ew into his every look and word a deference and a respect
that made his manner proof against criticism; and yet, one and all, they
could not welcome him. Truscott, his captain, had never yet dropped the
"Mr." before the surname of his subaltern,--that well-understood barrier
to all army intimacy,--and Gleason, who stood among the very first on
the lineal list of lieutenants, hated him for the restriction, but gave
no sign.

It was necessary that some one of the cavalry officers should be placed
in charge of the newly-arrived recruits, and this duty fell to Gleason's
lot. It relieved him from service with his troop and made him
independent of his captain. Webb and Truscott, if consulted, would have
named a far better instructor among their lieutenants, but Colonel
Whaling issued the order from post headquarters, and there was nothing
for it but obey. Gleason lent his best efforts to the work, and he and
his drill sergeants were ceaseless in their squad instruction. Several
old cavalrymen had come among the dozens of green hands, so had a small
squad transferred by War Department orders from West Point. Among these
men were competent drill-masters, and among the drill-masters the most
active and efficient was the Saxon soldier, Sergeant Wolf.

Mr. Gleason had invited the ladies to walk out on the prairie east of
the post one lovely morning late in June, that they might see the
skirmish drills of the two cavalry troops. Often as she had been a
spectator before, Mrs. Truscott never tired of watching Jack and his
men, and Miss Sanford was greatly interested at all times in the martial
exercises, especially the mounted. Strolling homeward about ten o'clock,
having been joined by one of the young infantry officers, Mr. Gleason
suggested their stopping at the store and refreshing themselves with a
lemonade. Miss Sanford would have declined with thanks, but silently
waited for her hostess to speak; and Mrs. Truscott, who remembered how
papa had sometimes called her into the club-room when she was a child,
and who knew that the garrison ladies frequently accepted such
invitations, hesitatingly assented. It must be confessed that Mrs.
Truscott sometimes acted before she thought, and this was one of the
times. Truscott himself rarely, if ever, entered the club-room, and had
never thought it necessary to say anything to his wife on the subject.
The door stood invitingly open; the attendant was lolling thereat in his
shirt-sleeves a