ard, while every sort of drink and cigar was being circulated
among us by the cabin boy. Kitty's costume was the most markedly
maritime thing that I have ever beheld in any waters, and her white
shoes looked (I must confess) supremely well on her pretty little feet.
I am no advocate of sumptuary laws; but there should be one prohibiting
big-footed women from wearing white shoes. Did these women know what a
spatulated effect their feet so shod produce, no law would be needed.
Yes, Kitty was superlatively, stridently maritime; you could have known
from a great distance that she belonged to the very latest steam yacht
class, and that she was perfectly ignorant of the whole subject. On her
left arm, for instance, was worked a red propeller with one blade down,
and two chevrons. It was the rating mark for a chief engineer, but this,
had she known it, would not have disturbed her.

"I chose it," she told me in reply to my admiration of it, "because
it's so pretty. Oh, won't we enjoy ourselves while those stupid old
blue-bloods in Kings Port are going to church!" And with this she gave
a skip, and ordered the cabin boy to bring her a Remsen cooler. Beverly
Rodgers called for dwarf's blood, and I chose a horse's neck, and soon
found myself in the society of the General.

He was sipping whiskey and plain water. "I am a rough soldiers sir," he
explained to me, "and I keep to the simple beverage of the camp. Had we
not 'rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know
not of'?" And he waved a stately hand at my horse's neck. "You are
acquainted with the works of Shakespeare?"

I replied that I had a moderate knowledge of them, and assured him that
a horse's neck was very simple.

"Doubtless, sir; but a veteran is ever old-fashioned."

"Papa," said Hortense, "don't let the sun shine upon your head."

"Thank you, daughter mine." They said no more; but I presently felt that
for some reason she watched him.

He moved farther beneath the awning, and I followed him. "Are you a
father, sir? No? Then you cannot appreciate what it is to confide such a
jewel as yon girl to another's keeping." He summoned the cabin boy, who
brought him some more of the simple beverage of the camp, and I, feeling
myself scarce at liberty to speak on matters so near to him and so
far from me as his daughter's marriage, called his attention to the
beautiful aspect of Kings Port, spread out before us in a long white
line against the blue wat