d
and thanked her with a voice that was full of gentleness and gratitude;
but he said that he had learned to live in solitude. Sam was accustomed
to all his ways, and he had every comfort he needed. His wants were few
and simple. She would not be content, and urged him further. He loved
reading: surely he would miss his books and would need some one to read
aloud to him, and there were so many ladies in the garrison who would be
glad to meet at her house and read to him by turns. He loved music, she
heard, and there was her piano, and she knew several who would be
delighted to come and play for him by the hour. He shook his head, and
the bandages hid the tears that came to his smarting eyes. He had made
arrangements to be read aloud to, he said; and as for music, that must
wait awhile. The kind woman retired dismayed,--she could not understand
such obduracy,--and her husband felt rebuffed. Stannard of the cavalry,
too, came in with his gentle wife. She was loved throughout the regiment
for her kindliness and grace of mind, as well as for her devotion to the
sick and suffering in the old days of the Indian wars, and Stannard had
made a similar proffer and been similarly refused, and he had gone away
indignant. He thought Mr. Hayne too bumptious to live; but he bore no
malice, and his wrath was soon over. Many of the cavalry officers called
in person and tendered their services, and were very civilly received,
but all offers were positively declined. Just what the infantry officers
should do was a momentous question. That they could no longer hold aloof
was a matter that was quickly settled, and three of their number went
through the chill gloaming of the wintry eve and sent in their cards by
Sam, who ushered them into the cheerless front room, while one of their
number followed to the door-way which led to the room in rear, in which,
still confined to his bed by the doctor's advice, the injured officer
was lying. It was Mr. Ross who went to the door and cleared his throat
and stood in the presence of the man to whom, more than five years
before, he had refused his hand. The others listened anxiously:

"Mr. Hayne, this is Ross. I come with Foster and Graham to say how
deeply we regret your injuries, and to tender our sympathy and our
services."

There was a dead silence for a moment. Foster and Graham stood with
hearts that beat unaccountably hard, looking at each other in
perplexity. Would he never reply?

The answer