d to feel
that he must make this devoted friend of his first wife fully aware of
the manifold perfections of the second. To all she listened with such
attention as she could command, but when again she asked for Jim and
whether he was greatly grown and whether he was studious,--or what,--for
well she remembered all Margaret's cherished plans for her boy, again
Dwight responded with what Inez said and Inez thought. Inez so loved
him. Inez so delighted in having him with her in her walks and rides.
Inez thought him so keen, so quick, so intelligent. Inez admired his
eyes, his face, his slender boyish beauty. Inez could not say enough in
praise of him. It was Inez this and Inez that. There would only be three
of them, said he, when they came to Minneconjou,--Inez, Jim and himself.
They would have no use, said he, for the big house occupied by the Rays.
He really preferred one of the sets of captain's quarters. Marion had
been wondering whether Inez would not prefer to occupy these--whether,
in fine, they would not have to move out and give the Dwights
possession, but Dwight said no. In fact, he would not decide what set to
take, now that he had seen them, until Inez herself arrived; whereat
Mrs. Ray breathed freer.

And then the bugles blared across the broad parade and the white stable
frocks began to dot the distant and severe facade of the frontier
barracks, and 'Cilla's pupils came forth and hastened to their duties,
and, catching sight of Colonel Stone and certain of his officers wending
their way to the club, Dwight took his leave and started for the steps.
He would see Mrs. Ray again within a day, he said. He was eager to see
Sandy, who, somehow, had not seemed himself when they met at Naples. And
then Priscilla's even tones were heard below, and the low-pitched,
murmurous voice of the deferential secretary, and Marion would have
detained the major, she hardly knew why, but he was nervously saying
adieu and hurriedly descending the steps just as Miss Sanford and her
assistant issued from beneath. At sight of the strange officer
Priscilla's glasses went up for deliberate survey, the secretary's hand
in quick salute. At sound of his name, as Mrs. Ray spoke a word in
parting, Miss Sanford's face beamed with instant interest, the
secretary's paled with as instant emotion. Standing in the slant of the
afternoon sunshine, where Mrs. Ray could not but distinctly see him,
Private Blenke had turned yellow-white as unbleached