rieda, Sergeant Wiegandt's sweetheart, found fault with
her. Once at the non-commissioned officers' summer fete, that young
person--who, by-the-by, was almost suspected of being a red-hot little
social-democrat--saw Albina, and had the courage to declare, "That
creature?--Otto, she's a----no! I won't soil my mouth with the dirty
word. But I know that sort of truck! In some matters you men are just
as blind and as stupid as new-born kittens."

Seeing Albina surrounded by lieutenants and non-coms., dancing first
with one and then with another, Frieda grew quite excited.

"Otto," cried she, "if you dare to dance with that baggage, all is over
between us. It's like flies buzzing about a sugar-cake."

Wiegandt had fully intended to dance the next dance with Frau Heimert;
but he dutifully abandoned the idea, and conducted Frieda into a
secluded little plantation, where other couples wandered lovingly
entwined like themselves.

They chatted about the future, which now lay plain before them.
Wiegandt had not again signed on, and by the following autumn he would
have a good position in the town-police, with thirteen hundred marks a
year, free quarters, and a hundred and twenty marks allowance for
clothes. The burgo-master of the little town, being a senior-lieutenant
of the reserve, had been present at the performance of some exercises
by the sixth battery, and had personally chosen out his man. Wegstetten
was furious at losing his best non-commissioned officer, and pressed
Wiegandt to stick to the flag; but the sergeant was not to be prevailed
upon, for he was impatient now to quit the service. With such a noble
competency in view, therefore, he might well venture on marriage.

"All right, even when the children come," he whispered to his
sweetheart; and Frieda nodded sagaciously, whispering back: "They'll
come, sure enough!"

Albina Heimert never noticed that such a humble and inconspicuous
little person gave her the go-by. As the wife of the deputy
sergeant-major, she felt herself at last on firm solid ground. She
carried her head high in the barrack-yard, and ordered her house with a
fine matronly dignity.

She met the admiring glances of her neighbours, even if only prompted
by some matter of domestic economy, with an indescribable little smile.
No word might be spoken, but it would be quite evident that she was
gratified by the admiration. It was Venus triumphing over Mars.

The person who was least affected by th