re looking into her animated face as though he loved every feature in
it,--or was it Ray? Both of them could hardly keep their eyes off her an
instant. She was a puzzle to Dandy. She was an angel to his master.

"He was hit twice, was he not?" she asked; and when he showed her the
scars, she mourned over them like a mother over a baby's bumped
forehead.

"I declare, Mr. Ray is growing positively handsome!" said Mrs. Stannard,
looking out of the window at the pretty group. "How delighted he is that
Miss Sanford should make so much of Dandy!" she added, turning to Mrs.
Truscott, who lay there very white and weary looking.

Grace smiled. "I must creep up to the window and see," she said; and for
a moment they gazed in silence. He was bending down over her, so bright
and brave and gallant, that the next thing the two ladies looked
suddenly into each other's face, smiling suggestively.

"Just what I was thinking!" said Mrs. Stannard, laughing; and there
seemed no need to ask what the simultaneous thought could be. Then they
looked out again. "Oh!" said Mrs. Truscott, impatiently, "I wish she
would keep away!" for down came Mrs. Turner, all smiles and white
muslin, to join them. That woman could never understand that she could
be _de trop_, was Mrs. Stannard's reflection, but it was characteristic
of her that she gave the (possibly) disproportioned thought no
utterance. Ray lifted his cap with his customary grace and courtesy, but
looked only moderately rejoiced at the coming of even so bewitching an
addition to Dandy's circle of admirers. Possibly some years of
experience at poker had given him such admirable control of all facial
expression as to enable him to disguise the annoyance he really felt.
Ray couldn't bear "humbug" in any form, and when horses were the
subjects of discussion he was fiercely intolerant of the wise looks and
book-inspired remarks of the would-be authorities in the regiment. To
his cavalry nature the horse had an affiliation that was simply strong
as a friendship. Nothing could shake Ray's conviction in the reasoning
powers, the love, loyalty, gratitude, and devotion of the animal that
from his babyhood he had looked upon as a companion,--almost as a
confidant. He had little faith in Mrs. Turner's voluble admiration of
Dandy. To use his Blue Grass vernacular, he "didn't take any stock (he
called it stawk) in that sort of gush." He knew that there was only one
four-legged domestic animal of which M