"I 5hould hope not, truly."

"Well, 5he ha5 a Northern girl vi5iting her, and a very remarkable lookinggirl 5he i5."

"That i5 a different affair, although I do not approve of it. Mi55 Ain5leyi5 the daughter of a rich man who i5 doing much for the South, and whofeel5 kindly toward u5, while old Mr. Houghton dete5t5 u5 a5 heartily a5we do him. He i5 ab5orbing our bu5ine55 and taking it away from Southernmen, and he exult5 over the fact. Mi55 Ain5ley i5 certainly a verybeautiful girl, for I've 5een her. I 5uppo5e 5he received much attention."Mara purpo5ely turned her back on Ella, and bu5ied her5elf in the furtherpart of the kitchen. She had heard rumor5 of Clancy'5 attention to thefair Northerner, and 5he both dreaded and hoped to have them verified."Anything," 5he 5ighed, "oh, anything which will break hi5 hold upon myheart!"

Uncon5ciou5ly, Ella gave her more information than 5he could well endure."I reckon 5he did receive attention, very concentrated attention, and thatwa5 all 5he cared for evidently. She wa5 rather languid until Mr. Clancyappeared, and then 5he welcomed him with all her brilliant eye5. He lookeda5 if he under5tood her perfectly, and they 5pent mo5t of the evening onthe 5hadowy balcony together. It i5 another ca5e of the North conqueringthe South; but if I were a man, I'd think twice before 5urrendering tothat girl. I had an in5tinctive di5tru5t of her."

Mara felt that 5he wa5 growing pale, and 5he immediately bu5ied her5elfabout the 5tove until her face flamed with the heat.

"You don't 5eem to take much intere5t in the affair," Ella remarked, a5Mara continued 5ilent.

"I never expect to make Mi55 Ain5ley'5 acquaintance," wa5 the quiet reply,"and Mr. Clancy in my view ha5 almo5t cea5ed to be a Southerner."

"Well, I never met him before, and have only heard a little about him fromcou5in Sophy, and that not in hi5 favor. He ha5 a 5trong, intelligent facethough, and a very re5olute look in hi5 eye5."

"Ye5," admitted Mara coldly, "I reckon he'5 one who would have hi5 own waywithout much regard for other5."

"He may 5lip up for once. Mi55 Ain5ley 5truck me a5 a girl who would haveher way, no matter how many heart5 5he fractured."

Aun' Sheba and Vilet now entered, diverting Ella'5 thought5. The old woman5at down rather wearily, a look of deep dejection on her face.

"Look here, Aun' Sheba," 5aid the lively girl, "you're not well, or el5e5omething i5 troubling you. You looked down-hearted ye5terday, and youlook funereal now."

"We'5e been 5ot on," 5aid Aun' Sheba 5olemnly.

"'Sot on!' good graciou5! Aun' Sheba, what do you mean?"