It was Ashley's birthday and Melanie was giving him a surprise

reception that night. Everyone knew about the reception, except

Ashley. Even Wade and little Beau knew and were sworn to secrecy

that puffed them up with pride. Everyone in Atlanta who was nice

had been invited and was coming. General Gordon and his family had

graciously accepted, Alexander Stephens would be present if his

ever-uncertain health permitted and even Bob Toombs, the stormy

petrel of the Confederacy, was expected.

All that morning, Scarlett, with Melanie, India and Aunt Pitty flew

about the little house, directing the negroes as they hung freshly

laundered curtains, polished silver, waxed the floor and cooked,

stirred and tasted the refreshments. Scarlett had never seen

Melanie so excited or so happy.

"You see, dear, Ashley hasn't had a birthday party since--since,

you remember the barbecue at Twelve Oaks? The day we heard about

Mr. Lincoln's call for volunteers? Well, he hasn't had a birthday

party since then. And he works so hard and he's so tired when he

gets home at night that he really hasn't thought about today being

his birthday. And won't he be surprised after supper when

everybody troops in!"

"How you goin' to manage them lanterns on the lawn without Mr.

Wilkes seein' them when he comes home to supper?" demanded Archie

grumpily.

He had sat all morning watching the preparations, interested but

unwilling to admit it. He had never been behind the scenes at a

large town folks' party and it was a new experience. He made frank

remarks about women running around like the house was afire, just

because they were having company, but wild horses could not have

dragged him from the scene. The colored-paper lanterns which Mrs.

Elsing and Fanny had made and painted for the occasion held a

special interest for him, as he had never seen "sech contraptions"

before. They had been hidden in his room in the cellar and he had

examined them minutely.

"Mercy! I hadn't thought of that!" cried Melanie. "Archie, how

fortunate that you mentioned it. Dear, dear! What shall I do?

They've got to be strung on the bushes and trees and little candles

put in them and lighted just at the proper time when the guests are

arriving. Scarlett, can you send Pork down to do it while we're

eating supper?"

"Miz Wilkes, you got more sense than most women but you gits

flurried right easy," said Archie. "And as for that fool nigger,

Pork, he ain't got no bizness with them thar contraptions. He'd

set them afire in no time. They are--right pretty," he conceded.

"I'll hang them for you, whilst you and Mr. Wilkes are eatin'."

"Oh, Archie, how kind of you!" Melanie turned childlike eyes of

gratitude and dependence upon him. "I don't know what I should do

without you. Do you suppose you could go put the candles in them

now, so we'd have that much out of the way?"

"Well, I could, p'raps," said Archie ungraciously and stumped off

toward the cellar stairs.

"There's more ways of killing a cat than choking him to death with

butter," giggled Melanie when the whiskered old man had thumped

down the stairs. "I had intended all along for Archie to put up

those lanterns but you know how he is. He won't do a thing if you

ask him to. And now we've got him out from underfoot for a while.

The darkies are so scared of him they just won't do any work when

he's around, breathing down their necks."

"Melly, I wouldn't have that old desperado in my house," said

Scarlett crossly. She hated Archie as much as he hated her and

they barely spoke. Melanie's was the only house in which he would

remain if she were present. And even in Melanie's house, he stared

at her with suspicion and cold contempt. "He'll cause you trouble,

mark my words."

"Oh, he's harmless if you flatter him and act like you depend on

him," said Melanie. "And he's so devoted to Ashley and Beau that I

always feel safe having him around."

"You mean he's so devoted to you, Melly," said India, her cold face

relaxing into a faintly warm smile as her gaze rested fondly on her

sister-in-law. "I believe you're the first person that old ruffian

has loved since his wife--er--since his wife. I think he'd really

like for somebody to insult you, so he could kill them to show his

respect for you."

"Mercy! How you run on, India!" said Melanie blushing. "He thinks