young lady whom I have met only two or three times."

"What is her name?"

"Lilian Ashford."

"What a pretty name!" said Sue, endeavoring to be magnanimous; though it
was evident that she was troubled by the honest avowal of the young
soldier.

"Where does she live?"

"She is at the North, now," answered Somers, who could not bear to tell a
lie when there was no need of such a sacrifice.

He was becoming very uneasy under this rigid catechizing, and hoped she
would not ask any more questions about Lilian Ashford. He had mentioned
her name with the hope that it might produce a coldness on her part which
would afford him some advantage. She did not, however, seem to be
annihilated by the prospect of a rival, and was proceeding to interrogate
him still further in regard to the lady, with whom he was apparently
intimate enough to present her his photograph, when Mr. Raynes reminded
her that they were standing in the road, and had better go into the
house.

"Now, Mr. Raynes, as I have seen Sue, and Sue has seen me, I think I had
better hasten to my regiment," suggested Somers.

"Not yet, Allan," replied the old man.

"Do you wish to run away, and leave me so soon, you monster?" added Sue.
"I tell you, sir, I shall not let you go yet."

"But, Sue! you forget that I have just returned from the Yankees. I was
furnished with a pass, to enable me to find my regiment."

"You shall find it in good time."

"Come to the house, Allan: we will not detain you long," added Mr.
Raynes.

"You must and shall come!" protested Sue, taking him by the arm, and
absolutely compelling him to go, or be guilty of the most unpardonable
rudeness to the fair Virginia damsel.

"I should be very glad to go with you, Sue, if my duty did not call me
elsewhere. I am to be sent off on very important service."

"Again?--so soon?"

"This very day. I may never see you again."

"And you would coolly run away and leave me without even going into the
house!"

"But my duty, Sue!"

"You will be in time for your duty."

"I may be arrested as a deserter."

"Nonsense! You have a pass in your pocket."

"In spite of the pass, if your father had not happened to see me, I
should have been arrested, and might have spent a day or two in the
guardhouse before the case could have been explained."

"No more argument, Allan," said the persevering girl. "Here is the house;
you shall go in and look at mother, if you don't stop but a minute.
Besides,