he laws must decide those questions, my man,"
he said, at last. 'In time freedom certainly will be arranged
for--but--"

"But Mahsa Linkum ain't done said it yet--that it, Mahsa?"

"Yes, that's it."

"Thank yo', sah," and Monroe heard him take a deep breath, sad as
tears, when he turned into the hall for the mail bag.

A stranger was just coming up the steps, a squarely built,
intelligent-eyed man, with a full dark beard; his horse, held by one
of the boys under a shade tree, showed signs of hard riding, and the
fact that he was held instead of stabled, showed that the call was to
be brief.

The servants were clearing away the lunch things. Mrs. McVeigh had
entered the house. Delaven and Gertrude were walking beside Loring's
chair, wheeled by Ben, along the shady places. Evilena was coming
towards them from across the lawn, pouting because of an ineffectual
attempt to catch up with Ken, whom she fancied she saw striding along
the back drive to the quarters, but he had walked too fast, and the
hedge had hidden him. She came back disappointed to be asked by
Delaven what sort of uniform she was pursuing this time, to which he
very properly received no reply except such as was vouchsafed by
silent, scornful lips and indignant eyes.

Masterson, who was walking thoughtfully alone, noted this distribution
of the people as the stranger dismounted, inquired of Caroline for
Madame Caron, and was received by Pluto at the door. The man wore a
dark blue suit, plain but for a thin cord of gold on collar and
sleeve. He did not recognize it as a uniform, yet instinctively
associated it with that other blue uniform whose wearer had caused him
an annoyance he would not soon forget. He was there alone now with
Madame Caron for whom this stranger was asking. He wondered if Colonel
McVeigh was there also, but concluded not, as he had seen him on the
western veranda with his hat on. All these thoughts touched him and
passed on as he stood there looking critically at the dusty horse.

At the same moment he heard the thud, thud of another horse turning in
at the Terrace gates; the rider was leaning forward as though urging
the animal to its utmost. At sight of Masterson he threw up his hand
to attract attention, and the others on the lawn stared at this second
tumultuous arrival and the haste Captain Masterson made to hear what
he had to say--evidently news of importance from the coast or the
North.

Loring hoped it meant annihilati