m, listening, as he was, for the news of today, and
the serious questions involved. Only once had there been allusion to
the horrors of war--when McVeigh inquired concerning his former
classmate, Monroe's brother, Fred, and was told he had been numbered
with the dead at Shiloh. The door was open and Pluto could hear all
that was said--could see the bronzed face of the Northerner, a face he
liked instinctively though it was not exactly handsome--an older face
than McVeigh's. He was leaving West Point as the young Southerner
entered--a man of thirty years, possibly--five of them, the hard years
of the frontier range. A smile lit up his face, changing it
wonderfully. His manner was neither diffident nor overconfident--there
was a certain admirable poise to it. His cool, irritating attitude
towards the zealous Masterson had been drawn out by the innate
antagonism of the two natures, but with McVeigh only the cordial side
was appealed to, and he responded with frank good will.

Pluto watched them leave the room and enter the apartments of Mr.
Loring, where Mrs. McVeigh, Miss Gertrude and Delaven were at that
time, and the latter was entertained by seeing one of the Northern
wolves welcomed most cordially by the Southern household. Fred Monroe
had been Kenneth's alter-ego during the West Point days. Mrs. McVeigh
had photographs of them together, which she brought out for
inspection, and Kenneth had pleasant memories of the Monroe home where
he had been a guest for a brief season after graduation; altogether it
was an interesting incident of the war to Delaven, who was the one
outsider. He was sorry the Marquise was not there to observe.

The Marquise was, however, making observations on her own account,
but not particularly to her satisfaction. She walked from one window
to another watching the road, and the only comforting view she
obtained was the departure of the squad of soldiers who had
breakfasted in the arbor. They turned south along the river, and when
they passed through the Terrace gates she drew a breath of relief at
the sight. They would not meet Pierson, who was to come over the road
to the east, and they would leave on the place only the orderlies of
Colonel McVeigh and Captain Masterson, and the colored men whose
quarters were almost a half mile in the rear of the Terrace. She was
glad they were at that distance, though she scarcely knew why.
Pierson's delay made her fear all sorts of bungling and extreme
mea