arch of a

en. His hair, too, was brushed back from his broad forehead with more than usual care, each silver thread keeping its proper place in the general scheme of iron-gray; while his goatee was twisted to so fine a poi

ils was due, as he frequently said, to his belief that a man

clothes, if his collar and stockings are clean. When, besides this, he br

the empty grate; for he examined his hands critically, glanced at his shoes, and then excusing himself

e fact is the jedge is makin' rather an elaborate toilet in honor of our guest, and as Yancey occupies my bed

of the colonel's long pipes in his mouth. He had, I am happy to say, since leaving the front steps, accumulated an increased amount of clothing. The upper half of the familiar butternut suit-the coa

th a satisfied air placed a chair for him ne

only new addition to his costume-a part, no doubt, of

ing with his arm the colonel's coat collar, he lowered his voice to a confidential whisper and inquired about the mar

colonel presented him to his guests-pausing at every name to recount some slight biographical detail complimentary to each, and ending by announcing with great dignity tha

he practical side of life and an equally keen enjoyment of every other, and it was not five minutes be

filled him with delight. "So frank, so courteous, so hospitable; quite

in entertaining the table in his own inimitable way, but he had drawn out from each one of his guests, not excepting the r

justly so, as was afterward proved. Yancey related an incident of the war, where he, only a drummer boy at the time, assisted, at great risk, in carrying a wounded comrade from t

s except by the impetuous Yancey, who asked Fitz what the bonds would probably be worth, and who was pro

he glasses, a pair of coasters and their decanters,-the Madeira within reach of the judge's hand,-the colonel rose from his chair and spread out on the polished surf

survey, I believe, Je

n waistcoat, and, perching them on the extreme end of his nose, looked over their rims and remarked that the original d

he war, dividin' the estate between Miss Ann Caarter

t and then asked the colonel where lay th

said the colonel, deprecating

tion; the Tench runs here; the iron bridge, suh, should cross at this point," marking it with his t

coal, my dear Fitz; but I think it is up h

ariety of questions about the deposit, all of which the colonel answered courteously

ge's last sententious remark regarding the recent subd

on the colonel's land at all! He

although for obvious reasons he dared not tell him so, it was r

vicinity of the line of the colonel's proposed road; because the extension of certain railroads in which the syndicate

es of Fairfax County, interrupted rather curtly a glowing statement of the colonel's

oal lands

ould catch the drift affairs were taking and become alarmed

to use it to supply our

d make an investigation at once," replied the

looked at

time consider the purch

mig

would

not at all. I return

dge recovered himself first, and quickly filled his glass, leaving but one more measure in the decanter. This measure Yancey immedia

es, and was more determined than ever to brea

traws, "that the coal lands lie entirely on yo' father's

. You see," said the colonel, turning to the agent, "this grade of wild lan' is never considered of much value with

he was quite sure the coal hills were on the Barbour pro

y that until the colonel definitely ascertained whether he had any

e, and replacing it again with a look at Yancey expressive of th

z, "can't you telegraph

k to get the clerk of the co'te to look thro

iss Nan

shook his he

as he started from his seat, a

s Ch

es, Chad

air in his eagerness to reach

k as your legs can carry

m with the face of a man

ou know the big hill as you

s,

e coal on, mine o

effort at the deepest thought. The change was so sudden that the wrinkles g

, de hill whar we

gly, ignorant of the coon, but kno

was dere coon, 'ca'se he was treed on dere lan', and we

e coon?" a

coon!" And Chad'

said Fitz, with one of his sudden roars, in

n for sho. I knowed whar de line went, 'ca'se I he'p Marsa John caarry de spy-glass

ing but laughter, the second produced

he surveyo

ide of the table. Every man in the roo

le. See that square, black mark? That's Caarter Hall. This is the marsh, and that is the coal hill. Now, standin' here in the marsh,-t

r the table, and sca

iggle lookin' lik

the Tenc

forefinger capped by its stumpy nail, looking for all the world like a

to de kitchen an' git my

gold ones. He would have lent him his eyes if

the margin of the map, and backed carefully down again, pausing for such run

ize should slip from his grasp; the agent anxious but reserved; Yancey and the judge hovering between hope and despair, with eyes on the empty decante

pped, and Chad looked up

er de berry tree whar Marsa John had de spyglass sot on its legs. I held de pole on

crotch in the rock fro

eag

ndlelight, paused an instant, then took off the gold-rimm

night an' cotch a possum airy time along airy one ob dem fences; but dis y