er that he
had nipped the thing in the bud. The damned puppy of a fellow took for
granted that Christian was in love with him; but here she was, going
about as usual, as jolly as a sandboy; "in fact," Dick would say,
plastering up with bromidic mortar the windows of the narrow dwelling
wherein dwelt Lady Isabel's soul, "all's well that ends well!" With
which valuable aphorism, sanctioned by a long and respectable past,
the Major contentedly fed his heart, and tranquillised that of his
wife.

Judith was less confident of the satisfactory end of all things. She
was, in fact, exceedingly indignant that an engagement so entirely
advantageous from all practical points of view should be broken off;
"simply to gratify Papa's imbecile prejudices!" she declared, with her
usual emphasis. "Christian, you were a fool to mind what he said or
did. _He_ wouldn't have died! Not a bit of him! Of course, Mother
has got to agree with him--that's what he married her for!"

"Don't tire me, Judy, please," Christian would say, serenely. "It's
all over now. These discussions only weary me. I assure you my
philosophy is quite equal to the strain!"

"If that's the case, I don't know why you should look like a dying
ghost!"

Judith had never entirely comprehended her younger sister, and she
found her, as she said with indignation to the concurring Bill,
absolutely dark and inscrutable over the whole affair.

"I know it's hit her hard, but nothing will make her admit it. I
detest Spartan Boys!" said Judith.

The Spartan Boy in question, though aware of her sister's ardent
desire to investigate her wounds, had no intention of removing the
cloak that covered them. She wrapped it close about her, so close that
Lady Isabel, while unable to stifle a motherly regret for the wedding
that might have been, thanked heaven that Christian had not "really
cared"; so close that even Judith said that, since Christian had not
been hit too hard, though she regretted the _coup manque_ she
personally found some consolation in the fact that she would not be
called upon to make apologies for the political aberrations of her
brother-in-law.

The polling day came, and passed with but little excitement.

"You wouldn't har'ly know it," said a voter, who had returned to his
normal avocations after a morning wasted, as he considered, in the
task of recording his vote. "There was a few men drunk in the town.
Which won is it? Bedad, they dunno yet. Father Sweeny it