mistakable glance of
reproach, perhaps even of pain, from those glorious eyes as the young
officer passed unfaltering on, but it was instant; it was unseen by the
aging and adoring soldier at her side.

And in this wise was the dreaded meeting accomplished with no one
possibly the wiser, with no one warned by word or sign of the
complications and catastrophes to come.

It took Major Dwight but four or five days to set his own house in order
and move his birdling into the pretty cage he had planned for her.
Willing hands by dozens, both officers and troopers, had wrought with
him in the transformation. Beautiful rugs, carpets, and curtains, rare
in army parlors, had been lavishly provided--this, too, despite
well-founded rumors that Dwight had no such bank account to-day as that
he owned to at Manila. Saying no word upon the subject, Marion Ray had
noted, nevertheless, how much more expensive and luxurious were the
surroundings of Inez than had been those of wise and provident Margaret
Dwight. They gave their first dinner, did the Dwights, one week from the
date of Colonel Stone's first, and to this was Marion bidden. She had
not expected it, had not provided herself with a previous engagement,
_had_ to accept or decline at once, and accepted.

"Mother," said Sandy, coming in at the moment, "have you seen--has
anything been seen of a blouse of mine sent home Tuesday evening? I
can't find it, yet the troop tailor swears he left it here himself."

"Who received it?" asked Mrs. Ray. "We were all home dressing for the
reception."

"Why, that's the queer part of it," was the answer. "He says he found
the back door open, knocked twice and nobody answered, so he walked in
the kitchen, laid the bundle on the table and came out and shut the door
after him."

Mrs. Ray thought a moment. "I gave Sarah permission to be out, and
Minnie was up here helping us. That may have accounted for his knock
being unanswered. You went down before I did, 'Cilla," she continued,
turning to her niece, who was busy at the desk. "Was Sarah back then? I
thought I heard you speak to someone."

"To two of the Bible class," said 'Cilla. "They came to say we couldn't
have the use of that little room back of the chapel. I don't understand
it at all. We offered to clean it out and store the boxes in the cellar,
but----" And 'Cilla shrugged her shoulders. She had begun to believe
that the chaplain was jealous of her influence over certain intractables