THE school was closed rather earlier than usual next day, and Calista walked home. She hesitated for a moment when she came to the place where the two roads divided, and then took the lower road, which ran near the bank of the river, and a good deal of the way through oak-scrub and deserted clearings. Calista had been used to walking to and from the village alone for half a dozen years, but it cannot be denied that she felt a little nervous as she went on for one stretch of the road after another, meeting nobody and seeing no human habitation. What if she should meet with wild hogs or cattle? Or, worse still, with some of the more than half-wild "pine rats," who were to be found here and there in the wilderness which thus stretched a great part of the way from Cohansey River to the Atlantic Ocean. "Pshaw, what a goose I am!" she said to herself impatiently, as she found herself starting at a sudden rustle in the bushes. "I haven't anything worth stealing, and I don't believe any one would want to hurt me." Nevertheless she felt a thrill of uncomfortable fear as a man pushed his way through the bushes, carrying a gun and followed by a large dog, and she was not a little relieved when the new-comer proved to be a negro, who touched his hat civilly as he said good-afternoon. "This is the road to the Mills, is it not?" asked Calista, returning the old man's greeting. "Yes, Miss, this is one road." Then, as he walked along by her side, he said, with a little hesitation, "Beg pardon, Missy, but isn't this the old General Stanfield's grandchild?" "Yes; I am General Stanfield's grandchild, the daughter of Mr. Richard Stanfield. Did you know my father?" "Reckon I did," said the man, taking off his hat and bowing again. "Many's the time I've rode your pa on my back, and took him out fishing on the creek. I was with your grandpa through great part of the old war, and all the time afterward till he died. He was a fine old gentleman, and I wouldn't never have left him, but I couldn't run with Miss Priscy after he was gone; so I bought a piece of land and set up farming for myself." "And how do you get on?" asked Calista, much interested. "Oh, first-rate," answered Cassius, cheerfully. "We's had our ups and downs, of course. I've been laid up with the rheumatiz some, and the old woman has her poor spells, but we rub on. I sell a good deal of truck in the village; and we keep lots of chickens, and ducks, and geese. Then I fish and shoot some in the season—I've got a real nice boat—and altogether we make out to lay up a little against the hour of need. For the rest, why we has food and raiment, and we's learned to be therewith content, as the good Book says." "Have you any children?" asked Calista. "Only two boys, Missy. They's both doing well; one's living out in Princeton, and one in Philadelphia; both in nice gentlemen's families. We had two nice girls, but the Lord took them both. His will be done." And the old man lifted his hat again.