rner
found anxieties thickening about him. There were forty-eight hours of
undimmed rejoicing. Elinor was so radiant, so fond, and had grown, so
said the proud father to himself, and so said others, so wondrously
lovely. His eyes followed her every movement. He found himself negligent
of her gentle little friend and guest, Jessie Dean, to whom he had vowed
to be a second father, and such a friend as she had been to his Pappoose
when, a homesick, sad-eyed child, she entered upon her schooldays.
Elinor herself had to chide him, and with contrition and dismay he
admitted his fault, and then for hours nothing could exceed his
hospitable attentions to Jessie, who, sorely disappointed because
Marshall was not there to meet her, was growing anxious as no tidings
came from him. Two whole days the damsels spent in going over the new
house, exclaiming over papa's lavish preparations, but wishing presently
that Mrs. Fletcher were not quite so much in evidence, here, there, and
everywhere. Only when bedtime came and they could nestle in one or other
of their connecting rooms were they secure from interruption, and even
then it presently appeared they could not talk confidentially as of old.
Folsom had taken them driving each afternoon, he himself handling the
reins over his handsome bays, Elinor at his side the first time, and
Jessie, with Mrs. Fletcher, occupying the rear seat. But this, Elinor
whispered to him, was not as it should be. Her guest should have the
seat of honor. So, next day, Jessie was handed to the front and Mrs.
Fletcher and Pappoose were placed in rear, and in this order they bowled
round the fort and listened to the band and talked with several of the
women and one or two officers, but these latter could tell nothing about
Lieutenant Dean except that they had been expecting him for two days--he
having taken the long way home, which both Jessie and Pappoose
considered odd under the circumstances, though neither said so and
nobody thought to explain. But the morning of the third day "Miss
Folsom"--as the veteran was amazed to hear his daughter addressed, yet
on reflection concluded that he'd be tempted to kick any man who
addressed her otherwise--seized a favorable opportunity and whisked her
fond father into a corner of his library, and there gave him to
understand that in Eastern circles the housekeeper might sometimes,
perhaps, accompany the young ladies when they were going shopping, or
the like, alone, but th