that--that
expedition?"

"Which you regard as among the most foolish things of your life? Eh, Mr.
Leslie?" asked Joe, with a little mischief in her tone.

"Which I regard as one of the most fortunate events in my whole
existence," said the young journalist, managing to touch her hand at the
same time. She appeared to understand the words and the gesture, and
went on with the explanation that had been interrupted.

"He is a cousin of Miss Bell Crawford, and very intimate in the family.
I have met him very often, and he would recognize me in a moment if he
should see my face. If he should do so, probably the great object of my
visit to the North would be prevented."

"And that is--" began Leslie.

"Precisely what I cannot tell you, until I know more of the matter
myself, because I have no right to take liberties with the characters of
others. Would you have thought me so prudent?" concluded the young girl.

"I do not now need to learn for the first time," answered Leslie, "that
those whom the world calls 'rattle-brains'--and I am sure they call
_you_ one,--have sometimes plenty of forethought and a good deal of
prudence."

"Thank you," said Josephine, and no doubt she did thank him, from her
soul. For the rarest flattery is of course the sweetest, and poor wild
Joe was in the habit of being oftener complimented for any thing else
rather than that terrible quality "forethought."

"But I may tell you," the young girl resumed, "that I have very grave
suspicions of that man's honesty, in some of his dealings with the
Crawfords, who are my very dear friends; and I am going to unsex myself,
I suppose, in your mind, by acknowledging that I am playing the part of
a detective, _en amateur_, for a few days."

"Not a particle unsexed," said Leslie, rubbing a match on his boot-sole
and preparing to desecrate the sweet air of evening with cigar-smoke.
"Go on, please."

"Well," said Joe, "if I do not mistake, Col. Egbert Crawford and myself
are going to the very same place--at least to houses not a quarter of a
mile apart; and if he should know of my presence in the neighborhood all
my researches might be blocked. Do you see?"

"I see," said Leslie, though how he _could_ see through that cloud of
cigar-smoke, was a little unaccountable.

"That is why I turned away and dropped my veil," the young girl went on.
"And now I am under the necessity of troubling you a little more than I
intended. You must look out, for me, tha