“I’ve got to go on to the office, and then over--to the jail. I was passing--I had to stop to say ‘howdy,’ as Plato would express it. Mother’s been ill in bed since yesterday. She wanted me to thank you both for the flowers and for your messages.” “Flowers and messages are mighty poor substitutes for deeds,” rejoined the colonel bluntly. “You know I’ll go bail for Leigh, if you wish it.” “Mr. Payson did that at once, thank you. We had Leigh out to see mother, but we couldn’t keep reporters away from him, and we thought it best for him to go back to jail for the present. You see, he wants to go to Fanchon, to express his championship and all that. It’s a hard situation, colonel, any way we can fix it. Leigh’s been in a state of collapse, too--lost his nerve at first.” “He’s nothing but a kid,” said the colonel with indignation. “I--by gum, Dan, I don’t like to say what I think!” Virginia clapped her soft hand over his mouth. “Not another word, grandpa!” Daniel smiled. “Never mind, Virginia, the newspapers are blatant. My father read the paper this morning and broke the cream-pitcher--the Wedgewood one, too.” The colonel caught Virginia’s restraining hand and held it. “Dan, how’s William?” Daniel, who was looking at Virginia, became very grave. “I don’t know how to answer that, colonel. He’s heartbroken over Leigh, I think. He and his wife”--Daniel hesitated, his eyes on Virginia--“have separated,” he concluded in a low voice. The colonel, who knew it, only wagged his head soberly, but Virginia started. A deep blush rose from her throat to her white forehead. Her eyes fell before Daniel’s, and he saw her hands tremble. “She loves him still!” he thought bitterly. He turned, looking paler than ever. “I must go on. I only stopped to thank you both for your sympathy. We”--he hesitated again--“we appreciate it.” The colonel laid his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, and his eyes misted. “I’ll walk to the street with you, Dan,” he said, swallowing a lump in his throat. “I reckon there isn’t much we can do--any of us--but to stand by you-all.” Daniel looked back at Virginia, raising his hat again, and the two men walked away across the long lawn to the group of cedars that grew by the side gate. Virginia, left alone, turned and entered the house. She was very pale now, and her lips trembled. She went into the drawing-room and stood looking at the little old picture of William as a boy. She had looked at it a thousand times before, and she remembered that once she had kissed it. They had always been fond of each other and then--or was it a dream?--he had asked her to marry him. They had planned their happiness gaily, with youthful laughter at sorrow and doubt. She had loved him, and he had married--this woman!