raitors. I hate them all without exception, and the more I see of them
the more I hate them."

The little lady had worked herself into a grand fury against the
rebels, and I am sure she believed what she said for the moment. "I
shall take pleasure in informing Herndon that his friend is here," said
I. "Shannon, as I have told you, I never met."

"You are fortunate," she replied. "I met him once, and it needed only a
glance to tell me what he was."

"And what was he?" I inquired.

"The matter is not worth speaking of," she said. "I have just as much
contempt for him as you have. Good-night!" and once more the little
fluttering hand touched mine, and away she marched into the darkness.
At the steps she turned and listened, but, as neither Whistling Jim nor
I had stirred out of our tracks, she could hear nothing. "Why don't you
go?" she called.

"I want to see you safe in the house," I said.

"You are taking a deal of responsibility on yourself," she responded.
"You must think me a child or a woman." With that she slipped through
the door, which yielded to her touch, and disappeared in the house.

VII

Now, when the foolish girl disappeared behind the door, I turned away
from the gate full of anger at all mundane things. But the only human
being near at hand was Whistling Jim, and him I seized by the collar.

"You scoundrel!" I exclaimed, shaking him vigorously; "what do you mean
by going off and leaving the stable-door unlocked?"

"Mar--Marse Cal--Cally--lem--lemme tell you 'bout it!" he cried,
affrighted; and then, ashamed of my silly display of temper, I turned
him loose. "What make you so fractious ter-night, Marse Cally? A little
mo' an' you'd 'a' shuck my head off. I declar' ter gracious, Marse
Cally, I thought I locked dat stable-door. I know I turned de key--dey
ain't no two ways 'bout dat. I tuck de key out'n de lock when I went
in, an' put it back in de lock when I come out--I put it in de lock an'
turned it des like I allers do."

"But what you didn't do," said I, now angry with myself, "was to make
sure that the bolt of the lock had caught. It didn't catch, and when I
went there to-night the door yielded to my hand. It was a piece of pure
carelessness, and if you ever do the like again----"

"Don't talk dat way, Marse Cally; you sho is been mighty good ter me,
an' I don't want ter make you mad. I never is ter do dat trick ag'in."

Then I told him that there was a plot on foot to steal the