One evening, the boys had just teased their Cousin Belle into reading them their nightly portion of "The Talisman," as they sat before a bright lightwood fire, when two horsemen galloped up to the gate, their horses splashed with mud from fetlocks to ears. In a second, Lucy Ann dashed headlong into the room, with her teeth gleaming: "Here Marse Hugh, out here!" There was a scamper to the door--the boys first, shouting at the tops of their voices, Cousin Belle next, and Lucy Ann close at her heels. "Who's with him, Lucy Ann?" asked Miss Belle, as they reached the passage-way, and heard several voices outside. "The Cunel's with 'im." The young lady turned and fled up the steps as fast as she could. "You see I brought my welcome with me," said the General, addressing the boy's mother, and laying his hand on his young aide's shoulder, as they stood, a little later, "thawing out" by the roaring log-fire in the sitting-room. "You always bring that; but you are doubly welcome for bringing this young soldier back to me," said she, putting her arm affectionately around her son. Just then the boys came rushing in from taking the horses to the stable. They made a dive toward the fire to warm their little chapped hands. "I told you Hugh warn't as tall as the General," said Frank, across the hearth to Willy. "Who said he was?" "You!" "I didn't." "You did." They were a contradictory pair of youngsters, and their voices, pitched in a youthful treble, were apt in discussion to strike a somewhat higher key; but it did not follow that they were in an ill-humor merely because they contradicted each other. "What _did_ you say, if you didn't say that?" insisted Frank. "I said he _looked_ as if he _thought_ himself as tall as the General," declared Willy, defiantly, oblivious in his excitement of the eldest brother's presence. There was a general laugh at Hugh's confusion; but Hugh had carried an order across a field under a hot fire, and had brought a regiment up in the nick of time, riding by its colonel's side in a charge which had changed the issue of the fight, and had a sabre wound in the arm to show for it. He could therefore afford to pass over such an accusation with a little tweak of Willy's ear. "Where's Cousin Belle?" asked Frank. "I s'peck she's putting on her fine clothes for the General to see. Didn't she run when she heard he was here!" "Willy!" said his mother, reprovingly. "Well, she did, Ma." His mother shook her head at him; but the General put his hand on the boy, and drew him closer. "You say she ran?" he asked, with a pleasant light in his eyes. "Yes, sirree; she did _that_." Just then the door opened, and their Cousin Belle entered the room. She looked perfectly beautiful. The greetings were very cordial--to Hugh especially. She threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him.