were　strangers　there。　　Some　of　the　people　living　along　the　road
  might　notice　him　going　or　coming；　or　see　Dan　on　his　way　to
  market；　and　might　come　and　ascertain　that　the　house　was
  inhabited；　and　communicate　the　fact　to　their　old　neighbor。
  〃I　will　see　her　myself；　Miss　Kingston；　and　tell　her　that　I　have　sent　a
  patient　of　mine　to　take　up　his　quarters　here。　I　will　say　he　is　ready
  to　pay　some　small　sum　weekly　as　long　as　he　occupies　the　house。　　I
  have　no　doubt　she　would　be　willing　enough　to　let　you　have　it
  without　that；　for　although　I　shall　say　nothing　actually　I　shall　let　her
  guess　from　my　manner　that　it　is　a　wounded　Confederate；　and　that
  will　be　enough　for　her。　　Still；　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　idea　of
  getting　a　few　dollars　for　the　rent　of　an　empty　house　will　add　to　her
  patriotism。　　People　of　her　class　are　generally　pretty　close…fisted；
  and　she　will　look　upon　this　as　a　little　pocket…money。　　Good…by！　　I
  shall　not　call　to…morrow；　but　will　be　round　next　day　again。〃
  On　his　next　visit　the　doctor　told　Lucy　that　he　had　arranged　the
  matter　with　her　landlady；　and　that　she　was　to　pay　a　dollar　a　week
  as　rent。　　〃I　should　not　tell　your　patient　about　this；〃　he　said。　　〃It　will
  look　to　him　as　if　I　considered　his　stay　was　likely　to　be　a　long　one；
  and　it　might　fidget　him。〃
  〃How　long　will　it　be；　doctor；　do　you　think？〃
  〃That　I　cannot　say。　　If　all　goes　well；　he　ought　in　a　month　to　be
  fairly　cured；　but　before　starting　upon　a　journey　which　will　tax　his
  strength；　I　should　say　at　least　six　weeks。〃
  Ten　days　later　Vincent　was　up；　and　able　to　get　about。　A　pile　of
  grass　had　been　heaped　up　by　the　door；　so　that　he　could　sit　down　in
  the　sun　and　enjoy　the　air。　　Lucy　was　in　high　spirits；　and　flitted　in
  and　out　of　the　house；　sometimes　helping　Chloe；　at　others　talking　to
  Vincent。
  〃What　are　you　laughing　at？〃　she　asked　as　she　came　out　suddenly
  on　one　of　these　occasions。
  〃I　was　just　thinking；〃　he　said；　〃that　no　stranger　who　dropped　in
  upon　us　would　dream　that　we　were　not　at　home　here。　　There　is　Dan
  tidying　up　the　garden；　Chloe　is　quite　at　her　ease　in　the　kitchen；　and
  you　and　I　might　pass　very　well　for　brother　and　sister。〃
  〃I　don't　see　any　likeness　between　us…not　a　bit。〃
  〃No；　there　is　no　personal　likeness；　but　I　meant　in　age　and　that　sort
  of　thing。　　I　think；　altogether；　we　have　a　very　homelike　look。〃
  〃The　illusion　would　be　very　quickly　dispelled　if　your　stranger　put
  his　head　inside　the　door。　　Did　any　one　ever　see　such　a　bare　place？〃
  〃Anyhow；　it's　very　comfortable；〃　Vincent　said；　〃though　I　grant　that
  it　would　be　improved　by　a　little　furniture。〃
  〃By　a　great　deal　of　furniture；　you　mean。　　Why；　there　isn　t　a　chair　in
  the　house；　nor　a　carpet；　nor　a　curtain；　nor　a　cupboard；　nor　a　bed；　in
  fact　all　there　is　is　the　rough　dresser　in　the　kitchen　and　that　plank
  table；　and　your　bedstead。　　I　really　think　that's　all。　　Chloe　has　the
  kettle　and　two　cooking…pots；　and　there　is　the　dish　and　six　plates　we
  bought。〃
