nto her eye.

"If you will let me plan your future I will not interfere with your
relations with her whatever."

"Mother, mother," said the young woman rushing to Mrs. Seabright and
throwing her arms about her neck. Between sobs she said, "Mother,
mother, do with me what you will, just so you allow me to be with her
when I choose. Oh, mother, how I wish you were now what you were before
the adder bit you."

Mrs. Seabright, unmoved by this outburst, gently released herself from
her daughter's grasp and returned to her rocking chair.

"I shall yet harness to my cause the two forces that are the most potent
yet revealed in shaping the course of human society," said she. Going to
her window, she looked out into the skies and whispered in confidence to
the stars:

"I shall be remembered as long as you shall shine."

Hard by the house of fame sits the home of infamy. Those who offer too
strange a price for the former are given the latter.

CHAPTER V.

_Rather Late In Life To Be Still Nameless._

On the morrow following our ride into Almaville on the passenger train,
toward twilight Ensal Ellwood sat upon the front porch of his pretty
little home, a sober look in his firm, kindly eyes. By his side sat his
aged mother, whose sweet dark face of regular features was crowned with
hair that was now white from the combined efforts of time and sorrow.
Her usually placid countenance wore a look of positive alarm. She had
just been a listener to a conversation between her son and Gus Martin.

Gus Martin was a Negro of brownish hue, whose high cheek bones, keen
eyes, coarse black hair and erect carriage told plainly of the Indian
blood in his veins. Gus was a great admirer of both Ensal and Earl
Bluefield and the three had gone to the Spanish-American war together,
Ensal, who was a minister, as chaplain, Gus and Earl as soldiers. These
three were present at the battle of San Juan Hill, and Gus, who was
himself notoriously brave, scarcely knew which to admire the more,
Ensal's searching words that inspired the men for that world-famous dash
or Earl's enthusiastic, infectious daring on the actual scene of
conflict.

Gus could read and write in a fashion, but was by no means as well
educated as either Ensal or Earl, his friends, and consequently looked
to them largely for guidance.

Earl had made efforts to secure promotion upon the record of his
services in battle, but had failed, because, according to common
opini