horse and leave a message for Tom Mocket at a house which he had passed
five minutes before.




CHAPTER V

MONTICELLO


The house, a low frame one, stood back from the road, in a tangle of
old, old flowering shrubs. Rand drew rein before the broken gate, and a
young woman in a linsey gown rose from the porch step and came down the
narrow path toward him. She carried an earthenware pitcher and cup.
"It's water just from the well," she said, "fresh and cool. Won't you
have some?"

"Yes, I will," answered Rand. "Vinie, why don't you mend that gate?"

"I don't know, thir," said Vinie. "Tom's always going to."

Rand laughed. "Don't call me 'thir'! Vinie, I'm elected."

Vinie set down her pitcher beside a clump of white phlox and wiped her
hands on the skirt of her linsey dress. "Are you going away to
Richmond?" she asked.

"Not until October. When I do I'll go see the little old house you used
to live in, Vinie!"