Thus Mrs. Welch, so to speak, shot at, even if she did not kill, two birds with one stone. If she did not kill this second bird it was not her fault, as the glance which she gave Ruth showed. Ruth’s face did not wholly satisfy her, for she added: “Besides that, Mr. Bolter has been down there and he tells me that he thinks very highly of Major Leech.” “Oh, Mr. Bolter! I don’t like Mr. Bolter, and neither do you,” began Miss Ruth. “My dear, that is very unreasonable; what possible cause can you have to dislike Mr. Bolter, for you do not know him at all?” “I have met him. He did not go into the army; but stayed at home and made money. Papa does not like him either.” “Don’t you see how illogical that is. We cannot dislike everyone who did not go into the army.” “No, I know that.” Ruth pondered a moment and then broke out, laughing: “Why, mamma, I have given two reasons for not liking Mr. Bolter, and you did not give any for disliking Captain Thurston.” “That is different,” replied Mrs. Welch, gravely, though she did not explain precisely how, and perhaps Ruth did not see it. “Mamma,” burst out Ruth, warmly, her face glowing, “I believe in a man’s fighting for what he believes right. If I had been a man when the war broke out I should have gone into it, and if I had lived at the South I should have fought for the South.” “Ruth!” exclaimed her mother, deeply shocked. “I would, mamma, I know I would, and you would too; for I know how much trouble you took to get an exchange for that young boy, Mr. Jacquelin or something, that Miss Bush, the nurse, was interested in.” “Ruth, I hope I shall never hear you say that again,” protested Mrs. Welch, warmly. “You do not understand.” “I think I do—I won’t say it again—but I have wanted to say it for a long time, and I feel so much better for having said it, mamma.” So the conversation ended. It was decided that Major Welch and Ruth should go ahead and select a place which they could rent until they should find one that exactly suited them, and then Mrs. Welch, as soon as she could finish packing the furniture and other things which they would want, should follow them. A week later, Ruth and her father found themselves in the old county and almost at their journey’s end, in a region which though as far as possible from Ruth’s conception of palm and orange groves, was to the girl, shut up as she had been all her life in a city, not a whit less romantic and strange.