he East, and nothing
will do but he must hang about Mackinac week after week, pretending to
need the climate--and he weighing nearly two hundred--to court Juliana
Gunning. The lieutenant's wife said of Juliana that she would flirt with
a half-breed if nothing better offered. But the lieutenant's wife was
a homely, jealous little thing, and could never have had all the men
hanging after her. And if she had had the chance she might have been as
aggravating about making up her mind between two as Juliana was.

We used to think the girl very good-natured. But those three people made
a queer family. Dr. Gunning was the remnant of a magnificent man, and he
always had a courtly air. He paid little attention to the small affairs
of life, and rated money as nothing. Dr. Gunning had his peculiarities;
but I am not telling you about him. He was a kind man, and would cross
the strait in any weather to attend a sick half-breed or any other
ailing creature, who probably never paid him a cent. He was fond of the
island, and quite satisfied to spend his life here.

The day I am telling you about, Mrs. Gunning had driven with me into the
village to make some calls. She was very punctilious about calling upon
strangers. If she intended to recognize a newcomer she called at
once. We drove around to the rear of the fort and entered at the back
sallyport, where carriages always enter; but instead of letting me put
her down at the surgeon's quarters, she ordered the driver to stop in
the middle of the parade-ground. Then she got out and, with never a
word, marched down the steps to Captain Markley, where he was leaning
against the front sally-port, looking below into the town. I didn't know
what to do, so I sat and waited. It was the loveliest autumn morning
you ever saw. I remember the beeches and oaks and maples were spread out
like banners to the very height of the island, all crimson and yellow
splashes in the midst of evergreens. There had been an awful storm the
night before, and you could see down the sally-port how drenched the
fort garden was at the foot of the hill.

Captain Markley had a fearfully depressed look. He was so down in the
mouth that the sentinels noticed it. I saw the one in front of the
western block-house stick his tongue in his cheek and wink at one pacing
below. We heard afterwards that Captain Markley had been out alone to
inspect target-ranges in the pine woods, and almost ran against Juliana
Gunning and Dr. M