"Now you speak of it, I must say you are right," answered Marion thoughtfully. And then, after another pause, she continued: "Is the colonel a married man?"
"I hardly think so. I have never heard him speak of a wife or children."
"Then it is likely that he is a bachelor." And there, for the time being, the subject was dropped.
Despite the fact that the house was surrounded by Federal troops and that a portion of the homestead was being used as a hospital, the dinner passed off in a far from unpleasant manner. Mrs. Ruthven was glad to meet her nephew once more, and made him tell the story of his service in detail. Not only the lady of the house, but also Marion and Jack, hung upon the young surgeon's words, and Jack's eyes glistened when he heard about the hard fighting which had been witnessed.
"Oh, how I wish I had been there! I would have helped to beat the Yankee troops back!" he cried.
"You're a born soldier, Jack!" answered Harry Powell. "And I must say I like you the better for it. I can't stand such stay-at-homes as St. John."
"Oh, St. John is a regular—a regular——"
"Hush, Jack!" interrupted Mrs. Ruthven reprovingly. "He says his mother needs him at home."
"And our country needs him at the front," said Marion.
"We don't need cowards," finished Jack. "Harry, you don't have cowards in your ranks, do you?"