howers. He had a certain military air, and a nebulous military
history; boasted of his Virginia-Kentucky origin, and more than hinted
at his Blue Grass stock-farm. Late at night, he would mistily mention
"My regiment at Shiloh, sah!" But, as he was reputed even more expert
with the pistol than most knew him to be with cards, geography and
chronology were never insisted on in detail. But the Colonel was
undisputed possessor of a thirst, marvellous in its depth and
continuity; and he had also a cast-iron head that turned the flanks of
the most direct assaults of alcohol, and scattered them to flaunt the
red flag on his pendulous nose, or to skirmish over his scrupulously
shaven cheeks.

Of the invisible members of "the Colonel's" household, fleecy rumors
only pervaded society at intervals. The social Stanleys and
Livingstons who had essayed the sources of the Wood family stream in
its dark continent of brown-faced brick, on a quiet avenue, sent back
vague stories of a lovely and patient invalid, and a more lovely and
equally patient young girl, mother and sister to Miss Rose. There was
a misty legend sometimes floating around the clubs, that "the
Colonel," after the method of Cleopatra, had dissolved his wife's
fortune in a posset, and swallowed it years before. But again the
reputation of a dead shot cramped curiosity.

And a similar mist sometimes pervaded five o'clock teas and reunions
_chez la modiste_, to the effect that the younger sister was but as a
Midianite to the elder, while the mother was dying of neglect. But as
neither subject of this gossip was in society, the mist never
condensed into direction.

Society found Miss Rose Wood a peculiarly useful and pleasant person;
and it took her--as "the Colonel" took many of his pleasures--on
trust.

II.

The ball was a crowded one; but was, perhaps, the most brilliant and
select of that season, combining a Christmas-eve festivity with the
_debut_ party of the acknowledged beauty and prize-heiress of the
entire set.

Blanche Allmand had been finally finishing abroad for some years,
after having won her blue-ribboned diploma from Mde. de Cancaniere, on
Murray Hill. Rumors of her perfections of face and form and character
had come across the seas, in those thousand-and-one letters, for which
a fostering government makes postal unions. And ever mingled with
these rumors, came praises of those thousand-and-one accomplishments,
which society is equally apt to adm