ittle
wooden house, the day being as cold as ever and the smoke of many
chimneys lying in black lines against the perfect blue-and-white
heavens. He looked at the chimney of the little wooden cottage, and
there, too, was smoke coming forth; but it was a thin and feeble stream,
scarcely making even a pale blur against the transparent skies. The
house itself appeared to be as cold and chilly as the frozen snow
outside.

Prescott glanced up and down the street. An old man, driving a small
wagon drawn by a single horse, was about to pass him. Prescott looked
into the body of the wagon and saw that it contained coal.

"For sale?" he asked.

The man nodded.

"How much for the lot?"

"Twenty dollars."

"Gold or Confederate money?"

The old man blew his breath on his red woolen comforter and thoughtfully
watched it freeze there, then he looked Prescott squarely in the face
and asked:

"Stranger, have you just escaped from a lunatic asylum?"

"Certainly not!"

"Then why do you ask me such a fool question?"

Prescott drew forth one of the two twenty-dollar gold pieces and handed
it to the man.

"I take your coal," he said. "Now unload it into that little back yard
there and answer no questions. Can you do both?"

"Of course--for twenty dollars in gold," replied the driver.

Prescott walked farther up the street, but he watched the man, and saw
him fulfil his bargain, a task easily and quickly done. He tipped the
coal into the little back yard of the wooden cottage, and drove away,
obviously content with himself and his bargain. Then Prescott, too, went
his way, feeling a pleasant glow.

He came back the next morning and the coal lay untouched. The board
fence concealed it from the notice of casual passers, and so thieves had
not been tempted. Those in the house must have seen it, yet not a lump
was gone; and the feeble stream of smoke from the chimney had
disappeared; nothing rose there to stain the sky. It occurred to
Prescott that both the women might have fled from the city, but second
thought told him escape was impossible. They must yet be inside the
house; and surely it was very cold there!

He came back the same afternoon, but the coal was still untouched and
the cold gripped everything in bands of iron. He returned a third time
the next morning, slipping along in the shadow of the high board fence
like a thief--he did have a somewhat guilty conscience--but when he
peeped over the fence he uttered an