in time to help me with the last row。 Yo' needn't have troubled
yo'self to send up for me for mere company manners； but Sophy says
yo' looked sort of 'anxious and particular' when yo' asked for me
so I suppose yo' want to see me for something。〃
Mentally objurgating Sophy； and with an unpleasant impression in
his mind of the unknown neighbor who had been helping Miss Sally in
his place； he nevertheless tried to collect himself gallantly。
〃I don't know what my expression conveyed to Sophy；〃 he said with a
smile； 〃but I trust that what I have to tell you may be interesting
enough to make you forget my second intrusion。〃 He paused； and
still smiling continued： 〃For more than three years； Miss Dows； you
have more or less occupied my thoughts； and although we have
actually met to…day only for the first time； I have during that
time carried your image with me constantly。 Even this meeting；
which was only the result of an accident； I had been seeking for
three years。 I find you here under your own peaceful vine and fig…
tree； and yet three years ago you came to me out of the thunder…
cloud of battle。〃
〃My good gracious！〃 said Miss Sally。
She had been clasping her knee with her linked fingers； but
separated them and leaned backward on the sofa with affected
consternation； but an expression of growing amusement in her bright
eyes。 Courtland saw the mistake of his tone； but it was too late
to change it now。 He handed her the locket and the letter； and
briefly； and perhaps a little more seriously； recounted the
incident that had put him in possession of them。 But he entirely
suppressed the more dramatic and ghastly details； and his own
superstition and strange prepossession towards her。
Miss Sally took the articles without a tremor； or the least
deepening or paling of the delicate； faint suffusion of her cheek。
When she had glanced over the letter； which appeared to be brief；
she said； with smiling； half…pitying tranquillity：
〃Yes！it WAS that poor Chet Brooks； sure！ I heard that he was
killed at Snake River。 It was just like him to rush in and get
killed the first pop！ And all for nothing； too；pure foolishness！〃
Shocked； yet relieved； but uneasy under both sensations； Courtland
went on blindly：
〃But he was not the only one； Miss Dows。 There was another man
picked up who also had your picture。〃
〃YesJoyce Masterton。 They sent it to me。 But you didn't kill
HIM； too？〃
〃I don't know that I personally killed either；〃 he said a little
coldly。 He paused； and continued with a gravity which he could not
help feeling very inconsistent and even ludicrous： 〃They were brave
men； Miss Dows。〃
〃To have worn my picture？〃 said Miss Sally brightly。
〃To have THOUGHT they had so much to live for； and yet to have
willingly laid down their lives for what they believed was right。〃
〃Yo' didn't go huntin' me for three years to tell ME； a So'th'n
girl； that So'th'n men know how to fight； did yo'； co'nnle？〃
returned the young lady； with the slightest lifting of her head and
drooping of her blue…veined lids in a divine hauteur。 〃They were
always ready enough for that； even among themselves。 It was much
easier for these pooah boys to fight a thing out than think it out；
or work it out。 Yo' folks in the No'th learned to do all three；
that's where you got the grip on us。 Yo' look surprised； co'nnle。〃
〃I didn't expect you would look at itquite ininthat way；〃
said Courtland awkwardly。
〃I am sorry I disappointed yo' after yo' 'd taken such a heap o'
trouble；〃 returned the young lady with a puzzling assumption of
humility as she rose and smoothed out her skirts； 〃but I couldn't
know exactly what yo' might be expecting after three years； if I
HAD； I might have put on mo'ning。〃 She stopped and adjusted a
straying tendril of her hair with the sharp corner of the dead
man's letter。 〃But I thank yo'； all the same； co'nnle。 It was
real good in yo' to think of toting these things over here。〃 And
she held out her hand frankly。
Courtland took it with the sickening consciousness that for the
last five minutes he had been an unconscionable ass。 He could not
prolong the interview after she had so significantly risen。 If he
had only taken his leave and kept the letter and locket for a later
visit； perhaps when they were older friends！ It was too late now。
He bent over her hand for a moment； again thanked her for her
courtesy； and withdrew。 A moment later she heard the receding beat
of his horse's hoofs on the road。
She opened the drawer of a brass…handled cabinet； and after a
moment's critical survey of her picture in the dead man's locket；
tossed it and the letter into the recesses of the drawer。 Then she
stopped； removed her little slipper from her foot； looked at THAT；
too； thoughtfully； and called 〃Sophy！〃
〃Miss Sally？〃 said the girl； reappearing at the door。
〃Are you sure you did not move that ladder？〃
〃I 'clare to goodness； Miss Sally； I never teched it！〃
Miss Sally directed a critical glance at her handmaiden's red…
coifed head。 〃No；〃 she said to herself softly； 〃it felt nicer than
wool； anyway！〃
