same hand everywhere."

"Yes, and it is the same all over the house," replied her father. "The
books here will delight you; for a private library it is a very fine one,
containing many hundred volumes, as you may see at a glance; standard
works on history, and the arts and sciences, biographies, travels, works
of reference, the works of the best poets, novelists, etc."

"Ah, how we will enjoy them while here! But it seems a sad pity they
should have lain on those shelves unused for so many years."

"Not entirely, my child; I have enjoyed them in my brief visits to the
plantation, and have always allowed the overseer free access to them, on
the single condition that they should be handled with care, and each
returned promptly to its proper place when done with. But come, take this
easy chair by this table; here are some fine engravings I want you to look
at."

Elsie obeyed, but had scarcely seated herself when the door was thrown
open and a servant's voice announced, "Massa Spriggs, Massa Dinsmore and
Miss Elsie."

Spriggs, a tall, broad-shouldered, powerfully-built man, with dark hair
and beard and a small, keen black eye, came forward with a bold free air
and a "Good-even', miss, good-even', sir;" adding, as he helped himself to
a seat without waiting for an invitation, "Well, here I am, and I s'pose
you've somethin' to say or you wouldn't have appointed the meetin'."

"Yes, Mr. Spriggs," said Elsie, folding her pretty hands in her lap and
looking steadily and coldly into his brazen face, "I have this to say;