n the
direction of the two before the fire, and that whenever the low laughter
of Mrs. Becker and Nome came to them he paid less attention to the
columns of figures which Breed was pointing out to him. When they rose
to go into supper, Philip's blood boiled as Nome offered his arm to Mrs.
Becker, who accepted it with a swift, laughing glance at the colonel.
There was no response in the older man's pale face, and Philip's fingers
dug hard into the palms of his hands. At the table Nome's attentions to
Mrs. Becker were even more marked. Once, under pretext of helping her to
a dish, he whispered words which brought a deeper flush to her cheeks,
and when she looked at the colonel his eyes were fixed upon her in stern
reproof. It was abominable! Was Nome mad? Was the woman--

Steele did not finish the thought in his own mind. His eyes encountered
those of the colonel's wife across the table. He saw a sudden, quick
catch of breath in her throat; even as he looked the flush faded from
her face, and she rose from her seat, her gaze still upon him.

"I--I am not feeling well," she said. "Will you please excuse me?"

In an instant Nome was at her side, but she turned quickly from him to
the colonel, who had risen from his chair.

"Please take me to my room," she begged. "Then--then you can come back."

Once more her face turned to Steele. There was a pallor in it now that
startled him. For a few moments he stood alone, as Breed and Nome left
the table. He listened, and heard the opening and closing of a second
door.

Then a footstep, and Nome reappeared.

"By Heaven, but she's a beauty!" he exclaimed. "I tell you, Steele--"

Something in his companion's eyes stopped him. Two red spots burned in
Steele's cheeks as he advanced and gripped the other fiercely by the
arm.

"Yes, she is pretty--very pretty," he said quietly, his fingers sinking
deeper into Nome's arm. "Get your hat and coat, Nome. I want to see you
in the cabin."

Behind them the door opened and closed again, and Steele shoved past his
associate to meet Breed.

"Buck and I have a little matter to attend to over at the cabin," he
explained. "When they--when the colonel returns tell him we'll be over
to smoke an after-supper pipe with him a little later, will you? And
give our compliments to--her." With a half-sneer on his lips he rejoined
Nome, who stared hard at him, and followed him through the outer door.

"Now, what the devil does this mean?" Nome deman