e boy from sounding an alarm."

"You may be right. We must find the boy if we can."

Slowly the day wore away, and no tidings came to the plantation. Toward
evening St. John put in an appearance.

"The soldiers have cleared out," he said. "There isn't a regiment of any
sort within a dozen miles."

"I am glad of it," answered Mrs. Ruthven, and then continued quickly,
"Have you seen anything of Jack?"

"Do you mean to-day?"

"Yes."

"No, I haven't seen him since he made such a mess of it up at our house,
putting out the fire," growled the spendthrift.

"It's a wonder you didn't put out the fire yourself," put in Marion
sharply. She did not like talk against her brother.

"I--I was sick, sicker than anybody supposed," stammered St. John. "Had
I been at all well, things would have gone on very differently, I can
assure you."

"Then you haven't seen or heard of Jack," said Mrs. Ruthven. "He has
been missing since last night."

"No, I haven't seen him--and I don't want to see him. He insulted me and
made trouble between me and my mother."

"On account of the fire?"

"Yes. He thinks he is a regular lord of creation, he does," went on St.
John hotly. "He wants dressing down, Aunt Alice."

"I cannot believe Jack has done anything very wrong."

"He is a nobody, and puts on altogether too many airs."

Mrs. Ruthven would not listen to this talk, and changed the subject by
asking him what had brought him over from his home.

"I was asked to come over and see if you had any of the Yankee wounded
here."

"Who sent you?"

"Colonel Bromley of our army."

"No, we have only Confederates here."

"How many?"

"Five. Four of them are doing very well, you can tell the colonel, but
the fifth was hurt when our house was struck by a cannon ball, and he is
now in a high fever."

"All right, I'll tell him."

"Have you joined the army at last?" questioned Marion curiously.

"Not exactly, but I told the colonel I would help him in any manner that
I could," answered St. John, and hurried away for fear of being
questioned further.

The truth of the matter was that the fire had brought on a bitter
quarrel between St. John and his mother, and the parent had insisted
that the son overcome his cowardice and do something for his country.
St. John had demurred in vain, and had at last gone to the Confederate
headquarters and offered his services; but as a civilian, not as a
soldier.

When the young man was gone Mrs. Rut