happy, I reckon," he answered seriously.

He remembered his grim task and threw off the spell. He must keep a
cool head and a strong hand. He remembered the strange old man to whose
"Constitution" he had sworn allegiance in Canada and began to talk in
commonplaces.

To the girl's romantic ears they had meaning. Every tone of his voice
fascinated her. The mystery about him held her imagination. She was sure
it was full of thrilling adventure. He would tell her some day. She
wondered why he had waited so long. He had been on the point of telling
his love again and again and always stopped with an ugly frown. She
wondered sometimes if his life had been spoiled by some tragedy. A
thousand times she asked herself the question whether he might be
married and separated from a wife. He had lived in the North. He had
told her many places he had seen. People were divorced sometimes in the
North. She dismissed the thought as absurd and resigned herself again to
the charms of his companionship.

Colonel Washington was delighted to see again the daughter of an old
friend. Her father had been his companion on many a hunting and fishing
trip.

Virginia introduced her companion.

"My friend, Mr. John Cook, Colonel Washington."

The colonel extended his hand cordially.

"Glad to meet you, young man. A friend of Virginia's is a friend of
mine, sir."

"Thank you."

"Walk right in, children, sit down and make yourselves at home. I'll
find that damned old lazy butler of mine and get you some refreshments."

"Let's sit outside," Virginia whispered.

"No," Cook protested. "I want to see the inside of a Washington home."

The Colonel waved his arm toward the house.

"With you in a minute, children. Walk right in."

"Of course, if you wish it," the girl said softly.

They entered the fine old house, and sat down in the hall. Cook smiled
at the easy fulfillment of his task. Directly in front of the door, set
in a deep panel, was the portrait of the first President. On the right
in a smaller panel hung the sword which Frederick the Great had given
him. On the other side, the pistols from the hands of Lafayette. A tiny,
gold plate, delicately engraved, marked each treasure.

Virginia showed him these souvenirs of her country's history. She spoke
of them with breathless awe. She laughed with girlish pride.

"Aren't they just grand?"

Cook nodded.

He felt guilty of treachery. A betrayal of Southern hospitality in
this sweet