ten, twenty minutes sped and no Willett. Pegleg's horses, being
homeward bound, had possibly made phenomenal time, and Willett,
probably, was in no hurry. "It's about his last chance to have Mrs.
Davies beside him," laughed Mrs. Stone, "so he's making the most of it."
It was 12.30 when at last the bells of the New Yorker's sleigh were
heard tinkling faintly at the corner, and presently the party came
slowly into view. Only three now, and three silent, embarrassed if not
evidently agitated people, for they seemed to whip up and hurry by the
little knot of anxious faces gathered at the colonel's gate.

"Where's Mr. Sanders?" was the cry.

"Tell you in a minute!" shouted Willett, as he drove straight by to No.
12, where he sprang out, lifted Mira from the sleigh and almost bore her
to the gate, Mrs. Darling following. Already Mr. Darling was hastening
up the road to join his wife. At the door Willett simply had to turn
back to his spirited team, as they were standing unhitched, and Mrs.
Darling disappeared with Mira into the hall.

"Where's Sanders? What kept you?" panted Darling, hastening up.

"Hush! Don't make any fuss," muttered Willett. "He jumped out half a
mile back. Some drunken men, or soldiers perhaps, gave us a little
trouble. I'm going back after him now."

"Hold on one minute till I see my wife and I'll go with you," sang out
Darling, as he ran into the house, where Mira had sunk nerveless into a
big chair and was wildly imploring Mrs. Darling not to leave her.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Cranstons were ready to start on the 23d, but nothing was in
readiness at Mrs. Davies's. On the contrary, that lovely and most
interesting young woman was, according to her own account, as
transmitted to the garrison by her now devoted friend and nurse, Mrs.
Darling, in a state of prostration and could do nothing at all. Mr.
Davies had been telegraphed for and was coming, and Dr. Rooke said she
must be kept very quiet meanwhile,--so at least Mrs. Darling reported to
sympathetic friends who called to inquire and possibly hoped to see.
Bluff old Rooke himself was besieged with questions as to his fair
patient, the nature of her malady and the cause of the sudden shock, and
Rooke told some people not to bother her, others not to bother him, and
others still not to bother themselves about her. She'd come out all
right if left alone. It was Mrs. Cranston and Miss Loomis to whom he
delivered himself of the last mentioned. He