"That puts a new light on it," said the Colonel, "and Tomlin will be as glad to hear it as I am. But I wonder what the rest of the State will think of us." "My dear, didn't these young men, and the Yankees who arrested them, take the train here?" inquired Mrs. Blasengame. She nodded to Mr. Sanders, and a peculiar smile began to play over that worthy's features. "By George! I believe they did, honey!" exclaimed the Colonel. "And in broad daylight?" persisted the lady. To this the Colonel made no reply, and Mr. Sanders became the complainant. "I dunner what we're comin' to," he declared, "when a passel of Yankees can yerk four of our best young men on a train in this town in broad daylight, an' all the folks a-stanin' aroun' gapin' at 'em, an' wonderin' what they're gwine to do next." "Say no more, Mr. Sanders; say no more--the mule is yours." This in the slang of the day meant that the point at issue had been surrendered. "I suppose Lucy Lumsden is utterly crushed on Gabriel's account," remarked Mrs. Blasengame. "Crushed!" exclaimed Mr. Sanders; "no, ma'am! not much, if any. She's fightin' mad." "I know well how she feels," said the pale, bright-eyed little woman. "It is a pity the men can't have the same feeling." "Why, honey, what good would it do?" the Colonel asked, somewhat querulously. "It would do no good; it would do harm--to some people." "And yet," said the Colonel, turning to Mr. Sanders with a protesting frown on his face, "when I want to show some fellow that I'm still on top of the ground, or when Tomlin takes down his gun and goes after some rascal, she makes such a racket that you'd think the world was coming to an end." "A racket! I make a racket? Why, Mr. Blasengame, I'm ashamed of you! the idea!" "Well, racket ain't the word, I reckon; but you look so sorry, honey, that to me it's the same as making a racket. It takes all the grit out of me when I know that you are sitting here, wondering what minute I'll be brought home cut into jiblets, or shot full of holes." Mrs. Blasengame laughed, as she rose from the table. She stood tiptoe to pin a flower in her husband's button-hole. "You've missed a good deal, Mr. Sanders," said the Colonel, stooping to kiss his wife. "You don't know what a comfort it is to have a little bit of a woman to boss you, and cuss you out with her eyes when you git on the wrong track." "Yes," said Mr. Sanders, "I allers feel like a widower when I see a man reely in love wi' his wife. It's a sight that ain't as common as it used to be. We'll go now, if you're ready, an' see the Major. I ain't got much time to tarry." "Oh, you want me to go too?" said the Colonel eagerly. "Well, I'm your man; you can just count on me, no matter what scheme you've got on hand."