n of his
soul. In this night of his greatest promise, he asked only to live with
dreams.

The soil surrounding Jeb's progress thus far in life had been prepared
by his two adoring aunts with very much the same care they bestowed on
their tulips. After he was put into their hands at the age of four,
neither their time, nor thought, nor means were spared in forcing his
development. But while Miss Sallie and Miss Veemie could intensify the
development of a tulip, it might not be said that they knew anything
about boys. To a critical eye--had it watched Jeb now walking this way
and that as a restive animal--the fruit of their labor would without
doubt have been pronounced satisfactory; yet only in a visual sense
could he have been called animal. So far as concerned temperament he was
merely a fretful peri locked up in a cage of flowers--for how in the
name of all creation had it been possible for Miss Sallie and Miss
Veemie, sole proprietresses of this male machine, to make him properly
masculine!

Within the dining-room there were no dreams. As he had passed out, the
little ladies remained silent for several minutes. Slowly Miss Sallie
raised her eyes and looked at her sister, then sharply exclaimed:

"Don't be a fool, now, Veemie!"

"I can't help it," the other choked. "It's an outrage for the Colonel to
have selected Jeb to do all those horrid things! He's nothing but a
boy!"

Miss Sallie was seldom out of patience with her more tender sister, yet
at this moment her love and her patriotism--by which is meant her heart
and soul--were violently in conflict. Fearing lest the former might
prevail, she replied with greater asperity:

"Well, be a fool if you must, but for pity sake don't let Jeb see you!
He's no boy any more; since this morning he's grown into a big, mature
man!--just the kind we need to end this horrible war! As for Marian,
she'll be glad enough to wait for him!"

Miss Sallie appeared not to see her sister rise hurriedly and leave the
room; but she waited, listening, until a door upstairs slammed, then
called softly to their maid:

"Be sure that Mr. Jeb's room is right!"

With this nightly admonition she went on tiptoe to her own room and
locked herself in. Until well nigh daylight a far-seeing God gazed
tenderly into the upturned faces of two women whose souls writhed in an
agony of pleading.

CHAPTER IV

When Jeb opened his eyes next morning, rather heavy after a scanty
sleep, he did