iously clean: that was to
please Lois, of course. She put the ham on the table, and some
bubbling coffee, and then, from a hickory board in front of the fire,
took off, with a jerk, brown, flaky slices of Virginia johnny-cake.

"Ther' yoh are, father, hot 'n' hot," with her face on
fire,--"ther'--yoh--are,--coaxin' to be eatin'.--Why, Mr. Holmes!
Father! Now, ef yoh jes' hedn't hed yer supper?"

She came up, coaxingly. What brooding brown eyes the poor cripple had!
Not many years ago he would have sat down with the two poor souls, and
made a hearty meal of it: he had no heart for such follies now.

Old Yare stood in the background, his hat in his hand, stooping in his
submissive negro fashion, with a frightened watch on Holmes.

"Do you stay here, Lois?" he asked, kindly, turning his back on the old
man.

"On'y to bring his supper. I couldn't bide all night 'n th' mill," the
old shadow coming on her face,--"I couldn't, yoh know. HE doesn't mind
it."

She glanced quickly from one to the other in silence, seeing the fear
on her father's face.

"Yoh know father, Mr. Holmes? He's back now. This is him."

The old man came forward, humbly.

"It's me, Marster Stephen."

The sullen, stealthy face disgusted Holmes. He nodded, shortly.

"Yoh've been kind to my little girl while I was gone," he said,
catching his breath. "I thank yoh, Marster."

"You need not. It was for Lois."

"'T was fur her I comed back hyur. 'T was a resk,"--with a dumb look of
entreaty at Holmes,--"but fur her I thort I'd try it. I know't was a
resk; but I thort them as cared fur Lo wud be merciful. She's a good
girl, Lo. She's all I hev."

Lois brought a box over, lugging it heavily.

"We hev n't chairs; but yoh'll sit down, Mr. Holmes?" laughing as she
covered it with a cloth. "It'd a warm place, here. Father studies 'n
his watch, 'n' I'm teacher,"--showing the torn old spelling-book.

The old man came eagerly forward, seeing the smile flicker on Holmes's
face.

"It's slow work, Marster,--slow. But Lo's a good teacher, 'n' I'm
tryin',--I'm tryin' hard."

"It's not slow, Sir, seein' father hed n't 'dvantages, like me. He was
a"----

She stopped, lowering her voice, a hot flush of shame on her face.

"I know."

"Be n't that'll 'xcuse, Marster, seein' I knowed noght at the
beginnin'? Thenk o' that, Marster. I'm tryin' to be a different man.
Fur Lo. I AM tryin'."

Holmes did not notice him.

"Good-night, Lois,"