budding rose vine.

"She'll dead sure give you one--of mine," he answered me with a laugh,
"but come along with me now, L'Aiglon. The General won't be home until
night. I laid some letters on his desk that will hold him and Governor
Bill until sunset. They'll have pie and milk sent in and work it all
out together. What's the use of having them to watch the affairs of
the State of Harpeth for us if we don't use the time they are on watch
in having some joy life? Come on!"

"I go," I made answer with a great pleasure.

Then we descended to the gray car of much speed and did use that speed
in turning many streets until we came to another very fine old house,
where, I was informed by my Mr. Buzz Clendenning, resides that
Mademoiselle Susan of so much loveliness.

And it is of a truth that I discovered that loveliness to be as great
as was told to me by her true lover. When I raised my head from the
kiss of presentation I gave to her hand I looked into very deep and
very wonderful girl eyes that had in their depths tears that were for
a sympathy for me, I knew. My heart of an exile beat very high in my
own girl's breast that ached for the refuge of her woman's arms, and I
must have partly betrayed my yearning to her, for I saw an expression
of confused question come into her eyes that looked into mine; then
the beautiful thing that had come into my Mr. Buzz Clendenning's eyes
for me came also into hers in place of the question. I saw then in
those eyes a sister born to the boy Robert Carruthers of a great
French strangeness.

"I've been thinking about you all morning, Mr. Carruthers, and hoping
Buzz would bring you with him to see me first of all. I wanted to be
the first one of the girls to say, 'Welcome home' to you." And as she
spoke those words of much tenderness I again bent over her hand in
salutation because I could give forth no words from my throat.

"Sue, you are the real sweet thing--and now notice me a bit, will
you?" said my fine Mr. Buzz Clendenning with both emotion and a
teasing in his voice. "I know I haven't got French manners and don't
look like L'Aiglon, but I'm an affectionate rough jewel."

"Please don't mind Buzz, Mr. Carruthers--he just can't help buzzing.
Isn't it great about the dance Tuesday night? I fought hard to save
you from a horrid long banquet with a lot of solemn men. I ought to be
the belle of that ball and you and Buzz will be ungrateful if you
neglect me," and as she made these r