Love's Home and Andrew Sevier

"Well," he demanded delightedly though in a guarded tone with a glance
up as if at Mrs. Matilda's and Phoebe's closed doors, "did you catch your
possum?"

"Yes--that is--no! I didn't, but somebody did I think," she answered with
delicious confusion in both tone and appearance.

"Caroline Darrah," demanded the major, "do you mean to tell me that there
is no certainty of anybody's having got a result from a foray of the
magnitude of that last night? Didn't you even see a possum?"

"No, I didn't; but I know they caught some--David said so," answered
Caroline in a reassuring voice.

"Caroline," again demanded the major relentlessly, having already had his
suspicions aroused by her confusion and blushes, "where were you when
David Kildare caught those beasts that you didn't see one?"

"I was--was lost," she answered, and it surprised him that she didn't put
one rosy finger-tip into her mouth, so very young was her further
confusion.

"Alone?" The major made his demand without mercy.

"No, sir, with Mr. Sevier--why, aren't you going to have breakfast,
Major, it is almost church time?" and Caroline rallied her domestic
dignity to her support as she escaped toward Temple's domain.

And the flush of joy that had flamed in her cheeks had lighted a glow in
the major's weather-tanned old face and his eyes fairly snapped with
light. Could it be that the boy had reached out for his atonement? Could
it be--he heard the front door close as the first church bell struck a
deep note and at that moment Jeff announced his breakfast as ready in a
voice of the deepest exhaustion.