would not speak at all. Then
there were Steele and Kelly from Wickenberg and Date Creek, and Strong
was to come up from Almy, bringing with him in chains the desperado,
'Patchie Sanchez, secreted by his own people when charged with the
killing of the interpreter, but tamely sold when a price was set on his
head. And the commander sent still another missive to Archer, whom the
luckier general held in especial affection, enclosing one from the good
wife to Mrs. Archer, begging that she and Lilian should be their guests
for a week, "and as long thereafter as practicable," that the
engagement might be ratified and celebrated, "for we all think Mr.
Willett the most fortunate of men."

And then, of course, there were Wickham and Bright, the general's other
aides, who were famous entertainers, and then, above all,
perhaps--pitted for the first time against all the soldier beaux of
Arizona--there was the general's latest acquisition, handsome,
graceful, charming Hal Willett, who had, with characteristic modesty,
made no mention of the fact that he was an engaged man until Mrs.
Stannard's letter to Mrs. Crook told all about it, and we, who knew and
loved Mrs. Stannard, knew just why she wrote, and never blamed her, as
did Willett.

The very night of the very day it came he was dancing gloriously with,
and had been saying things to, Evelyn Darrah that she one day earlier
had listened to with bated breath. Now his mustache swept her pretty
ear as he lowered his head in the midst of the loveliest "glide," and
murmured something more, whereat she had suddenly swung herself out of
the circle of his arm, swept him a stately courtesy and fairly
startled--_stunned_ him by the question: "Isn't that just a little
high--for a gentleman's game, Mr. Willett?"

The very words were enough to amaze him! "What on earth do you mean?"
he demanded, as soon as he recovered self-control.

"I mean," said she, straightening to her full height again, and looking
him fairly in the eyes, "that for an engaged man you have exceeded, or,
as you would say, 'raised the limit.'"

There were dozens dancing, chatting, laughing about them, and some few
watching, for his attentions, first to pretty Mrs. Dennis, and then the
devotions by means of which he had swept aside all other suitors of
Evelyn Darrah, had set all tongues to wagging. "The old Willett over
again," said Bright, who had known him at the Point. Only that day had
the mail come up from Almy and