"My Old Kentucky Home." Roberta could hardly believe her eyes.

"O, Uncle Squire, it's the rebels, it's the rebels!"

"Yes, it's 'pintly dem," he answered, a broad grin overspreading his face.

When they came up with the children they drew rein, and one of them
reached out his hand to Roberta. It was the soldier boy.

"Have you come for your gun?" asked she.

[Illustration: "Have you come for your gun?" the child asked. "Yes, and to
see you," was the reply.]

"Yes, and to see you."

The child had no coquetry in her nature, else would have noticed the
earnest look in the boy's brown eyes that accompanied his significantly
spoken words. As it was, she only smiled and said:

"Well, I kept it for you; and are you as hungry as you were that night?"

"Well, yes, I reckon so. Soldiers generally are; at least our boys are.
But why do you ask? I wanted you to forget how many beat biscuits I ate."

"Because I've got a nice lunch here that I will give you. Aunt Judy fixed
it up for me to have a tea party in the woods."

"Who were you going to have at your tea party--Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox?"