that new sidewalk? Our chain-gang did that, sir; made the
bricks and laid the pavement."

The court-house was newly painted. Only Hotel Swanee and the two white
churches remained untouched, sleeping on in green shade and sweet age.

The Garnet's wheels bickered down the town's southern edge and out upon
a low slope of yellow, deep-gullied sand and clay that scarce kept on a
few weeds to hide its nakedness while gathering old duds and tins.

"Yonder are the people, and here, sir," Garnet pointed to where the
green Swanee lay sweltering like the Nile, "is the stream that makes the
tears trickle in every true Southerner's heart when he hears its song."

"Still 'Always longing for the old plantation?'" asked the youth.

"Yes," said Barbara, defiantly.

The carriage stopped; half a dozen black ragamuffins rushed up offering
to take it in charge, and its occupants presently stood among the people
of three counties. For Blackland, Clearwater, and Sandstone had gathered
here a hundred or two of their gentlest under two long sheds on either
side of the track, and the sturdier multitude under green booths or out
in the sunlight about yonder dazzling gun, to hail the screaming herald
of a new destiny; a destiny that openly promised only wealth, yet
freighted with profounder changes; changes which, ban or delay them as
they might, would still be destiny at last.

Entering a shed Barbara laughed with delight.

"Fannie!"

"Barb!" cried Fannie. A volley of salutations followed: "Good-morning,
Major"--"Why, howdy, Doctor.--Howdy, Jeff-Jack.--Shotwell, how are you?
Let me make you acquainted with Mr. Fair. Mr. Fair, Captain Shotwell.
Mr. Fair and his father, Captain, have put some money into our"--A tall,
sallow, youngish man touched the speaker's elbow--"Why, _hel_-lo,
Proudfit! Colonel Proudfit, let me make you," etc.--"I hope you
brought--why, Sister Proudfit, I decl'--aha, ha, ha!--You know Barb?"

General Halliday said, "John Wesley, how goes it?"

Garnet sobered. "Good-morning, Launcelot. Mr. Fair, let me make you
acquainted with General