nger from North
End, who started from the depot as soon as the earliest train arrived
with the morning's mail and reached Rockhold by seven o'clock.

She had not sat there many minutes before Mr. Rockharrt entered the
study.

"I am going away with my brother," Cora said, without any preface
whatever, "to Fort Farthermost, on the southwestern Indian frontier."

"I think you must be crazy."

"Dear grandpa, this is no impulsive purpose of mine. I have thought of
it ever since--ever since--the death of my dear husband," said Cora, in
a broken voice.

"Oh! the death of your dear husband!" he exclaimed, rudely interrupting
her. "Much you cared for the death of your dear husband! If you had, you
would never have driven him forth to his death!--for that is what you
did! You cannot deceive me now. As long as the fate of Rule Rothsay was
a mystery, I was myself at somewhat of a loss to account for his
disappearance--though I suspected you even then--but when the news came
that he had been killed by the Comanches near the boundaries of Mexico,
and I had time to reflect on it all, I knew that he had been driven away
by you--you! And all for the sake of a titled English dandy! You need
not deny it, Cora Rothsay!"

"It would be quite useless to deny anything that you choose to assert,
sir," replied the young lady, coldly but respectfully. "Yet I must say
this, that I loved and honored my husband more than I ever did or ever
can love and honor any other human being. His departure broke my spirit,
and his death has nearly broken my heart--certainly it has blasted my
future. My life is worth nothing, nothing to me, except as I make it
useful to those who need my help."

"Rubbish!" exclaimed old Aaron Rockharrt, turning over the leaves of his
paper and looking for the financial column.

"Grandfather, please hear me patiently for a few minutes, for after
to-day I do not know that we may ever meet again," pleaded Cora.

The old man laid his open paper on his knees, set his spectacles up on
his head, and looked at her.

"What the devil do you mean?" he slowly inquired.

"Sir, I am to leave Rockhold with my brother this afternoon, to go with
him, first to Governor's Island, and within a few days start with him
for the distant frontier fort which may be his post of duty for many
years to come. We may not be able to return within your lifetime,
grandfather," said Cora, gravely and tenderly.

"And what in Satan's name, unless you