ut what was the story? I haven't heard it."

"After Blake broke his neck when hunting, the Colonel brought Dick up,
and, as a matter of course, sent him into the army. He became a
sapper, entering the Indian service. There he met his cousin, Bertram,
who was in the line, somewhere on the frontier. They were both sent
with an expedition into the hills, and there was a night attack. It
was important that an advanced post should be defended, and Dick had
laid out the trenches. In the middle of the fight an officer lost his
nerve, the position was stormed, and the expedition terribly cut up.
Owing to the darkness and confusion there was a doubt about who had led
the retreat, but Dick was blamed and made no defense. In spite of
this, he was acquitted at the inquiry, perhaps because he was a
favorite and Colonel Challoner was well known upon the frontier; but
the opinion of the mess was against him. He left the service, and the
Challoners never speak of him."

"I once met Lieutenant Blake," Millicent broke in, with a flush in her
face. "Though he spoke only a word or two to me, he did a very
chivalrous thing; one that needed courage and coolness. I find it hard
to believe that such a man could ever be a coward."

"So do I," Mrs. Keith agreed. "Still, I haven't seen him since he was
a boy."

"I saw him in London just before he went to India," Mrs. Ashborne said.
"It's strange I have never heard the story before; although I have had
whispers of the scandal from several quarters. It seems to be a sort
of skeleton in the closet' for the Challoners."

"The disgrace was a great blow to the Colonel. He has never got over
it."

"I saw some one in the hotel last night that reminded me strongly of
young Blake. But I suppose it couldn't have been."

"No one knows where he is," Mrs. Keith replied. "I believe he went to
East Africa, and from there he may have drifted to America. The
Colonel never hears from him."

She picked up one of her letters which had not yet been opened.

"This," she said, "is from Frances Foster--you know her. I'm sure it
will contain news of the Challoner wedding."

She tore open the envelope and Mrs. Ashborne turned again to her
English newspaper. Millicent sat looking out over the gorge, while her
thoughts went back to a dimly lighted drawing-room in a small London
apartment, where she was feeling very lonely and half dismayed, one
evening soon after she had joined her father. A fe