hinned out."

She broke off some plumes of the perfumy blossoms.

"Take those to Aunt Candace. Tell her I sent them. Don't let her think
you stole them," she was herself now, and her fear was gone.

"May I take something else to Aunt Candace, too, Marjie?"

"What else?" She looked up innocently into my face. We were at the
door-step now.

"A good-night kiss, Marjie."

"I'll see her myself about that," she replied mischievously but
confusedly, pushing me away. I knew her cheek was flushed as my own, and
I caught her hand and held it fast.

"Good-night, Phil." That sweet voice of hers I could not disobey. In a
moment I was gone, happy and young and confident. I could have fought
the whole Confederate army for the sake of this girl left in my care--my
very own guardianship.

CHAPTER VII

THE FORESHADOWING OF PERIL

O clear-eyed Faith, and Patience thou
So calm and strong!
Lend strength to weakness, teach us how
The sleepless eyes of God look through
This night of wrong!

--WHITTIER.

While these May days were slipping by, strange history was making itself
in Kansas. I marvel now, as I recall the slender bonds that stayed us
from destruction, that we ever dared to do our part in that
record-building day. And I rejoice that we did not know the whole peril
that menaced us through those uncertain hours, else we should have lost
all courage.

Father Le Claire held himself neutral to the North and the South, and
was sometimes distrusted by both factions in our town; but he went
serenely on his way, biding his time patiently. At sunrise on the
morning after O'mie had surprised Jean Pahusca with Marjie's wreath of
faded blossoms held caressingly in his brown hands, Le Claire met him in
the little chapel. What he confessed led the priest to take him at once
to the Osages farther down on the Neosho.

"I had hoped to persuade Jean to stay at the Mission," Le Claire said
afterwards. "He is the most intelligent one of his own tribe I have ever
known, and he could be invaluable to the Osages, but he would not stay
away from Springvale. And I thought it best to come back with him."

The good man did not say why he thought it best to keep Jean under his
guardianship. Few people in Springvale would have dreamed how dangerous
a foe we had in this superbly built, picturesque, handsome Indian.

In the early hours of the morning after his return, the priest was
roused from a sound sleep by O'mie. A st