amiliar
memories.

"Colonel," she said, stretching out a slim, white hand, "I'm Ruth
Verney, Major Edward's niece. I've just driven one of your servants"
(rare tact was but one of the Verney charms) "over from Fernlands and I
thought you wouldn't mind if I ran in for an instant to enjoy your
fire."

"Why, child," the Colonel cried, forgetting all else in his delight,
"you must be Walter Verney's daughter." Ruth smilingly nodded. "I
knew it," he went on; "you have his eyes. Sit down here. I knew your
father well; when we were boys he and I were inseparable." He paused
and added simply:

"That was before the War."

The dark lashes veiled for an instant, a certain excitement in the gray
eyes. "I'm down for Christmas with Uncle Edward," Ruth explained; and
before the Colonel had fully realized it they were chatting happily
together like old friends. Suddenly the girl exclaimed: "Colonel
Fairfax, I know you'll be glad to hear that Dad and the Major are
friends again."

"Indeed I am!" agreed the Colonel heartily. "In the old days we would
have laughed at the man who could possibly have suggested a quarrel for
the Verney twins."

"Nothing but a cruel war could have done it," said the girl quietly.
"What does it matter now," she demanded impetuously, "if Daddy did
fight for the North and the Major for the South? It's all so long ago
that a quarrel about it is foolish."

The Colonel cleared his throat. "Yes, it is foolish," he admitted.

"You see," Ruth leaned eagerly forward, "I met a man who knew the
Major, and he praised him so highly that I lay awake all one night
thinking what a pity it was that two such splendid men as Daddy and his
brother should still be enemies over an old bygone war. You know,
Colonel, they would have been friends ages ago, only each was too proud
to make the first advance. Wasn't it foolish?"

The Colonel nodded, carefully shading his eyes from the fire.

"They were just wasting precious years of companionship," went on the
girl. "That thought came to me as I lay awake in bed, and the very
next morning I wrote to the Major. You see, Colonel Fairfax, I feel
this way," she explained. "There's no North and no South. Daddy and
the Major are citizens of the United States."

The Colonel rose and busied himself about the fire. When he put back
the tongs and reseated himself his cheeks were hot from its blazing
warmth.

"And that's what I told Uncle Edward in the letter, and