fulness that was too sure of its own
justification to assert itself noisily.

"I heard her," Helen replied. "She called him Master, and he called her
Mammy. It was a very pleasing exchange of compliments."

Such further comment as the ladies may have felt called on to make--for
it was a matter in which both were very much interested--was postponed
for the time being. A passenger occupying a seat in the farther end of
the coach had recognized the gentleman whose valise was labeled "Peyton
Garwood," and now pressed forward to greet him. This passenger was a
very aggressive-looking person. He was short and stout, but there was no
suggestion of jollity or even of good-humor in his rotundity. No one
would have made the mistake of alluding to him as a fat man. He would
have been characterized as the pudgy man; and even his pudginess was
aggressive. He had evidently determined to be dignified at any cost,
but his seriousness seemed to be perfectly gratuitous.

"Gener'l Garwood?" he said in an impressive tone, as he leaned over the
tall gentleman's seat.

"Ah! Goolsby!" exclaimed the other, extending his hand. "Why, how do you
do? Sit down."

Goolsby's pudginess became more apparent and apparently more aggressive
than ever when he seated himself near General Garwood.

"Well, sir, I can't say my health's any too good. You look mighty well
yourse'f, gener'l. How are things?" said Goolsby, pushing his
traveling-cap over his eyes, and frowning as if in pain.

"Oh, affairs seem to be improving," General Garwood replied.

"Well, now, I ain't so up and down certain about that, gener'l," said
Goolsby, settling himself back, and frowning until his little eyes
disappeared. "Looks like to me that things git wuss and wuss. I ain't no
big man, and I'm ruther disj'inted when it comes right down to politics;
but blame me if it don't look to me mighty like the whole of creation is
driftin' 'round loose."

"Ah, well," said the general soothingly, "a great many things are
uncomfortable; there is a good deal of unnecessary irritation growing
out of new and unexpected conditions. But we are getting along better
than we are willing to admit. We are all fond of grumbling."

"That's so," said Goolsby, with the air of a man who is willing to make
any sacrifice for the sake of a discussion; "that's so. But I tell you
we're havin' mighty tough times, gener'l--mighty tough times. Yonder's
the Yankees on one side, and here's the blamed niggers