arned jurist but I am prouder of the fact
that he was a distinguished colonel of cavalry."

"Gracious me!" exclaimed Margaret, "I must see about dinner."

"I'll help you mother," said Lou.

"No you won't," Margaret replied. "You jest stay right whar you air."

"You won't object to my helping," said Mrs. Mayfield, arising.

"Oh, no, that is you may come an' look on."

Jim snatched his hat off the floor and followed, leaving Tom and Lou
alone in the room. The girl stood leaning on the table looking at the
young fellow, and though often of late had they strolled alone in the
woods, yet he seemed to feel that this was the first time he stood
facing so confidential a privilege.

"And you lived away off in Maine," said Lou.

"Yes, until father received the appointment to come down here."

"Is yo' mother livin'?"

"No, I can just remember her."

She mused for a few moments as if struggling with a thought. "I read of
them findin' a new star," she said, "and I wondered if it wan't the
speret of some good man or woman that hed passed away from down here an'
gone up there."

"If that were true," he replied, coming forward and putting his hands on
the table, gazing into her eyes--"if that were true and I should find a
new star brighter than all the rest, I would call it--Lou."

She straightened up. "You must be careful how you talk to me because I
might not know how to act. When folks would hide things they must talk
like in a book, and I can't do that. But do you think if I was to read
books I could be smart?"

"I have begun to think that books don't make so much difference after
all. It's the soul that makes people great."

"There's hardly any way for a woman to be great," she said. "All I can
hope for is not to be foolish."

"You couldn't be foolish. You might make a man foolish, but you--"

"Oh, how could I make anybody foolish?" she cried, and leaving the table
she stood leaning upon the back of a rocking chair.

"How long have you known Mr. Peters?" he inquired and he appeared to be
embarrassed.

"All my life."

"Is he game?"

"Game enough, I reckon. Why do you ask?"

"I met him in the road and without cause he insulted me. And I could
have killed him!"

"He insulted you?" and she came closer to him. "Insulted you? Then why
didn't you kill him?"

"Because--because--I can't tell you now and you musn't ask."

Away from him she turned her head. "All right, I won't ask."

Margaret came to the doo