shall know what I am talking about." Then she changed the subject.






CHAPTER IX.

A GIRL'S LIGHT HAND.





ON the evening of the 3d of July Marian drove down in her phaeton
to the station for her father, and was not a little surprised to
see him advancing towards her with Mr. Lane. The young man shook
hands with her cordially, yet quietly, and there was something in
his expression that assured her of the groundlessness of all the
fears she had entertained.

"I have asked Mr. Lane to dine with us," said her father. "He will
walk over from the hotel in the course of half an hour."

While the gentlemen had greeted her smilingly, there had been an
expression on their faces which suggested that their minds were
not engrossed by anticipation of a holiday outing. Marian knew well
what it meant. The papers had brought to every home in the land the
tidings of the awful seven days' fighting before Richmond. So far