Miss Lou looked at her aunt, who hesitated a moment, then said, "I am very tired, Lieutenant. I will trust you as a chivalrous enemy to take my niece, and I will sit here until you return." "I deeply appreciate your kindness, madam." Miss Lou went with him gladly and found herself at the close of the long, miserable day becoming positively happy. When out of hearing she said, "Aunt's permission almost took away my breath. Yet it seems to me just the way a girl ought to be treated. Oh, how perfectly delicious is a little bit of freedom! How perfectly grand to have something going on that does not mean no end of trouble to one's self!" Scoville laughed lightly as he replied, "I now wish you were a soldier and an officer in my regiment. You and I would make good comrades." "You forget, sir," she answered in like vein, "that I am a bloodthirsty little rebel." "On the contrary, I remember that yours was the kind, pitying face which made me half fancy I was in heaven when recovering from my swoon." "Chunk and Aun' Jinkey brought you back to earth right sudden, didn't they?" and her laugh rang out merrily. "Sister," cried Mr. Baron, running out on the veranda, "what on earth--I thought I heard Louise laugh way off toward the quarters." "You did." "What! has she broken all bounds, defied all authority, and gone utterly wild in her rebellion?" Mrs. Whately made a gesture of half irritable protest. Meantime, Mrs. Baron, hearing her husband's voice, came out and exclaimed, "Is that Louise and the Yankee yonder going off alone?" "They are not 'going off.' You and brother may join them if you wish. They simply intend to watch the people at the quarters a little while, and I will wait here for them." "Sarah Whately!" gasped Mrs. Baron, "can you mean to say that you have permitted our ward to do such an indelicate thing? She has never been permitted to go out alone in the evening with any young man, and the idea that she should begin with a Yankee!"