heap of things, and if Miss Ellis comes dis way where so
many can't be listen in', I tella her my mind."

Alice followed him to a respectable distance from the others, and
sitting down upon a chair standing there, waited for Sam to begin.

Twirling his old straw hat awkwardly for a moment, he stammered out:

"What for did Massah Hugh jine de army?"

"Because he thought it his duty," was Alice's reply, and Sam continued:

"Yes, but dar is anodder reason. 'Scuse me, miss, but I can't keep still
an' see it all agwine wrong. 'Seuse me 'gin, miss, but is you ever gwine
to hev that chap what comed here oncet a sparkin'--Massah Irving, I
means?"

Alice's blue eyes turned inquiringly upon him, as she replied: "Never,
Uncle Sam. I never intended to marry him. Why do you ask?"

"'Cause, miss, when a young gal lets her head lay spang on a fellow's
buzzum, and he a kissin' her, it looks mighty like somethin'. Yes, berry
like;" and in his own way Sam confessed what he had seen more than a
year ago, and told, too, how Hugh had overheard the words of love
breathed by Irving Stanley, imitating, as far as possible, his master's
manner as he turned away, and walked hurriedly down the piazza.

Then he confessed what, in the evening, he had repeated to Hugh, telling
Alice how "poor massah groan, wid face in his hands, and how next day he
went off, never to come back again."

In mute silence, Alice listened to a story which explained much that had
been strange to her before, and as she listened, her resolve was made.

"Sam," she said, when he had finished, "I wish I had known this before.
It might have saved your master much anxiety. I am going North--going to
Snowdon first, and then to Washington, in hopes of finding him."

In a moment Sam was on his knees, begging to go with her.

"Don't leave me, Miss Ellis. Take me 'long. Please take me to Massah
Hugh. I'se quite peart now, and kin look after Miss Ellis a heap."

Alice could not promise till she had talked with Mrs. Worthington, whose
anxiety to go North was even greater than her own. They would be nearer
to Hugh, and by going to Washington would probably see him, she said,
while it seemed that she should by some means be brought near to her
daughter, of whom no tidings had been received as yet. So it was
arranged that Mrs. Worthington, Alice and Densie, together with Lulu and
Sam, should start at once for Snowdon, where Alice would leave a part of
her charge, herself and M