Arthur and Horace are going up to the observatory again, while the rest of us will pace the veranda by turns." Morning found the Ion mansion wearing much the appearance of a recently besieged fortress.

How many of the Klan had lost their lives it was impossible to tell, but probably only a small number, as the aim of the party of defense had been, by mutual agreement, to disable and not to slay; but it was thought the assailants had suffered a sufficiently severe punishment to deter them from a renewal of the attack.

Also Mr.
Lilburn's pursuit keeping up the delusion that troops were at hand, had greatly frightened and demoralized them.

So the barricades were presently taken down, and gradually the dwelling and its surroundings resumed their usual aspect of neatness, order, and elegance.
All the friends remained to breakfast, but their presence did not exclude the children from the table.
While the guests were being helped, there was a momentary silence broken by a faint squeal that seemed to come from under Eddie's plate.
"Mousie at de table!" cried Harold; then "Oh me dot a bird!" as the notes of a canary came from underneath his plate.
"Pick up your plates and let us see the mouse and the bird," said their papa, smiling.
They obeyed.
"Ah, I knew there was nothing there," said Eddie, laughing and looking at Cousin Ronald, while Harold gazing at the table-cloth in disappointed surprise, cried, "Ah it's gone! it must have flewed away." Calhoun Conly, knowing nothing, but suspecting a great deal, and full of anxiety, repaired to Ion directly after breakfast.

Blood-stains on the ground without and within the gate, and here and there along the avenue as he rode up to the house, confirmed his surmise that his friends had been attacked by the Ku Klux the previous night.