aim on her to hinder of it! Good Lord! No! I should think
not! When here I am his lawful wife, alive, and likely to live! And a man
can't have two wives, in this State, at least! So why can't them young uns
be married, and made happy right away?"

"I wish it could be done; but I feel sure that it could not."

"But why, in the name o' common sense?"

"Because neither Mr. nor Mrs. Force would entertain such a plan for a
moment. They would consider it indelicate and undignified in all parties
concerned to marry their daughter to any other suitor, even though that
suitor were Mr. Leonidas Force, so soon after the breaking off of her
marriage ceremony with her late bridegroom-expectant," replied Natalie.

"Fiddle-faddle!" exclaimed the lady from Wild Cats'. "I think it is hard
enough for poor human natur' to keep the commandments of the Lord and the
laws of the land without having to be bound by a passel of fiddle-faddle
fancies!"

"My private opinion is," said Natalie, "that the young couple will yet
marry; but not until he shall return from his next voyage. And they are
both young enough to wait."

CHAPTER XLVII

LEONIDAS LEAVES MONDREER

"Aunty," said Leonidas, taking the hand of Odalite, and leading her up to
Mrs. Force, who stood before the grand piano, putting away the sheets of
music before closing the instrument--"aunty, dear, I am not going away
to-morrow."

"What now?" inquired the lady, in some uneasiness.

"I mean I am not going away to-morrow morning. I can go to-morrow night,
and be in time to join my ship on the third. It will be a close shave, as
to time, auntie; but then, it will give me twelve more hours with you all.
Twelve precious hours! Aunty, are you sorry? You look so grave."

"No, dear boy, I am glad to have you until the last possible moment. I
only regret that you have to go at all," kindly replied Mrs. Force.

"Yaw! Oh, Lord! I could crack my jawbones a-gasping! Never was so sleepy
in my life! Say, good folks, ain't it time to go to bed? After being up
most all night, and not even getting a wink of sleep this morning."

The suggestion came from the lady from the gold diggings, of course; and
it was so speedily acted upon--especially since Leonidas had announced his
intention of deferring his departure until the next night--that in less
than half an hour the parties had separated and retired to their several
bedrooms.

The next day was the last that Leonidas Force would spen