evening, and when he returned, meditating, to his
temporary fireside, he found Mira surrounded by a swarm of post callers,
smiling and chatting, gracious and gay. He was in no mood for chatter
himself, but had to sit by and strive to be interested and sociable.
Most of their visitors had heard the story of Captain Devers's close
call at the office that morning, and not a few sought to hear the facts
of the case from the lips of an eye-witness. But Davies would not speak
of the matter at all, and, finding him intractable, some one asked if
Sanders had returned, and what success had attended his search for the
missing. It was nearly time for tattoo. Dr. Burroughs was among the
callers, and had just come over from the hospital. He had had no
addition to the list of patients. "On the contrary," said he, "I have a
man who might go to duty to-night were there need, and that is Miss
Loomis's patient, Brannan."

"Oh, do tell us about that, Mr. Davies," appealed Mrs. Flight, who was
again on hand, well knowing that next to the colonel's, where she was
not entirely in the good graces of the lady of the house, garrison
society would be most apt to be found in force doing homage to the
bride. "We've heard all manner of conjectures already, and are so eager
to know the truth. _Was_ he an old friend of her's, and _did_ he send
and beg her to come to him?"

"No," said Davies, promptly, "she got to the hospital by merest
accident. Louis Cranston's throat was sore, and he was coughing a great
deal. She went for medicine, and I happened to meet her on the way."

"But they said there was such a romantic scene; he wept and clung to her
hand, and----"

Here Burroughs opportunely and somewhat aggressively burst into a guffaw
of derisive laughter. "Miss Loomis is just one of those admirable
women," said he, "that empty-headed idiots prate about. I wish other
people had half her sense." A luckless way of essaying the defence of
the absent, for it reflected on many a woman present.

"Fie! Dr. Burroughs," exclaimed Mrs. Flight. "Your blushes give you
away, even more than your words. Don't you be falling in love with Miss
Loomis. She's aiming higher than one room and a kitchen and a thousand a
year." Whereupon there was shrill laughter, and further accusation and
indignant protest from the ill-starred medico. And Davies, who ought to
have rejoiced in the loyalty of such admiration for his friend and
whilom nurse, was conscious of a pang of a