  〃You　bought；　you　mean；〃　Vincent　interrupted。
  〃We　bought；　sir；　this　is　a　joint　expedition。　　Then；　there　is　the　basin
  and　a　pail。　　I　think　that　is　the　total　of　our　belongings。〃
  〃Well；　you　see；　it　shows　how　little　one　can　be　quite　comfortable
  upon；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃I　wonder　how　long　it　will　be　before　the
  doctor　gives　me　leave　to　move。　　It　is　all　very　well　for　me　who　am
  accustomed　to　campaigning；　but　it　is　awfully　rough　for　you。〃
  〃Don't　you　put　your　impatience　down　to　my　account；　at　any　rate
  until　you　begin　to　hear　me　grumble。　　It　is　just　your　own
  restlessness；　when　you　are　pretending　you　are　comfertable。〃
  〃I　can　assure　you　that　I　am　not　restless；　and　that　I　am　in　no　hurry　at
  all　to　be　off　on　my　own　account。　　I　am　perfectly　contented　with
  everything。　　I　never　thought　I　was　lazy　before；　but　I　feel　as　if　I
  could　do　with　a　great　deal　of　this　sort　of　thing。　　You　will　see　that
  you　will　become　impatient　for　a　move　before　I　do。〃
  〃We　shall　see；　sir。　　Anyhow；　I　am　glad　you　have　said　that；　because
  now　whatever　you　may　feel　you　will　keep　your　impatience　to
  yourself。〃
  Another　four　weeks　passed　by　smoothly　and　pleasantly。　Dan　went
  into　the　village　once　a　week　to　do　the　shopping；　and　the　doctor　had
  reduced　his　visits　to　the　same　number。　He　would　have　come
  oftener；　for　his　visits　to　the　lonely　cottage　amused　him；　but　he
  feared　that　his　frequent　passage　in　his　buggy　might　attract　notice。
  So　far　no　one　else　had　broken　the　solitude　of　their　lives。　　If　the
  doctor's　calls　had　been　noticed；　the　neighbors　had　not　taken　the
  trouble　to　see　who　had　settled　down　in　Jenkins'　old　place。　　His
  visits　were　very　welcome；　for　he　brought　newspapers　and　books；
  the　former　being　also　purchased　by　Dan　whenever　he　went　into　the
  village；　and　thus　they　learned　the　course　of　events　outside。
  Since　Antietam　nothing　had　been　done　in　Northern　Virginia；　but
  Burnside；　who　had　succeeded　McClellan；　was　preparing　another
  great　army；　which　was　to　march　to　Richmond　and　crush　out　the
  rebellion。　　Lee　was　standing　on　the　defensive。　　Along　the　whole
  line　of　the　frontier；　from　New　Orleans　to　Tennessee；　desultory
  fighting　was　going　on；　and　in　these　conflicts　the　Confederates　had
  generally　the　worse　of　things；　having　there　no　generals　such　as
  Lee；　Jackson；　and　Longatreet；　who　had　made　the　army　of　Virginia
  almost　invincible。
  At　the　last　of　these　visits　the　doctor　told　Vincent　that　he
  considered　he　was　nearly　sufficiently　restored　in　health　to　be　able
  to　start　on　their　journey。
  〃It　is　a　much　better　job　than　I　had　expected　it　would　turn　out。　　I
  was　almost　afraid　that　your　shoulder　would　never　be　quite　square
  again。　　However；　as　you　can　see　for　yourself　it　has　come　out　quite
  right；　and　although　I　should　not　advise　you　to　put　any　great　strain
  on　your　left　arm；　I　believe　that　in　a　very　short　time　it　will　be　as
  strong　as　the　other。〃
  〃And　now；　doctor；　what　am　I　in　debt　to　you？　Your　kindness　cannot
  be　repaid；　but　your　medical　bill　I　will　discharge　as　soon　as　I　get
