FINALE



was married, and whose home was in Rich-
mond.
  Guy knows nothing of him, except that he is
still doing what he deems his duty in fighting for
the Confederacy, but from exchanged prisoners,
who had come up from Richmond, he has heard
of a beautiful lady, an officer's wife, and as
rumor said, a Northern woman, who visited them
in prison, speaking kind words of sympathy, and
once binding tip a drummer boy's aching head
with a handkerchief, which he still retained, and
on whose corner could be faintly traced the name
of " Agnes Remington."
  Jessie's eyes are full of tears as she says:
  "Poor mamma, how glad I am I did not go to
Virginia with her. It's months since I heard
from her direct. Of course it was she who was
so good to the drummer boy. She cannot be
much of a rebel," and Jessie glances triumphantly
at Mrs. Noah, who, never having quite overcome
her dislike of Agnes, had sorely tried Jessie by
declaring that her mother "had found her level
at last, and was just where she wanted to be."
  Good Mrs. Noah, the ancient man whose name
she bore would as soon have thought of leaving
the Ark as she of turning a traitor to her country.
and when she heard of the riotous mob raised
against the draft, she talked seriously of going in
person to New York " to give 'em a piece of her
mind," and for one whole day refused to speak



3'5