CHAPTER III。
In spite of the awkward termination of his visit；or perhaps
BECAUSE of it；Courtland called again at the plantation within the
week。 But this time he was accompanied by Drummond； and was
received by Miss Miranda Dows； a tall； aquiline…nosed spinster of
fifty； whose old…time politeness had become slightly affected； and
whose old beliefs had given way to a half…cynical acceptance of new
facts。 Mr。 Drummond； delighted with the farm and its management；
was no less fascinated by Miss Sally； while Courtland was now
discreet enough to divide his attentions between her and her aunt；
with the result that he was far from participating in Champney's
conviction of Miss Miranda's unimportance。 To the freedmen she
still represented the old implacable task…mistress； and it was
evident that they superstitiously believed that she still retained
a vague power of overriding the Fourteenth Amendment at her
pleasure； and was only to be restrained by the mediation of the
good…humored and sensible Miss Sally。 Courtland was quick to
see the value of this influence in the transition state of the
freedmen； and pointed it out to his principal。 Drummond's previous
doubts and skepticism； already weakened by Miss Sally's fascinations；
vanished entirely at this prospect of beneficially utilizing these
lingering evils of slavery。 He was convinced； he was even
enthusiastic。 The foreign investors were men to be bought out； the
estate improved and enlarged by the company； and the fair owners
retained in the management and control。 Like most prejudiced men；
Drummond's conversion was sudden and extreme； and； being a practical
man； was at once acted upon。 At a second and third interview the
preliminaries were arranged； and in three weeks from Courtland's
first visit； the Dows' plantation and part of Major Reed's were
merged in the 〃Drummond Syndicate；〃 and placed beyond financial
uncertainty。 Courtland remained to represent the company as
superintendent at Redlands； and with the transfer of the English
investments Champney retired； as he had suggested； to a smaller
venture of his own； on a plantation a few miles distant which the
company had been unable to secure。
During this interval Courtland had frequent interviews with Miss
Sally； and easy and unrestrained access to her presence。 He had
never again erred on the side of romance or emotion； he had never
again referred to the infelix letter and photograph； and； without
being obliged to confine himself strictly to business affairs； he
had maintained an even； quiet； neighborly intercourse with her。
Much of this was the result of his own self…control and soldierly
training； and gave little indication of the deeper feeling that he
was conscious lay beneath it。 At times he caught the young girl's
eyes fixed upon him with a mischievous curiosity。 A strange thrill
went through him； there are few situations so subtle and dangerous
as the accidental confidences and understandings of two young
people of opposite sex； even though the question of any sentimental
inclination be still in abeyance。 Courtland knew that Miss Sally
remembered the too serious attitude he had taken towards her past。
She might laugh at it； and even resent it； but she KNEW it；
remembered it； knew that HE did； and this precious knowledge was
confined to themselves。 It was in their minds when there was a
pause in their more practical and conventional conversation； and
was even revealed in the excessive care which Miss Sally later took
to avert at the right moment her mischievously smiling eyes。 Once
she went farther。 Courtland had just finished explaining to her a
plan for substituting small farm buildings for the usual half…
cultivated garden…patches dear to the negro field…hand； and had
laid down the drawings on the table in the office； when the young
lady； leaning against it with her hands behind her； fixed her
bright gray eyes on his serious face。
〃I vow and protest； co'nnle；〃 she said； dropping into one of the
quaint survivals of an old…time phraseology peculiar to her people；
〃I never allowed yo' could just give yo'self up to business； soul
and body； as yo' do； when I first met yo' that day。〃
〃Why； what did you think me？〃 he asked quickly。
Miss Sally； who had a Southern aptitude for gesture； took one
little hand from behind her； twirled it above her head with a
pretty air of disposing of some airy nothing in a presumably
masculine fashion； and said； 〃Oh； THAT。〃
〃I am afraid I did not impress you then as a very practical man；〃
he said； with a faint color。
〃I thought you roosted rather high； co'nnle； to pick up many worms
in the mo'ning。 But；〃 she added with a dazzling smile； 〃I reckon
from what yo' said about the photograph； yo' thought I wasn't
exactly what yo' believed I ought to be； either。〃
He would have liked to tell her then and there that he would have
been content if those bright； beautiful eyes had never kindled with
anything but love or womanly aspiration； that that soft； lazy；
caressing voice had never been lifted beyond the firesid