hours after dusk when Lucy vanished. Where had she gone?
One evening she returned with her mother from a drive and found a suppressed excitement among the servants, the rest of the house uneasily quiet. Her maid, bubbling over with the news, told her almost before she had seated herself to have her hair arranged.
"The nigger gentleman had been here, and the master had horsewhipped him out of the house. Them niggers are always thieves," the girl added. "I suppose he wanted to steal?" But Virginia could not gratify her curiosity.
As soon as she could, she went to her father. He was stern and busy when she saw him; she dared not interrupt his work. She flew to her mother with a feeling as if something was going to separate them. Mrs. Allison was troubled, but not so deeply as Virginia had feared.
"He came to ask for Lucy." Mrs. Allison laughed bitterly. "To marry Lucy! Imagine it!" she answered to her daughter's questioning.
"So papa whipped him out," Virginia said excitedly, walking up and down, her hands
