At the sight a panic terror seized the child.  She flew into the room where her parents lay sleeping, but with habitual thoughtfulness for others, refrained from screaming out in her fright, lest she should rouse the little ones.

She went to her father’s side, put her lips to his ear, and said in low tremulous tones, “Papa, papa, please wake up, I’m so frightened; there’s a fire and the Ku Klux are there.  O papa, I’m afraid they’ll come here and kill you!” and she ended with a burst of almost hysterical weeping, rousing both father and mother.

“What is it, darling?” asked Mr. Travilla, starting up to a sitting posture, and throwing an arm about the child, “what has alarmed my pet?” while the mother, exclaiming “Vi! is she gone again?” sprang out upon the floor, and hastily threw on a dressing-gown.

“No, no, no, mamma; Vi’s safe in bed, but look at that red light on the wall yonder! it’s fire, and the Ku Klux!”

In another moment all three were at the window overlooking the scene.

“The school-house!” exclaimed Mr. Travilla.  “I am not surprised; for the Klan is greatly opposed to the education of the negro, and has burned down buildings used for that purpose in other places.  Do you see them, wife? those frightful looking horned animals.”

“Yes,” she said with a shudder, followed by a deep sigh, “and O Edward what may they not be doing to our poor people? can we do anything to save them?”

He shook his head sadly.

“No:  they are out in considerable force, and I could do nothing, single-handed, against twenty or thirty armed men.”

“O papa, mamma, I am so frightened!” cried little Elsie, clinging to them both.  “Will they come here and hurt us?”

“I think not, daughter,” her father said soothingly; “their raids have hitherto been almost entirely confined to the blacks, and poor whites, with now and then one of those from the North whom they style carpet-baggers.”

“Be calm, dearest, and put your trust in the Lord,” the mother said, folding the trembling, sobbing child to her breast. “’The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the day long.’  ’Not an hair of your head shall fall to the ground without your Father.’”

“Yes, sweet words,” said Mr. Travilla; “and remember what the Lord Jesus said to Pilate, ’Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.’”

A short pause, in which all three gazed intently at the scene of conflagration, then, “Do you see how the walls are tottering?” said Mr. Travilla, and even as he spoke they tumbled together into one burning mass, the flames shot up higher than before, burning with a fierce heat and roar, while by their lurid light the Ku Klux could be seen taking up their line of march again.

The two Elsies watched in almost breathless suspense till they saw them turn in a direction to take them farther from Ion.