knew by the very cadence of his footfalls just what mood possessed him.
It was slow, draggy, spiritless to-night; and, though he had almost
angrily and contemptuously checked her when she began the story of
these later revelations, her heart yearned over him now. She went down
to him, as he sat there looking drearily out at the twinkling lights
across the parade.

"Come, major," she said, addressing him, as was a fancy of hers at
times, by the formal army title instead of the Christian name. "Come;
I'm going over to the doctor's to see how Nellie is to-night; and, not
that I need an escort, I want your company. A glass of his old Madeira
will do you good, and he is always so glad to offer it. You are blue
to-night, and so am I. Come."

He resisted faintly. Hatton might be along any moment, and he had an
appointment with him, he said; but she speedily settled that by calling
the orderly, and telling him, should Mr. Hatton call, to come over at
once to Dr. Bayard's and let the major know. Then her obedient lord had
no further objections to urge, and he, too, had bethought him of the
doctor's Madeira and those incomparable Regalia Britannicas. Nowhere in
Wyoming were there cigars to match Bayard's, and it was easy to
persuade himself that he could so much better deliberate on the matter
in hand over the fragrance of the soothing Havana. Robert threw open
the door in hospitable Virginian style at sight of the commandant and
his wife, ushered them into the parlor, sent the maid up-stairs to
inquire if Miss Elinor could see Mrs. Miller; and then, true to his
Southern training, reappeared in the parlor with a decanter of wine and
some flaky "Angels' food" upon a silver salver. The doctor had gone to
the hospital, he explained, but would soon return. Then he vanished.
Miller smacked his lips over the Madeira, and smilingly admitted to his
better half that he believed there were some things on which "her head
was leveller than his."

For a reply she pointed to the hall-way.

"Come here just one moment. I want you to see where I stood, and how I
could view what was going on at the hat-rack out there."

Silently he stood by her side, glanced at the mirror, and noted the
reflection therein.

"It was just there his beautiful fur coat was hanging,--and the money
in its pocket," she said.

Then came the message from aloft, that, if Mrs. Miller would step
up-stairs, Miss Bayard would be glad to see her,--Miss Bruce was
alread