“What is a ’corn-shucking’?” questioned Sylvia; for she had always lived in a city and did not know much about farm or plantation affairs.

“Shall I tell her, Flora?” questioned Ralph, laughingly.

“No!  No, indeed!  Wait, Sylvia, then it will be a surprise after all,” responded Flora.

Sylvia smiled happily.  She was sure that this visit was going to be even more delightful than when she had been Flora’s guest in the early spring.  There seemed to be so many things to do on a plantation, she thought.

The young people were all hungry, and enjoyed the roasted duck, with the sweet-potatoes and the grape jelly.  Beside these there were hot biscuit and delicious custards.  Sylvia had finished her custard when two maids brought a large tray into the room, and in a moment the little girls exclaimed in admiring delight; for the tray contained two doves, made of blanc-mange, resting in a nest of fine, gold-colored shreds of candied orange-peel, and an iced cake in the shape of a fort, with the palmetto flag on a tiny staff.

At the sight of their State flag both the boys arose from their seats and saluted.

“That’s the flag to fly over Charleston’s forts!” declared Ralph as he sat down.

After luncheon was over Mrs. Hayes advised the girls to lie down for a little rest before starting for their ride.  But they all declared they were not tired, and there were so many things to see and enjoy at the plantation that Sylvia and Grace were delighted when Flora suggested that first of all they should go out through the garden to the negro quarters, stopping at the stables on their way for a look at the ponies.

Sylvia was ready before the other girls and stood on the piazza waiting.  She was leaning against one of the vine-covered pillars that supported the piazza, and Ralph and Philip, who were sitting just around the corner, did not know she was there and could not see her.  Sylvia could hear their voices, but did not at first notice what they were saying until the word “Yankee” caught her ear.

“The first thing you know those northern Yankees will take our forts,” she heard Philip say, and heard Ralph laugh scornfully as he responed:  “They can’t do it, or free our slaves, either.  Say, did you know Father was going to sell Dinkie; she’s making such a fuss that I reckon she’ll get a lashing; says she don’t want to leave her children.”

There was a little silence, and then the younger boy spoke.

“I wish they wouldn’t sell Dinkie.  I hate to have her go.  It isn’t fair.  Of course she feels bad to leave those little darkies of hers.  Jove!” and the boy’s voice had an angry tone, “Dinkie shan’t be whipped!  I won’t have it.  She used to be my mammy.”

Suddenly Sylvia realized that she was listening, and ran down the steps toward the little lake which lay glimmering in the sun beneath the shade of the overhanging pepper trees.  She ran on past the lake down a little path which led toward the pine woods.  She no longer felt happy, and full of anticipations of the surprise in store at the corn-shucking.  All she could think of was “Dinkie,” a woman who was to be sold away from her children, and who was to be whipped because she rebelled against the cruelty of her master.