  home。　　We　have　not　more　than　twenty　dollars　left　between　us；
  which　is　little　enough　for　the　journey　there　is　before　us。　　You　can
  rely　that　the　instant　I　get　to　Richmond　I　will　send　you　the　money。
  There　is　no　great　difficulty　in　smuggling　letters　across　the
  frontier。〃
  〃I　am　very　pleased　to　have　been　able　to　be　of　service　to　you；〃　the
  doctor　said。　　〃I　should　not　think　of　accepting　payment　for　aid
  rendered　to　an　officer　of　our　army；　but　it　will　give　me　real　pleasure
  to　receive　a　letter　saying　you　have　reached　home　in　safety。　　It　is　a
  duty　to　do　all　we　can　for　the　brave　men　fighting　for　our　cause。　　As
  I　have　told　you；　I　am　not　a　very　hot　partisan；　for　I　see　faults　on
  both　sides。　　Still；　I　believe　in　the　principle　of　our　forefathers；　that
  each　State　has　its　own　government　and　is　master　of　its　own　army；
  joining　with　the　others　for　such　purposes　as　it　may　think　fit。　　If　I
  had　been　a　fighting　man　I　should　certainly　have　joined　the　army　of
  my　State；　but　as　it　is；　I　hope　I　can　do　more　good　by　staying　and
  giving　such　aid　and　comfort　as　I　can　to　my　countrymen。　　You　will；
  I　am　sure；　excuse　my　saying　that　I　think　you　must　let　me　aid　you　a
  little　further。　　I　understand　you　to　say　that　Miss　Kingston　will　go　to
  friends　in　Georgia；　and　I　suppose　you　will　see　her　safely　there。
  Then　you　have　a　considerable　journey　to　make　to　Richmond；　and
  the　sum　that　you　possess　is　utterly　inadequate　for　all　this。　　It　will
  give　me　real　pleasure　if　you　will　accept　the　loan　of　one　hundred
  dollars；　which　you　can　repay　when　you　write　to　me　from
  Richmond。　　You　will　need　money　for　the　sake　of　your　companions
  rather　than　your　own。　　When　you　have　once　crossed　the　line　you
  will　then　be　able　to　appear　in　your　proper　character。〃
  〃Thank　you　greatly；　doctor。　　I　will　accept　your　offer　as　frankly　as　it
  is　made。　　I　had　intended　telegraphing　for　money　as　soon　as　I　was
  among　our　own　people；　but　there　would　be　delay　in　receiving　it；
  and　it　will　be　much　more　pleasant　to　push　on　at　once。〃
  〃By　the　way；　you　cannot　cross　at　Florence；　for　I　hear　that　Hood　has
  fallen　back　across　the　river；　the　forces　advancing　against　him　from
  this　side　being　too　strong　to　be　resisted。　　But　I　think　that　this　is　no
  disadvantage　to　you；　for　it　would　have　been　far　more　difficult　to
  pass　the　Federals　and　get　to　Florence　than　to　make　for　some　point
  on　the　river　as　far　as　possible　from　the　contending　armies。〃
  〃We　talked　that　over　the　last　time　you　were　here；　doctor；　and　you
  know　we　agreed　it　was　better　to　run　the　risk　of　falling　into　the
  hands　of　the　Yankee　troops　than　into　those　of　one　of　those　partisan
  bands　whose　exploits　are　always　performed　at　a　distance　from　the
  army。　　However；　if　Hood　has　retreated　across　the　Tennessee　there
  is　an　end　of　that　plan；　and　we　must　take　some　other　route。　　Which
  do　you　advise？〃
  〃The　Yankees　will　be　strong　all　round　the　great　bend　of　the　river　to
  the　west　of　Florence　and　along　the　line　to　the　east；　which　would；　of
  course