"Not now, sir; I am in no condition to appear before ladies," he added, extending his arms so as to display his tattered garments to the fullest advantage. "You know a young man is rather particular about his appearance when he is going into the company of ladies, and especially into the presence of _some_ ladies. The fact is, I tore my uniform all to pieces after I passed through the Yankee lines." "Never mind your uniform, my boy. It looks as though it had seen service; and that is the best recommendation a young man can have to the girls in these times. You must go, Allan." "Indeed, sir, I hope you will excuse me for a few days," pleaded Somers. "Come, Allan! this is not kind of you. Sue has been dying to see you for a year. She was terribly disappointed when you did not come up with your regiment, and again when she heard you had joined without calling upon us. If it had been Owen, she could not have felt worse when you were captured. Now you want to disappoint her again." "You need not mention that you have seen me, Mr. Raynes," suggested Somers. "Not tell her that you have escaped, when she is fretting about you every day of her life! That would be too bad." "You can tell her as much as you please without informing her that you have seen me." "I could not tell a lie, Allan. It would choke me," said the old man solemnly. "You must go with me." "Let me get another uniform, and it would surprise her when I come." "No more words, young man. You must go. It is only a short distance," replied Mr. Raynes, passing his arm through that of Somers, and walking towards his house. "It will be the happiest day for Sue which she has seen for a year." "Happier for her than it will be for me," thought Somers, who was disposed to break away from the old man, and make his escape. By this time, Sue had become an awful bugbear to the poor fellow. In these days of photographs, it is more than probable that she had a picture of the original Allan Garland, and the cheat would be discovered the moment he showed his face. He was deliberating a plan for breaking away from his persistent friend, when a young lady of eighteen stepped out from the bushes by the roadside, and hailed the old man. CHAPTER XI THE VIRGINIA MAIDEN "Where have you been, father?" said the young lady in a very sweet and gentle tone, which, however, sounded like the knell of doom to poor Somers. "I have been waiting for you half an hour." But then, perceiving a stranger with her father, she drew back, abashed at her own forwardness. "Come here, Sue," said the old man. "Come here; I want to see you."