at
your father's daughter is praying for me."

"Stephen," continued Mildred, "you may chance to see some one whose duty
may lead him further south than, perhaps, you may be required to travel:
I will give you a letter to a friend of mine, who, I fear, is in
distress. If such traveller be trusty and willing to do me a service, as
perhaps he may for your sake, I must beg you to put the letter in his
charge, and tell him to seek out Major Butler, and contrive to have it
delivered to him."

"If it concerns you, Miss Mildred, I will take upon myself to hunt Major
Butler, or I will make as sure of the letter reaching him as I may have
a chance."

"Many thanks, Stephen. There is a purse containing some few pieces of
gold for you. Do not spare the use of it to perform my wish."

Stephen looked bashfully at the lady as she held the proffered purse in
her hand.

"Take it, Mr. Foster. It is money to be employed in my service, and it
may stand you in good stead when better friends are absent."

The hunter uttered an awkward laugh. "If you would allow me to take the
smallest piece of money, it would more than hire a man express."

"Take it all, Stephen, it is but a trifle. They call this the sinew of
war," said Mildred, smiling.

"It's an utter, moral, and resolute impossibility," answered Foster,
"for me to take all that money. Bless your soul, Miss Mildred, my pocket
arn't used to such company."

"Pshaw, Steve," ejaculated Henry, "you are the greenest soldier in these
hills, to be playing boy about this money. Take it, man, and none of
your nonsense; precious little gold you'll see before you get back!"

"Well, I'll not be ticklish about it," said Foster. "Empty the bag, Miss
Mildred, into my hand."

"I mean that you shall have the purse with it," added Mildred.

"No, no; that's too valuable a piece of fine silk net-work for me."

"There again, Lieutenant Foster," said Henry; "if you were not my own
superior officer, I would say you were a fool."

"Give it to me," replied Stephen, laughing, "I have heard of cheating
money out of a man's pocket, but I never saw it cheated into it before."

"You shall have the letter to-morrow, Stephen," said Mildred, "and as
you value your poor friend, who worked that purse with her own hands, do
not fail to make an effort to learn something of Major Butler, and to
have my letter delivered to him. He was made a prisoner somewhere on his
way to Georgia, and I have heard escaped; bu