s for
refreshments and wide flapped marquees with chairs were springing up,
men were placing the decorations of flags, and roping about the dancing
floor with braided ribbons and post rosettes. Throngs now filled the
open spaces, and more carriages continually came. The quarters of every
officer by this time were packed, and a babel of chatter came from every
balcony party. Now and again breathed the soft music from the distant
military bands. It was a gay scene, one for youth and life, and not for
melancholy.

"Now, I wonder who is this Ellen?" mused I to myself.

[Illustration: GORDON ORME LAUGHS AT ELLEN'S ACCUSATION OF HIS
TREACHERY]

CHAPTER IX

THE GIRL WITH THE HEART

Captain Stevenson left us soon after dinner, he being one of the
officers' committee on preparations for the ball, so that I spent a
little time alone at his quarters, Orme and Major Williams having gone
over to the Officers' Club at the conclusion of their call. I was
aroused from the brown study into which I had fallen by the sound of a
loud voice at the rear of Number 16, and presently heard also Kitty's
summons for me to come. I found her undertaking to remove from the hands
of Annie, her ponderous black cook, a musket which the latter was
attempting to rest over the window sill of the kitchen.

"Thar he goes now, the brack rascal!" cried Annie, down whose sable
countenance large tears were coursing. "Lemme get one good shot at him.
I can shore hit him that clost."

"Be silent! Annie," commanded Kitty, "and give me this gun. If I hear of
your shooting at Benjie any more I'll certainly discharge you.

"You see," explained Kitty to me, "Annie used to be married to Benjie
Martin, who works for Colonel Meriwether, at the house just beyond the
trees there."

"I'se married to him _yit_," said Annie, between sobs. "Heap more'n that
taller-faced yaller girl he done taken up with now."

"I think myself," said Kitty, judicially, "that Benjie might at least
bow to his former wife when he passes by."

"That'd be all I _wanted_," said Annie; "but I kaint stand them horty
ways. Why, I mended the very shirt he's got on his back right now; and I
_bought_ them shoes fer him."

"Annie's _such_ a poor shot!" explained Kitty. "She has taken a pot-shot
at Benjie I don't know how many times, but she always misses. Colonel
Meriwether sent a file down to see what was going on, the first time,
but when I explained it was my cook, he said it was a