e had come
out with her bronzed and soldierly brother, and was his guest now; it
was evident that there was deep affection between them; it was
theorized by the ladies at Robinson that she had had some unlucky
love-affair, and this was the more believed after she threw over the
two devotees aforementioned. All manner of that alluring bait which
women so well know how to use when inviting confidence was thrown to
her from time to time, but she refused it and intimacies of any kind,
and only one thing saved her from being ostracized by the garrison
sisterhood,--her dresses. "She must have had abundant means at some
time," said the ladies, "for her dresses are just lovely, and all her
clothes are just the same way, very stylish in make and most expensive
in material." No woman could quite break friendship with one who had
such a mine of fabulous interest in her three Saratogas. Nevertheless,
all the letters from Robinson to Laramie, in speaking of her, said she
was "worth seeing, but--not attractive." "If anything," wrote one
woman, "she is actually repellant in manner to half the ladies in the
garrison." This was her status until late that spring, and then came
another story,--a queer one, but only Mrs. Bruce received it, and she
showed the letter to her husband, who bade her to burn it and say no
word of its contents. Ere long another came,--to Mrs. Miller this
time,--and spoke of the odd losses sustained by young officers in the
garrison. Mr. French, who lived under the same roof with the Forrests,
had been robbed twice. No clue to the perpetrator. Then came the spring
outbreak of the Sioux, the rush to join Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse,
the news of the sharp fight late in March, and the situation at
Robinson became alarming. April brought the refugees to Laramie, and
here, among others, were the Forrests and the Posts.

And now Miss Forrest was strolling placidly up and down the walk and
entirely monopolizing the attention of a tall, fine-looking soldier who
had met her for the first time only the previous evening and was
evidently eager to resume his place at her side. It was hardly fair to
the other women, and they were not slow to remark upon the fact.

"One thing is certain," said Mrs. Gordon, "if I were Nellie Bayard I
would not want to have her for a step-mother, and the doctor has been
simply devoted to her for the last three days."

"Yes, he seems decidedly smitten, Mrs. Gordon; but did we not hear that
Dr.