n Jack betook himself to
his study for his two hours of reading or writing in the afternoon, his
witching wife would find such frequent need of entering. At first she
had been accustomed to trip in on tiptoe after a timid little knock and
the query, "Do I disturb you, Jack dear?"--a query which he answered
with quite superfluous assurance to the contrary. Later, even after
their wise conclusion that they must be rational, she had been
accustomed to put the question, not at all as a purely perfunctory
marital civility, but, as she shyly admitted to herself, because it was
so sweet to hear Jack's negation and see the love-light in the eyes that
soon brought her, fascinated and fluttering, to be folded in his arms a
moment. Later still, so confident had she become in her dominion, both
knock and query were abandoned, and, unless only five minutes or so had
elapsed since the previous visit, she had a pretty little way of
greeting him that, though very gradually acquired despite surging
impulse, was at last quite a settled fact, and he loved it,--well, he
would have been an unappreciative, undeserving brute had he not. She
would steal behind him, lean over the back of the chair (Jack refused to
exchange it for the high-backed one suggested by Mrs. Pelham on the
occasion of a brief visit paid them in March), and, twining her arms
around his neck, would draw back his head till it rested on her bosom,
then sink her soft, sweet lips upon his forehead. It was this he waited
for to-night, and not in vain.

Another minute and he had drawn her around and seated her on his knee,
folding her closely in his arms. But soon she gently released herself,
slipped to the little ottoman that stood always ready by his chair, and,
clasping her hands upon his knee, looked bravely up in his face. No need
to speak one word,--no need to break it to her; he saw she well divined
that news, and hard news, had come from the frontier,--news which meant
more to her than to any woman at West Point.

"Shall I read it, Gracie?" he presently asked, gently stroking the
shining, shimmering wealth of her hair,--her glory and his. She bowed
lower her head and clasped tightly her hands.

"One word first, Jack. Does the --th go?"

"Yes, darling."

She shivered as though a sudden chill had seized her, but spoke no word.
Truscott bent and strove to draw her again to his breast, but she
roused herself with gallant effort,--threw back her head and again
looked b