and striving to be cool and calm.

"You are more startled than I, Miss Forrest. I never thought to find
you at that door."

"And why not me? I have not seen Nellie since her illness, and came
over at taps to inquire if she would not receive me a moment."

"Why--why didn't you ring?" he hoarsely asked.

"Ring! What opportunity had I? My foot had hardly touched the piazza
before the door opened in my face and revealed you looking--well,
pardon me, Major Miller--as if you had suddenly encountered a ghost."

"Do you mean you have only just come?" he asked.

"Certainly."

"And you saw no one? There was no one here as you came in the gate?"

"Not a soul,--stop a minute though,--there was something----"

"Pray, what are you talking about, Major Miller, and to whom are you
talking?" queried the voice of his better half at this very instant;
and before he could respond there came through the gate-way and up the
steps the debonair, portly doctor.

"What!" exclaimed Bayard. "Miss Forrest! Ah, you truant, we've been
wondering where you were, your sister and I. Ah, major!--Mrs. Miller.
Why, this is delightful! Now indeed am I welcome home! Come right into
my parlor, said the--but I'm no spider. Come, Miss Forrest, I know you
want to see my little girl,--I left Jeannie Bruce with her. Major, you
and I want a glass of Madeira and Mrs. Miller to bless the occasion,
and then we all want some music, don't we? Come in, and welcome."

And so, half urging, half pushing, half leading, the doctor swept his
trio of visitors into the parlor. Despite her start at Miller's
appearance at the door, despite his preoccupation and gloom, which
several glasses of the doctor's good wine failed to dissipate, Miss
Forrest remained after a brief visit to the invalid up-stairs and,
saying that she had promised Nellie, sang to them witchingly again and
again.

But that night, despatches flashed in from Fetterman that gave the
major another turn. The telegraph operator himself came running up with
the message just as the party at the doctor's (considerably augmented
by this time by new-comers drawn thither by Miss Forrest's voice) was
breaking up for the night. Indians had appeared in great numbers along
the North Platte, threatening the road connecting the two posts, and a
train had been attacked and burned midway between them. Terry and his
hard-worked Grays were ready in an hour to take the trail, but there
were no young gallants to ride for