used and looked his man over before he spoke:

"You will excuse my sending for you, Mr. Blake, when I tell you that it
is a matter that has to be decided at once. In this case you will
consider, too, that I want you to say yes or no exactly as you would to
a comrade of your own grade. If you were asked to meet Mr. Hayne at any
other house in the garrison than mine, would you desire to accept? You
are aware of all the circumstances, the adjutant tells me."

"I am, sir, and have just announced my intention of calling upon him."

"Then will you dine with us this evening to meet Mr. Hayne?"

"I will do so with pleasure, sir."

* * * * *

It could hardly have been an hour afterwards when Mrs. Rayner entered
the library in her cosey home and found Miss Travers entertaining
herself with a book.

"Have you written to Mr. Van Antwerp this morning?" she asked. "I
thought that was what you came here for."

"I did mean to, but Mrs. Waldron has been here, and I was interrupted."

"It is fully fifteen minutes since she left, Nellie. You might have
written two or three pages already; and you know that all manner of
visitors will be coming in by noon."

"I was just thinking over something she told me. I'll write presently."

"Mrs. Waldron is a woman who talks about everything and everybody. I
advise you to listen to her no more than you can help. What was it she
told you?"

Miss Travers smiled roguishly: "Why should you want to know, Kate, if
you disapprove of her revelations?"

"Oh," with visible annoyance, "it is to--I wanted to know so as to let
you see that it was something unfounded, as usual."

"She said she had just been told that the colonel was going to give a
dinner-party this evening to Mr. Hayne."

"What?"

"She--said--she--had--just--been--told--that--the colonel--was going--to
give--a dinner-party--this evening--to Mr.--Hayne."

"Who told her?"

"Kate, I didn't ask."

"Who are invited? None of _ours_?"

"Kate, I don't know."

"Where did she say she had heard it?"

"She didn't say."

Mrs. Rayner paused one moment, irresolute: "Didn't she tell you anything
more about it?"

"Nothing, sister mine. Why should you feel such an interest in what Mrs.
Waldron says, if she's such a gossip?" And Miss Travers was evidently
having hard work to keep from laughing outright.

"_You_ had better write your letter," said her big sister, and flounced
suddenly out of the room and