ty!" exclaimed the other. "He would have made some woman
happy."

Mrs. Garwood asked many questions concerning the physician who had once
taught school at Azalia; and the conversation of the two ladies finally
took a range that covered all New England, and, finally, the South. Each
was surprised at the remarkable ignorance of the other; but their
ignorance covered different fields, so that they had merely to exchange
facts and information and experiences in order to entertain each other.
They touched on the war delicately, though Miss Tewksbury had never
cultivated the art of reserve to any great extent. At the same time
there was no lack of frankness on either side.

"My son has been telling me of the little controversies he had with
you," said Mrs. Garwood. "He says you fairly bristle with arguments."

"The general never heard half my arguments," replied Miss Tewksbury. "He
never gave me an opportunity to use them."

"My son is very conservative," said Mrs. Garwood, with a smile in which
could be detected a mother's fond pride. "After the war he felt the
responsibility of his position. A great many people looked up to him.
For a long time after the surrender we had no law and no courts, and
there was a great deal of confusion. Oh, you can't imagine! Every man
was his own judge and jury."

"So I've been told," said Miss Tewksbury.

"Of course you know something about it, but you can have no conception
of the real condition of things. It was a tremendous upheaval coming
after a terrible struggle, and my son felt that some one should set an
example of prudence. His theory was, and is, that everything was for the
best, and that our people should make the best of it. I think he was
right," Mrs. Garwood added with a sigh, "but I don't know."

"Why, unquestionably!" exclaimed Miss Tewksbury. She was going on to say
more; she felt that here was an opening for some of her arguments: but
her eyes fell on Hallie, whose pale face and sombre garb formed a
curious contrast to the fresh-looking young woman who sat beside her.
Miss Tewksbury paused.

"Did you lose any one in the war?" Hallie was asking softly.

"I lost a darling brother," Helen replied.

Hallie laid her hand on Helen's arm, a beautiful white hand. The
movement was at once a gesture and a caress.

"Dear heart!" she said, "you must come and see me. We will talk
together. I love those who are sorrowful."

Miss Tewksbury postponed her arguments, and after s