act from Margaret, and yet
meet her lover at hours when she thought it possible to do so without
discovery. As the friendship strengthened between himself and Latrobe
they began using him as Cupid's postman, and many little notes and some
big ones found their way to and from the Fourth Division of cadet
barracks. Mrs. Frank was only moderately kind to her civilian adorer
then, granting him only one dance at each hop, and going much with other
men, but that dance was worth seeing. Prime's was the only black
"claw-hammer" in the room, and therefore conspicuous, and cadets--who
know a good thing when they see it--and many a pretty girl partner, would
draw aside to watch the perfection of their step and the exquisite ease
with which they seemed to float through space, circling and reversing and
winding among the other dancers, he ever alert, watchful, quick as a cat
and lithe and strong as a panther--she all yielding lissome airy grace.
That dance was "Gov" Prime's reward, and almost only reward for hours of
impatient waiting. Other women, charming and pretty and better women,
would gladly have been his partners. Some two or three whom he met at the
hotel even intimated as much. But not until Lady Garrison told him he
must--to protect her from scandal--did he ask another to dance. At last
came the end of the summer's encampment, the return of the corps to
barracks and studies, one blissful week in which he was enabled to spend
several uninterrupted hours each day at her side, and then a cataclysm. A
letter intended only for Nita's hands fell into those of her sister. It
was bulky. It was from Latrobe. She hesitated only a moment, then, with
determination in her eyes, opened and read--all. Two days after Nita was
whisked away to New York, and within another week, leaving two most
disconsolate swains on the Hudson, the sisters, one of them bathed in
tears, went spinning away to the West, where Frank Garrison was on duty
at department headquarters. Prime was permitted to write once a fortnight
(he sent a volume), and Latrobe forbidden, but already the poor boy owned
a thick packet of precious missives, all breathing fond love and
promising utter constancy though she had to wait for him for years. For a
month Nita would hardly speak to her sister, but in October there were
lovely drives, picnics and gayeties of all kinds. There were attractive
young officers and assiduous old ones, and among these latter was Frost,
with his hands