ce.

His face lost its eager, boyish expression. "I'm delighted to think I
have amused you," he said, slowly. "It makes amends."

"Please don't be angry," she pleaded. "I didn't mean to be flippant."

"Your words were explicit," he replied, feeling at the moment that she
was making a mock of him, and this duplicity hurt him.

She put forth her sweetest voice. "Please forgive me! I think your work
very noble, only I can't understand how you can exile yourself to do it.
Let us go down; it is time for lunch, and papa is waiting for you, I
know."

It was unaccountable that a mocking tone, a derisive smile from this
chance acquaintance, should so shake the soldier and so weaken him, but
he descended the stair-way with a humiliating consciousness of having
betrayed his heart to a fleering, luring daughter of wealth.

At the door of the library the girl paused. "Papa, are you asleep?"

The abrupt rustle of a newspaper preceded Brisbane's deep utterance.
"Not at all--just reading the _Star_. Come in, Captain. Is lunch nearly
ready?" he asked of Elsie.

"I think so. They are a little late. I'll go see."

As she left the room Brisbane cordially rumbled on. "Sit down, Captain.
I'm sorry I missed your talk to-day. I am curious to know what your
notion is about the Tetongs. Of course, I understood you couldn't go
into the case the other night, but, now that your testimony is all in, I
hope you feel free to give me your reasons for opposing our plan for a
removal of the tribe."

Curtis took a seat, while Brisbane stretched himself out in a big chair
and fixed his cold, gray-blue eyes on the soldier, who hesitated a
moment before replying, "I don't think it wise to go into that matter,
Senator."

"Why not?"

"Well, we differ so radically on the bill, and your interests make it
exceedingly difficult for you to be just in the case. Nothing would be
gained by argument."

"You think you know what my interests are?" There was a veiled sarcasm
in the great man's smile.

"I think I do. As a candidate for re-election to the Senate you can't
afford to antagonize the cattle and mining interests of your State, and,
as I am now officially the representative of the Tetongs, I sincerely
hope you will not insist on a discussion of the motives involved." The
young officer spoke firmly, but with impressive dignity and candor.

Brisbane's ambiguous manner took a sudden shift to cordiality, and,
leaning forward, he said:

"Curtis, I