“Don’t make any disturbance; don’t faint.  Your brother is alive and well!  There, there—­I told you.”

Olympia was hugging the astonished woman, who glanced in terror over her shoulder to see that feminine curiosity was not dangerously alert.  “You will ruin me,” she whispered, “if you don’t be calm.”  Then Olympia suddenly recovered herself, sobbing behind her handkerchief.  “He has been at my house two weeks.  He left yesterday and is now with Major Atterbury’s family on the James River, near Williamsburg.  Miss Atterbury came herself to take him there yesterday morning.  I saw your name in The Examiner only an hour ago, and I came at once to relieve the distress I knew you must be suffering.”

Then the kind soul told the story, charging the sister never to reveal the facts.  She withdrew very happy and contented, for Olympia had said many tender things; she almost felt that she had done the Confederacy a great service, to have laid so many people under an obligation that might in the future result in something remarkable for the cause.

Olympia’s purpose of breaking the news gradually to the invalid was frustrated by her tell-tale eyes and buoyant movements.

“O Olympia, you have seen John!” she screamed, starting up—­“where is he?  Oh, where is he?  I know you have seen him!” And then there were subdued laughter and tears, and mamma instantly declared her intention of flying to the hero.  But there was considerable diplomacy still requisite.  Mrs. Raines must not be compromised, and young Bevan must get transportation for them to the Atterburys.  It was past noon when the carriage came for them.  Olympia had come down-stairs to give Mrs. Bevan final instruction regarding letters and luggage, when a resounding knock came upon the door.  Mrs. Bevan opened it herself, and Olympia, standing in the hall, heard a well-known voice, quick, eager, joyous: 

“Is Mrs. Sprague, here?”

“O Richard,” Olympia cried, rushing at him—­“ah, you darling boy!—­Aunt Merry—­Aunt Merry!  Come—­come quick!  He is here.”  But Aunt Merry at the head of the stairs had heard the voice, and Dick, tearing himself ungallantly from the embrace of beauty, was up the stairs in four leaps and in the arms of the fainting spinster.

“It is Miss Perley’s nephew,” Olympia said, joyously, to the amazed lady of the house, who stood speechless.  “We had given up all hope of seeing him, as his name was not on our army list.  He ran away to be with my brother, and we felt like murderers, as you may imagine, and are almost as much relieved to find him as our own flesh and blood.”

The subsequent conversation between the matron and the young girl seemed to put the mistress of the house in excellent humor, and when the carriage drove off she kissed all the ladies quite as rapturously as if she had never vowed undying hatred and vengeance upon the Yankee people.  In the carriage the prodigal Dick rattled off the story of his adventures.  He had come to Company K after Jack had been sent out on the skirmish-line.  He had followed in wild despair the direction pointed out to him.  He had lost his way until he met Colonel Sherman’s orderlies.  They had told him where the company was halted on the banks of the stream.