a moment was almost startling;
I believe the same thought had come to Colonel Gaylord. The old man's
eyes dwelt upon her with a sadly wistful air; and I like to feel that it
was of Nannie he was thinking.

Radnor and I had been invited to a dance that same evening at a
neighboring country house, but when the time came, I begged off on the
plea of wishing to rest for the ride the next morning. The real reason,
I fancy, was that I too was suffering from a touch of Radnor's trouble;
and, since I had no chance of winning her, it was the part of wisdom to
keep out of hearing of Polly's laugh. In any case, I went to bed and to
sleep, while Rad went to the party, and I have never known exactly what
happened that night.

I rose early the next morning, and as I went down stairs I saw Solomon
crawling around on his hands and knees on the parlor floor, collecting
the remnants of a French clock which had stood on the mantelpiece.

"How did that clock come to be broken?" I asked a trifle sharply,
thinking I had caught him in a bad piece of carelessness.

"Cayn't say, sah," Solomon returned, rising on his knees and looking at
me mournfully. "I specs ole Marsa been chastisin' young Marsa again.
It's powe'ful destructive on de brick-yuh-brack."

I went on out of doors, wondering sadly if Radnor could have been
drinking, and accusing myself for not having gone to the party and kept
him straight. It was evident at breakfast that something serious had
happened between him and his father. The Colonel appeared unusually
grave, and Rad, after a gruff "good morning," sat staring at his plate
in a dogged silence. Throughout the meal he scarcely so much as
exchanged a glance with his father. I tried to talk as if I noticed
nothing; and in the course of the somewhat one-sided conversation,
happened to mention our proposed trip to Luray. Rad returned that he had
visited the cave a good many times and did not care about going. I was
puzzled at this, for I knew that the cave was not the chief attraction,
but I discreetly dropped the subject and shortly after we rose from the
table.

As I left the room I saw the Colonel walk over and lay his hand on
Radnor's arm.

"You will change your mind and go, my boy," he said.

But Rad shook the hand off roughly and turned away. As I went on out to
the stables to give orders about the horses, I felt in anything but the
proper spirits for a day of merry-making. However much the Colonel may
have been t