p early, and the anxious women
hurrying homeward were incensed to find her in a dark, vine-covered
corner of the veranda of the quarters, Willett in close attendance. "I
didn't feel like dancing," was her sole explanation. "I begged Mr.
Willett to go back to you, but he wouldn't." And Burtis, later, had to
shout angrily for him before he could get him into the wagon and off for
town.

She slept that night in the room adjoining Mrs. Flight's, and slept but
little, said that lady later. She seemed ablaze with nervous excitement
and utterly unlike her usual self,--placid and satisfied except when
subjected to reproof. She had gone thither right after the departure of
the men and shut her would-be mentor out. Mrs. Flight afterwards
declared she saw the coming catastrophe and was determined to avert it
if a possible thing, but Mira said she had a dreadful headache and
wouldn't talk. Mrs. Flight, considering that she had a duty to perform,
began, however, from outside. The result was a quarrel and Mira's
announcement from behind the door that she would not speak to Mrs.
Flight again. When Wednesday came she refused to leave her room. It had
been arranged that three of the ladies were to drive to town with the
sole cavalier left at the post, a lieutenant of the Fortieth, and Mira
was one of them, but they supposed she had abandoned the plan. To the
surprise of everybody she appeared, satchel in hand, arrayed in sober
travelling garb, and asked the driver of the ambulance to help their
servant bring out her trunk, and took her seat in the Concord while it
was being tossed into the boot. It was Mrs. Darling who ventured to ask
what it meant, and Mira calmly explained. She had determined to go and
meet her husband in Omaha. They were amazed, yet what could they do or
say? It was after luncheon-time and she merely urged that they should
drive rapidly so as to get her to the bank before it closed, and then
she left them, saying she would remain at the hotel at the station until
her train arrived. It was due soon after midnight.

Before returning to the post the others, Mrs. Darling and Mrs. Plodder,
called upon Mira at the hotel, for they were oppressed with strange
fears. They strove to remonstrate with her, pointed out that Mr. Davies
would be with her in three days. Mira said it might not be for a week.
Well, wasn't it unusual for a lady to be going alone? Not at all. She
would sleep all the evening in her room, and the landlor