“It never occurred to me that you had seen my brother,” said Major Fred, who was the loyal brother. “If it had, I should have understood the whole matter.”
“I understood it perfectly,” added Major Ernest, who was the rebel brother. “I confess, too, that I took advantage of the circumstance.”
“But where did you get my safe-conduct?” asked Fred.
“I picked it up the night we were at home,” replied Ernest, rather sheepishly.
“That was hardly fair.”
“All fair in war, Fred.”
“Well, then, it is one of the disadvantages of having a brother on the wrong side, Ernest.”
“That name, Ernest, reminds me that I heard it at your father’s house, in Frederick,” added Somers.
“Captain Somers,” said the loyal major, very seriously, “you may think I am not as patriotic as I ought to be. You know that my brother was at my father’s house, and that I saw him there. You may think I ought to have handed him over as a prisoner of war.”
“Thomas don’t think any such thing,” said Mrs. Somers.