o the molars.

As they came along the walk from the main gate and passed one by one the
snug little brown cottages known as the officers' quarters, the ladies
grouped on the colonel's piazza began their very natural comment,--there
were no other men in sight on that side of the garrison.

"Last year you never saw Major Stannard without Mr. Billings; now you
never see him with him, and he is just as chummy with Mr. Ray," remarked
our old friend Mrs. Turner, who was languidly swinging in the hammock,
her eyes commanding a view of the sidewalk, and the sidewalk commanding
a view of her very presentable feet encased in a new pair of French
heeled slippers, and stockings whose delicate mauve tint matched the
ribbons of her airy dress.

"Well, Mr. Billings is adjutant and cooped up in the office all day,"
was the reply of Mrs. Raymond, who could readily find reason for taking
exception to the remarks or theories of her next-door neighbor and
social rival.

There were five ladies in the group, all under thirty, two of them under
twenty, only one unmarried, none of them avowedly interested in either
of the two officers slowly approaching. No one of them, however,
neglected a sweeping glance at her draperies or some slight readjustment
of pose or petticoat. Possibly the formality would have been equally
observed had they all been over fifty.

"I never could understand why Mr. Billings was made adjutant," remarked
the one spinster, her eyes dreamily resting on the lithe form of Mr.
Ray. "I don't mean, of course, that he doesn't do very well, but--there
were so many others who would have--at least who deserved it so much
more."

"Well, you must remember this," responded Mrs. Turner, "there wasn't
anybody else when it was given to him, and there was no real reason why
the colonel should remove him when he took command. Mr. Stryker was
going as aide-de-camp; Mr. Gleason--well, anybody knows he wouldn't do;
Mr. Crane and Mr. Wilkins were neither of them fit for it; Mr. Ray
wouldn't have it, and Mr. Blake and Mr. Freeman hadn't joined. It was
really Billings or nobody, except, of course, the second lieutenants.
Dear me! how I wish one of them could have been appointed!" And Mrs.
Turner sighed pathetically. The younger officers were her especial
henchmen, and each in turn paid his devotion a year or more at the
shrine. If any one of them had been put in power, how much easier
'twould have been to get the band every evening! and