their dinner buckets had been left. Yet it was some
little while before the Colonel's midday meal.

Again Brent asked (or perhaps he only thought, for thoughts have a knack
of seeming loud to those at the threshold of Nod):

"I wonder how it would feel to stop drinking and buckle all the way
down?"

No answer.

"If she could only care for me--after I've wiped the bad spots out!"

No answer.

"But I'm such a pup--and what a devilishly sweet miracle she is!"

Still no answer, so he may have been only thinking, after all. At any
rate, the Colonel remained steeped in tranquil apathy.

The messengers to the convent, returning somewhat late, caught sight of
the men beneath the trees and went that way in order to bring them in
for luncheon. But as they approached, Jane stopped. She saw the
immaculately white pleated bosom of the Colonel's shirt bulging out to
support his chin, which rested firmly and comfortably in it. Then her
eyes went to Brent, occupying three chairs for himself and his legs,
while one arm hung inertly to the ground and his head lolled back in
childish abandon. She smiled. But this was not what had stopped her. By
the hand of each of these sleeping men, in glaring, accusing sight,
stood a julep goblet.

Miss Liz, now wondering at her hesitation, was making ready to raise the
terrifying lorgnette, and this would have spelled disaster. Those
penetrating lenses would never have missed the dazzling light reflected
from that traitorous silver. Smiling again, though with a dull heart
ache as her gaze still lingered on the sprawling Brent, she took Miss
Liz's wrist in the nick of time, saying:

"They're asleep. Let's go in first and brush off." She knew the
invariable appeal which "brushing off" had for prim Miss Liz.

Soon the dainty chimes, manipulated in the front hall to the enduring
joy of Uncle Zack, fell upon the sleeping ears in vain, and the old
servant came across the lawn to call them. He also stopped, in dumb
amazement, then hastened forward to gather the telltale evidence beneath
his jacket. This aroused the Colonel and, after him, Brent, who looked
up blinking.

"For de Lawd sake," the old darky frowned on them with all the severity
of his five-feet-one, "don' you-all know Miss Liz is done got back!--an'
heah you is sleepin' wid dese globuts a-settin' out in plain sight! I
never seed sich reckerless doin's since I'se bawned--an' Marse Brent
ain't no moh'n smelt his'n, at dat! Luncheon