n
traveller drily, "they'll reimburse me. At all events, I know them
better than you do, and I don't intend to let you bear all the risk."
The lieutenant argued, but the elder was firm. As the men shuffled back
to the train with full stomachs and brightened faces, Murray hulking by
them with averted eyes and Mellen tendering a grinning salute, the
manager came forward. "There's one man shy, sir, even counting the
dinners sent aboard," said he, and Hunt, hearing it, turned back and
explained.

"It is Foster, sir. He said he wasn't hungry and couldn't eat. I reckon
it's because he wouldn't turn out in such looking clothes as were given
him."

Yet when Stuyvesant went to the car to see whether the young soldier
could not be induced to change his mind, it was discovered that he had
turned out. His berth was empty. Nor did he appear until just as the
train was starting. He explained that he had stepped off on the outer
side away from the crowd for a little fresh air. There was plenty of
bread and cheese left from luncheon. He didn't care for anything,
really. And, indeed, he seemed most anxious to get back to his berth and
away from the lieutenant, in whose presence he was obviously and
painfully ill at ease.

Stuyvesant turned away, feeling a trifle annoyed or hurt, he couldn't
tell which, and swung himself to the platform of the sleeper as it came
gliding by. At last he could hope to find opportunity to thank Miss Ray
for her attention to the injured men and incidentally her ministrations
on his own account. Then, once arrived at San Francisco, where he had
friends of rank and position in the army, he would surely meet someone
who knew her father well and possibly herself, some one to present him
in due form, but for the present he could only hope to say a
conventional word or two of gratitude, and he was striving to frame his
thoughts as he hastened into the brightly lighted car and towards the
section where last he had seen her.

It was occupied by a new-comer, a total stranger, and the three women
recently sharing her section and more than sharing her cherries were now
in animated chat across the aisle. In blank surprise and disappointment,
Stuyvesant turned and sought the porter.

"Miss Ray! Yes, suh. She done got off at Sacramento, suh. Dere was
friends come to meet her, and took her away in the carriage."

Once more Stuyvesant found himself constrained to seek the society of
the maiden of uncertain years. Her