reckon. I didn't see no man singin' psalms, and I didn't hear no man talk 'bout the Lord. Ef they trusts the Lord, outside the writin' on their money, them Yankees does et on the quiet. Some of 'em, mostly women, slips into their churches on Sunday and sits awhile on cushioned seats, and then comes out and shets the house up fer a week. I didn't see no Northern man carry a Bible in, ner no man take a Bible out of meetin', and while I heard a power of cussin' on the streets, I never heard no Bible talk. I tells you, pap, thet Book of yourn don't mean business North, and the Lord don't seem to lay et up ag'in the people who cusses and swears, no more'n He helps sech folks as you, who prays and sings psalms and sits with the Book on yer lap."

"Joshua, this is sacrilege. 'He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust,' says the Word.”

"I tells you, pap, the Lord seems to be mighty kind to His one-day people and devilish tough on his seven-day man."

"Tell me of the rock-hunter, sir. I demand it." Warwick's eye flashed; the final word of his son was more than he could bear.

"Pap, can't you see thet I don't want to talk?" said the boy, glancing at his sister.

"But you must talk, Joshua."

"The Lord knows, pap, thet I didn't come home till the last day of the two months. I've wandered everywhar and back ag'in, puttin' the day off. The Lord knows, too, thet I've tried to keep my tongue off the rock-hunter sence I got home. Let's go into the next room, pap."

CHAPTER XXV.

"SISTER, THESE THINGS WHAT'S COMIN' ARE FER MEN TO HEAR."

MARY, who had been kneeling by the side of the rude cradle with eyes fixed on her brother, had intently listened to every word that passed between her father and brother. She now slipped before the door that led to the next room, and stood in the open way, looking steadily at the men, who but for Joshua's last remark seemed to have forgotten her presence. Joshua's manner, as his eyes met those of his sister, changed instantly.

"Sister, these things what's comin' are fer men to hear."

"But you speak now of him, Joshua. I am his wife."

The lad trembled. Tears came to his eyes and he became again the bowed-shouldered boy who left the Knob two months before. Hastily brush

ing his eyes with his coat-sleeve, he turned to his father.

"Pap, you remembers once you said thet no more disgrace could come to the name of Warwick? You forces me to say it, pap; I've gone and awfully disgraced the name you give me.”

The father arose. He placed a hand on each shoulder of his son, exactly as, two months before, in that same room he had done with the rebel soldier who told his pathetic story.

"Speak again, Joshua, my son, my last son."

"Sit down, pap. You forces me to tell it, you and sister, but the Lord knows I've tried to keep et back. Sit down, sister." He placed a chair for the girl.

"Pap," said Joshua, pointing to the bear gun, "ef you'd go North with thet gun on yer shoulder and thet Bible under yer arm, them Yankees would guy the beard off yer face. They'd put you in a cage and show you to their children as the wild man jest out of the Gunpowder Hills. But thet ain't what I'm after sayin' now. When I left the Knob, I struck through Stringtown fer the North. I thought thet I'd jest got to go back of the river to find the rock-hunter and shoot a

hole through him and then come home-thet is, ef I didn't git shot myself. But Lord, pap, I rode on the cars a day and a night and another day before I come to his town. And when I got off the cars, I felt es green es a gourd, fer things war not like they are here. I walked 'bout the streets a bit, and then hunted fer a tavern to git my dinner."

Joshua turned to his sister. "Sis, won't so much talk wake the baby up? Hadn't you better go into the next room?"

The girl shook her head and gazed silently at her discomfited brother.

"It's es fair fer one es fer another, I guess," he said. “I made sister talk a heap in this room, and now I'm being paid back."

Joshua turned abruptly upon his father. "Did you preach the mercy text, pap?"

"I did not preach 'the way of the transgres

sor" ""

"I didn't ask you what you didn't preach," interrupted Joshua, turning to his sister.

"Sis, you begged me to give the rock-hunter a chance. I couldn't git them words out of my ears. You stood on the Knob by the side of the old house es I left home, and when I got North I