the fresh but homelier scents of the garden which stole through the
window. A sense of delicious coolness came with the afternoon breeze,
that faintly trilled the slanting slats of the blind with a slumberous
humming as of bees. The golden glory of a sinking southern sun was
penciling the cheap paper on the wall with leafy tracery and glowing
arabesques. But more than that, the calm of some potent influence--or
some unseen presence--was upon him, which he feared a movement might
dispel. The chair at the foot of his bed was empty. Sophy had gone
out. He did not turn his head to look further; his languid eyes falling
aimlessly upon the carpet at his bedside suddenly dilated. For they fell
also on the "smallest foot in the State."

He started to his elbow, but a soft hand was laid gently yet firmly upon
his shoulder, and with a faint rustle of muslin skirts Miss Sally rose
from an unseen chair at the head of his bed, and stood beside him.

"Don't stir, co'nnle, I didn't sit where I could look in yo'r face for
fear of waking yo'. But I'll change seats now." She moved to the chair
which Sophy had vacated, drew it slightly nearer the bed, and sat down.

"It was very kind of you--to come," said Courtland hesitatingly, as with
a strong effort he drew his eyes away from the fascinating vision, and
regained a certain cold composure, "but I am afraid my illness has been
greatly magnified. I really am quite well enough to be up and about my
business, if the doctor would permit it. But I shall certainly manage to
attend to my duty to-morrow, and I hope to be at your service.

"Meaning that yo' don't care to see me NOW, co'nnle," she said lightly,
with a faint twinkle in her wise, sweet eyes. "I thought of that, but as
my business wouldn't wait, I brought it to yo'." She took from the folds
of her gown a letter. To his utter amazement it was the one he had given
his overseer to post to the commandant that morning. To his greater
indignation the seal was broken.

"Who has dared?" he demanded, half rising.

Her little hand was thrust out half deprecatingly. "No one yo' can
fight, co'nnle; only ME. I don't generally open other folks' letters,
and I wouldn't have done it for MYSELF; I did for yo'."

"For me?"

"For yo'. I reckoned what yo' MIGHT do, and I told Sam to bring ME the
letters first. I didn't mind what yo' wrote to the company--for they'll
take care of yo', and their own eggs are all in the same basket. I
didn't open