dly walked, under the sparkling heavens, through the keen,
exhilarating air of the wintry prairie, passing, door by door, the
quarters of the officers of the garrison, some still brightly lighted,
others dark and silent. She was talking fast and with a nervous impulse
as they hurried by the colonel's, the broad portals of whose official
residence were just then thrown open to admit another party to join the
little circle sure every evening to be surrounding Mrs. Stone, and
welcoming voices and laughter floated out on the night. The moment
before they passed the gate whence he had issued forth barely three
minutes earlier. The hall light burned low as he left it, the parlor
shades were down. Almira presumably was nursing her headache in the
sanctity of the chamber at the rear. Boynton's upper story was occupied
by a junior subaltern of the Fortieth, who was believed to sleep there
at odd hours, but was generally to be found almost anywhere else.

"Mrs. Davies looked so well to-day," remarked Miss Loomis. "I hope she
finds her welcome pleasant."

"She is very well, except for a headache that sent her early to bed
to-night," he answered. "And her welcome from everybody has been most
kind and cordial, and from none more so than from Mrs. Cranston and
yourself. You are always adding to the obligations I am under."

"I shall quarrel with you some day if you talk of obligations, Mr.
Davies. But I'm so sorry to hear of her headache," she went on, quickly,
as though to prevent argument on the point. "The chapel does get very
hot and stuffy by evening service. Ought they not to air it after
Sunday-school?"

"It would be a good plan. But my wife did not go to-night. Her headache
began earlier in the day. I thought the close atmosphere of the chapel
would only increase it and so counselled her remaining home."

He remembered, however, that he had counselled her going early to bed,
but found her engrossed in her volatile callers on his return. It was
all very natural. Upon spirits like Almira's, communion with such gay
and frothy natures acted like champagne. He was trying to believe he was
glad she could be so readily benefited. The houses grew darker as they
approached the east end. Even the hall lamp was extinguished at Devers's
quarters, though there were lights aloft. Devers had a storm-door,
another instance of his individuality, as even the colonel's quarters
were not so embellished. It was a perfectly still night, not a