n to prison this spring for eating an orange in
the street. They confiscated a girl's wedding-gown the other day, and
now they've confiscated her bridegroom. Oh, it's a great cause that
can't get along without my wedding-gown! _Noblesse oblige_!"

"It takes more wedding-gowns than yours, Vivia. Dips them in mourning."

"Pray God it won't take mine yet!" cried she, with sudden fire.

"Vivia," said Ray, facing her, "I asked you a question. Why didn't you
answer it? Shouldn't you care?"

"You know, dear child, I should,--we all should, terribly."

"But, Vivia, I mean, that you--that I"--

He paused, the ardor and eagerness suspended on cheek and lip, for Vivia
met his glance and understood its simple speech,--since in some degree a
dark eye lets you into the soul, where a blue one bluffs you off with
its blaze, and under all its lucent splendor is as impenetrable as a
turquoise. A girl of more vanity would have waited for plainer words.
But Vivia only placed her warm hand on his, and said gently,--

"Ray, I love Beltran."

There was a moment's quiet, while Ray looked away,--supporting his chin
upon one hand, and a black cloud sweeping torridly down the stern face.
One sharp struggle. A moment's quiet. Into it a wild rose kept shaking
sweetness. After it a vireo broke into tremulous melody, gushing higher,
fuller, stronger, clearer. Ray turned, his eyes wet, his face beaming.
Said he,--

"I am more glad than if it were myself!"

Then Vivia bent, and, flushed with noble shame, she kissed him on the
lips. A word, a grasp, she was leaning alone over the old stone wall,
the birds were piping and fluting about her, and Ray was gone.

* * * * *

A month of rushing over land and lake, of resting at the very spots
where he and Beltran had stayed together three years ago, of repeating
the brief strolls they took, of reading again and again that last note,
and Ray had crossed the great river of the West, and reached the
headquarters of his regiment. There, induing their uniforms, and
training their horses, all of which were yet to be shod, they brushed
about the country, and skirmished with guerrillas, until going into camp
for thorough drill preparatory to active service.

Convoying Government-trains through a region where were assembled in
their war-paint thousands of Indians from the wild tribes of the plains
and hills was venturous work enough, but it was not that to which Ray
aspired