te in the morning to
anyone she or her husband may know, a good bit along that road."

When they reached the house it was dark, but, directly Vincent showed
the note, the farmer and his wife heartily bade them come in.

"Your boy can put up the horse at the stable, and you are heartily
welcome. But the house is pretty full, and we can't make you as
comfortable as we should wish at night; but still we will do our best."

Vincent and Lucy were soon seated by the fire. Their hostess bustled
about preparing supper for them, and the children, of whom the house
seemed full, stared shyly at the newcomers. As soon as the meal was over
Chloe's wants were attended to, and a lunch of bread and bacon taken out
by the farmer to Dan in the stables. The children were then packed off
to bed, and the farmer and his wife joined Vincent and Lucy by the fire.

"As to sleeping," the woman said, "John and I have been talking it over,
and the best way we can see is that you should sleep with me, ma'am, and
we will make up a bed on the floor here for my husband and yours."

"Thank you, that will do very nicely; though I don't like interfering
with your arrangements."

"Not at all, ma'am--not at all; it makes a nice change having someone
come in, especially of late, when there is no more pleasure in going
about in this country, and people don't go out after dark more than they
can help. Ah, it's a bad time! My sister says you are going west, but I
see you have got your cart full of garden truck. How you have raised it
so soon, I don't know; for Liza wrote to me two months since as she
hadn't been able to sell her place, and it was just a wilderness. Are
you going to get rid of it at Camden to-morrow?"

Vincent had already been assured as to the politics of his present host
and hostess, and he therefore did not hesitate to say:

"The fact is, madam, we are anxious to get along without being
questioned by any Yankee troops we may fall in with; and we have bought
the things you see in the cart from your sister, as, going along with a
cart full, anyone we met would take us for farmers living close by, on
their road to the next market town."

"Oh, oh! that's it!" the farmer said significantly. "Want to get through
the lines, eh?"

Vincent nodded.

"Didn't I think so!" the farmer said, rubbing his hands. "I thought
directly my eyes hit upon you that you did not look the cut of a
granger. Been fighting--eh? and they are after you?"

"I d