it. It wasn't for their sake you stayed there
until one o'clock instead of being here in bed. I wish--" and he looked
wistfully, earnestly, at his favorite now, "I wish I could think it
wasn't for the sake of Miss Beaubien's black eyes and aboriginal
beauty."

"Look here, captain," said Rollins, with another rush of color to his
face; "you don't seem to fancy Miss Beaubien, and--she's a friend of
mine, and one I don't like to hear slightingly spoken of. You said a
good deal last night that--well, wasn't pleasant to hear."

"I know it, Rollins. I beg your pardon. I didn't know then that you were
more than slightly acquainted with her. I'm an old bat, and go out very
little, but some things are pretty clear to my eyes, and--don't you be
falling in love with Nina Beaubien. That is no match for you."

"I'm sure you never had a word to say against her father. The old
colonel was a perfect type of the French gentleman, from all I hear."

"Yes, and her mother is as perfect a type of a Chippewa squaw, if she is
only a half-breed and claims to be only a sixteenth. Rollins, there's
Indian blood enough in Nina Beaubien's little finger to make me afraid
of her. She is strong as death in love or hate, and you must have seen
how she hung on Jerrold's every word all last winter. You must know she
is not the girl to be lightly dropped now."

"She told me only a day or two ago they were the best of friends and had
never been anything else," said Rollins, hotly.

"Has it gone that far, my boy? I had not thought it so bad, by any
means. It's no use talking with a man who has lost his heart: his reason
goes with it." And Chester turned away.

"You don't know anything about it," was all poor Rollins could think of
as a suitable thing to shout after him; and it made no more impression
than it deserved.

As has been said, Captain Chester had decided before seven o'clock that
but one course lay open to him in the matter as now developed. Had
Armitage been there he would have had an adviser, but there was no other
man whose counsel he eared to seek. Old Captain Gray was as bitter
against Jerrold as Chester himself, and with even better reason, for he
knew well the cause of his little daughter's listless manner and tearful
eyes. She had been all radiance and joy at the idea of coming to Sibley
and being near the great cities, but not one happy look had he seen in
her sweet and wistful face since the day of her arrival. Wilton, too,
was