then you may believe as much as you please of what J. W.
writes."

Not a word to the same _J. W._ did Frank say of the base thing he had
done; and as for the revenge he had vowed, the impulse to wreak it in
tigerish fashion had passed like a night-fog before the breezy purity of
the new life that had dawned.

In a couple of days Frank had mostly recovered his equanimity. The loss
of the watch was still a source of anxious grief to him, however; less on
his own account, let me say, than for the sake of the unknown giver. Nor
had he, as yet, found any opportunity to atone for his rudeness to the
old drum-major, who had lately, for some cause, gone over to the other
wing of the regiment on board the steamer, so that Frank yearned in vain
to go to him and humbly beg forgiveness for his fault.

"What has taken Mr. Sinjin away?" he asked of his friend, the young
corporal.

Gray shrugged his shoulders, and looked at Frank as if he had a good mind
to tell a secret.

"How should I know? He's such a crotchety old boy. I don't think he could
account for his conduct himself. He asked permission to remove his
quarters to the steamer, and got it; pretending, I believe, that he could
have better accommodations there."

"And _I_ believe," said Frank, "that you know more about it than you
will own."

"Well, I have my suspicions. Shall I be candid with you, Frank? and
you'll forgive me if I hurt your feelings?"

"Yes," said Frank, anxiously.

"Well, then," said Gray. "I suppose you know Sinjin had taken a great
fancy to you."

"I thought at one time he liked me."

"At one time? I'll wager my head he was liking you the most when he
appeared to the least--he's such a queer old cove! I've heard he was
disappointed in love once, and that some friend of his proved traitor to
him; and that's what has made him so shy of showing any thing like
affection for any body. Well, he heard of your gambling, and went to talk
with you about it, and you said something to him that wounded him so I
think he couldn't bear the sight of you afterwards."

The boy's heart was wrung by this revelation. What reason, he demanded to
know, had Gray for thinking thus?

"Because I know the man, and because I know something which I think you
ought to know." Gray drew Frank confidentially aside. "He may
anathematize me for betraying his secret; but I think it is time to do
him justice, even against his will. Frank, it was Old Sinjin who gave you
the watc