I had stolen off te safe.--But te monish vas not
all dere; over tirty tollars vas taken out of it, and dat vas vat dis
voman sphent, and I--"

"That's enough, Mr. Swartz," interrupted the Mayor. "You have said
enough on the subject, and I will now proceed with the accused."

While Mr. Swartz was speaking Mrs. Wentworth remained as silent as if
she had not heard a word he said. Her appearance was calm, nor was
there anything remarkable about her except a strange unnatural
brightness of the eye.

"Well, my woman," continued the Mayor, "what have you to say in
extenuation of the charge."

"Nothing, Sir," she replied, "I have nothing to say in defense of
myself. The money was found on my person, and would alone prove me
guilty of the theft. Besides which, I have neither desire nor
intention to deny having taken the money."

"What induced you to steal?" asked the Mayor.

"A greater tempter than I had ever met before," she replied. "It was
necessity that prompted me to take that money."

"And you sphent tirty-tree tollers of it, py gootness," exclaimed Mr.
Swartz, in an excited tone.

"As you acknowledge the theft," said the Mayor, "I am compelled to
commit you to prison until the meeting of the Superior Court, which
will be in four days from this."

Mrs. Wentworth was then committed back to prison, and Mr. Swartz
returned to his store.

The spirit of the child had reached God and at that moment was
pointing to her mother below. The day of rest is near.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURTH.

RETURN OF ALFRED WENTWORTH--A STRANGER.

After long weeks of pain and illness Alfred Wentworth became well
enough to return to the Confederacy. He was accordingly sent down by
the first flag of truce that went to Vicksburg after his recovery, and
two days after the committal of his wife arrived at Jackson, where he
was warmly welcomed by Harry.

"I am delighted to see you, my dear friend," he exclaimed, shaking his
hands warmly, "you have no idea the suspense I have been in since my
escape, to learn whether you were re-captured. It would have
reproached me to the last hour of my life had you been killed by those
cursed Yankees."

"I came pretty near it," replied Alfred, smiling at his friend's
earnestness.

"You were not hurt, were you?" enquired his friend.

"The slight matter of a few minie balls, lodged in different parts of
my body, is all the injury I received," he answered.

"I suppose that occasioned your not com