e bare little parlor of the jail, and if
Mattison needed any further proof that the end had come, Polly's
greeting furnished it. An embarrassed flush rose to her face as she saw
him, but she shook hands in a studiously impersonal way and asked
immediately for Radnor.

Mattison met the situation with a dignity I had scarcely expected. He
called a deputy and turned us over to him; and with the remark that his
services were happily no longer needed, he bowed himself out. I saw him
two minutes later recklessly galloping down the street. Polly's eyes,
also, followed the rider, and for a second I detected a shade of
remorse.

As we climbed the stairs Terry fell back and whispered to me, "I tell
you, I laid down the law coming over; we'll see if she's game."

As the door of the cell was thrown open, Rad raised his head and
regarded us with a look of bewildered astonishment. Polly walked
straight in and laid her hand on his shoulder.

"Radnor," she said, "you told me you would never ask me again to marry
you. Did you really mean it?"

Rad still stared confusedly from her to Terry and me.

"Well!" Polly sighed. "If you did mean it, then I suppose I'll have to
ask you. Will you marry me, Radnor?"

I laid a hand on Terry's arm and backed him, much against his will, into
the corridor.

"Jove! You don't suppose he's going to refuse her?" he inquired in a
stage whisper.

"No such luck," I laughed.

We took a couple of turns up and down the corridor and cautiously
presented ourselves in the doorway. Polly was telling, between laughing
and crying, the story of Mose's discovery. Radnor came to meet us, his
left arm still around Polly, his right hand extended to Terry.

"Will you shake hands, Patten?" he asked. "I'm afraid I wasn't very
decent, but you know--"

"Oh, that's no matter," said Terry, easily. "I wasn't holding it up
against you. But I hope you realize, Gaylord, that it's owing to me
you've won Miss Mathers. She never would have got up the courage to ask
you, if--"

"Yes, I should!" flashed Polly. "I wanted him too much ever to let him
slip through my fingers again."

Terry's boast came true and Radnor dined at Four-Pools Plantation that
night. The news of his release had in some way preceded us, and as we
drove up to the house, all the negroes came crowding out on the portico
to welcome home "young Marse Rad." But the one person who--whatever the
circumstances--had always been first to welcome him back, was