tood framed in the door, cooling her round
face with a palmetto fan and listening with interest to the talk or
taking part in the discussion in so positive a way as was felt to be
indiscreetly feminine, but respected on account of her official
representation of a husband too deaf to fulfil his duties.

The Doctor got out of his gig. "Any letters from my boy?"

"Yes, two. Wanted to send them by Billy, but he's war-wild and wouldn't
go." The Doctor looked over his letters.

"All right, I hope," said Mrs. Crocker.

Pole in his shirt sleeves listening said, "Of course, he is all
right--doctors don't fight none."

"Send your son, Pole, before you talk nonsense," said McGregor. "My boy
got a ball in his leg at Malvern Hill."

"My son's going along with the Squire," returned Pole, "leaves me short
of help, and my wife's about crazy over it."

"What about Mrs. Penhallow?" said Mrs. Crocker. "I guess she's the kind
that don't show what she feels."

"Oh, money's a great comforter," returned the butcher. "What I'm to do, I
don't know."

"Well, I'm going too," said Joe Grace, "and father says I'm right."

"Oh, here's the parson," said Pole, as Rivers approached. "He's like the
rest of them--all for war."

"Well, Pole," said Rivers, "how are you and Mrs. Crocker? I think you are
getting thin this hot weather."

"Am I? No such good luck. We are talking war, Mr. Rivers. I do hear that
what with the mill-boys and country fellows there's some thirty going
into the Colonel's regiment."

"So I hear. On Sunday I mean to talk to them after service. You might say
so."

"I will. If I had a boy, he should go," said Mrs. Crocker.

"It's easy talking when you haven't none," said Pole. "We are gettin'
licked, and some day Lee will be over the border. It's just useless to
spend money and cripple men."

There was a moment of silence, when Mrs. Crocker spoke. "Pole, you
aren't ever sure of your legs. You were all for Buchanan, and then all
for Lincoln. Now you're uneasy on the top rail of the fence and the rail
ain't round." The parliament broke into laughter, and with more talk
dissolved after some critical wisdom about the war.

* * * * *

It was July 30th, after ten at night, the day before the final Sunday of
the month. The Colonel of the 129th stood with Leila before a big war
map. "This fight at Malvern Hill"--he put a pin on the place--"was a
mistake on the part of Lee, and yet he is a mas