her own dear dead
mother's long-talked-of sister, now the wife of the great railway
magnate, and Aunt Almira urged her niece to come and visit her, and
Almira went, as pretty a village maid as ever set foot in a Pullman car;
but Aunt Almira looked aghast at the rural cut of her garments, even
though she gasped with envy over her complexion. She drove her lovely
niece forthwith to a great mart where all manner of feminine wear was in
readiness for immediate donning, and Almira was in a heaven of bliss and
her aunt in corresponding spell of complacency over the improvement
instantly effected. This, however, was only a temporary arrangement. To
her own milliner, mantua-makers and modistes, and what not, the happy,
blushing girl was next transported, and Urbana looked upon her with envy
and delight when at the close of that changeful moon she was restored to
friends and fireside. Aunt Almira had given her niece a party, to which
came famous officers of the army, stationed in the city, to say nice
things to her about her hero lieutenant and honeyed words about herself.
There was a reception at which three cavaliers appeared in blue and
gold, with medals on their broad chests, great braids and loops of
glittering cord pendent from their armored shoulders. (Percy at that
time, in the rags of his first uniform and a shocking bad hat and the
wreck of a pair of soldier boots, cold and wet, faint and starving, was
staggering through the Bad Lands, dragging his skeleton horse behind
him.) A great military band was playing thrilling waltz music, and a
young lieutenant-colonel swung her twice around the whirling parlor and
helped her to champagne and praised her waltzing, which he declared
perfect,--and indeed she had enjoyed excellent teaching, but, alas! at
the hands of Powlett, not Percy, who would not dance at all. Yes, the
aide-de-camp helped her to champagne and more flattery. There was a
military wedding in a great cathedral church one evening where some of
Percy's classmates in glittering uniforms served as ushers and crowded
about her to talk of "Dad," as they called him, and to dance with her
and marvel among themselves later at her beauty, her unsophistication,
and at her being his choice. She went back to Urbana at the end of the
month, believing army life to be one long round of balls, parties,
music, dancing, champagne,--army men heroic gallants in gorgeous attire
who danced divinely and said the sweetest things ever whis