to his own folks. He comes to see me at
night and pretends to love me, but as soon as I feed him he trots back
home. When he first came, I laughed till I cried at his antics over a
carpet--we had a carpet then. He never saw one before, and barked at the
colours and the figures in the pattern. Then he'd lie down and rub his
back on it and growl. You won't let anybody hurt him?"

"No. Are there any others?"

"Yes, I 'most forgot. If Sam Ross comes--Sam's an idiot who lives at the
poorhouse--if he comes, he'll expect a dinner--my, my, I'm afraid he'll
cry when he finds we're not here! But you can send him to the hotel to me.
Don't let Aunt Cindy speak rough to him. Aunt Cindy's awfully good to me,
but she can't bear Sam. She thinks he brings bad luck."

"How on earth did you meet him?"

"His father was rich. He was a good friend of my Papa's. We came near
losing our farm once, because a bank failed. Mr. Ross sent Papa a signed
check on his own bank, and told him to write the amount he needed on it,
and pay him when he was able. Papa cried over it, and wouldn't use it, and
wrote a poem on the back of the check--one of the sweetest of all, I
think. In the war Mr. Ross lost his two younger sons, both killed at
Gettysburg. His wife died heartbroken, and he only lived a year afterward.
He sold his farm for Confederate money and everything was lost. Sam was
sent to the poorhouse. He found out somehow that we loved him and comes to
see us. He's as harmless as a kitten, and works in the garden
beautifully."

"I'll remember," Elsie promised.

"And one thing more," she said hesitatingly. "Mamma asked me to speak to
you of this--that's why she slipped away. There one little room we have
locked. It was Papa's study just as he left it, with his papers scattered
on the desk, the books and pictures that he loved--you won't mind?"

Elsie slipped her arm about Marion, looked into the blue eyes, dim with
tears, drew her close and said:

"It shall be sacred, my child. You must come every day if possible, and
help me."

"I will. I've so many beautiful places to show you in the woods--places he
loved, and taught us to see and love. They won't let me go in the woods
any more alone. But you have a big brother. That must be very sweet."

Mrs. Lenoir hurried to Elsie.

"Come, Marion, we must be going now."

"I am very sorry to see you leave the home you love so dearly, Mrs.
Lenoir," said the Northern girl, taking her extended hand.