ussell's house under guard--Puss had a
small--"

"Confederate flag," put in Virginia, smiling in spite of herself.

"And she waved it between the shutters," Eugenie continued. "And some
one told, the provost marshal. He has had the house surrounded, and the
family have to stay there."

"But if the food gives out?"

"Then," said Miss Renault, in a voice of awe, "then each one of the
family is to have just a common army ration. They are to be treated as
prisoners."

"Oh, those Yankees are detestable!" exclaimed Virginia. "But they shall
pay for it. As soon as our army is organized and equipped, they shall
pay for it ten times over." She tried on the bonnet, conspicuous with
its red and white ribbons, before the glass. Then she ran to the closet
and drew forth the white gown with its red trimmings. "Wait for me,
Genie," she said, "and we'll go down to Puss's house together. It may
cheer her to see us."

"But not in that dress," said Eugenie, aghast. "They will arrest you."
"Oh, how I wish they would!" cried Virginia. And her eyes flashed so
that Eugenie was frightened. "How I wish they would!"

Miss Renault regarded her friend with something of adoration from
beneath her black lashes. It was about five in the afternoon when they
started out together under Virginia's white parasol, Eugenie's slimmer
courage upheld by her friend's bearing. We must remember that
Virginia was young, and that her feelings were akin to those our
great-grandmothers experienced when the British held New York. It was
as if she had been born to wear the red and white of the South. Elderly
gentlemen of Northern persuasion paused in their homeward walk to smile
in admiration,--some sadly, as Mr. Brinsmade. Young gentlemen found an
excuse to retrace their steps a block or two. But Virginia walked on
air, and saw nothing. She was between fierce anger and exaltation. She
did not deign to drop her eyes as low as the citizen sergeant and guard
in front of Puss Russell's house (these men were only human, after all);
she did not so much as glance at the curious people standing on the
corner, who could not resist a murmur of delight. The citizen sergeant
only smiled, and made no move to arrest the young lady in red and white.
Nor did Puss fling open the blinds and wave at her.

"I suppose its because Mr. Russell won't let her," said Virginia,
disconsolately, "Genie, let's go to headquarters, and show this Yankee
General Fremont that we are not afrai