cotton and was
biting his lips to control their twitching. Then, without a word, the
moment Dwight went his way, Blenke faced about and bolted another.

Miss Sanford followed the major with curious eyes, then turned to resume
certain instructions to her satellite, and behold, he was scurrying away
across the parade in pursuit of the earlier departures. "Why, I--hadn't
half finished," said she, as she turned to her aunt. "What took him off
in such a hurry?"

There was none to answer, however, for Mrs. Ray had turned back to her
letters; and on the following day Dwight hastened to Chicago. Within the
week came Colonel Stone, with a face eloquent of perplexity.

"Mrs. Ray," said he, "this is simply unaccountable, but Major Dwight
writes me that, after all, he shall have to claim the privilege of his
rank and--this set of quarters. It seems that Mrs. Dwight is now
expecting her mother and others to pay her an extended visit as soon as
she is settled, and captain's quarters would not be large enough."

Which was how it happened that, two days later, the goods and chattels
of the Rays were being stowed in another and much smaller tenement some
distance down the line. There was a very good set--a really roomier
set--that Priscilla much preferred only two doors away from that which
they were vacating, but Aunt Marion would have none of it. She had made
neither comment nor remonstrance when Stone came in with his unwelcome
news. She would say nothing about it now. That she should retain the
quarters of a field officer was something to be accorded as a courtesy;
it could not be demanded as a right, save at certain large posts with
small garrisons. But men and women who knew Marion Ray, and they who
knew her honored her, felt confident of one thing, that she was intent
on getting as far away from the coming household as lay in her power to
do. Sandy was but a second lieutenant still and entitled by law to only
one room and a kitchen. They were in luck, perhaps, in finding so good
and new and commodious a set of quarters as these to which they were
assigned.

Sandy had not opened his head on the subject of Major and Mrs. Dwight,
even when, at their instance, he, his mother and their household had
been dispossessed. Sandy had found an easy horse and, with the consent
of the surgeon, had begun to spend some hours in saddle again when not
at the "shop." Then Priscilla, believing lonely brooding to be a bad
thing for any man, fou