t her father looked
very, very solemn at the idea of her falling in love with a cavalry
officer, and could not be reconciled to it, but one evening he came home
late from New York,--he had been at a dinner at the Union Club, and
there was introduced to General S----, who sat next him, and in some way
he asked about Mr. Ray, and the general said there wasn't a braver man
or finer officer in the cavalry, and spoke of him in such a glowing way
that Mr. Sanford came home radiant. Well, excepting my Jack, the general
was right." And Jack's answer was that he thought it would be an
excellent plan for Mrs. Grace to take Baby Jack and a "two months'
leave," and go East and exhibit her glory and delight to grandpapa and
grandmamma, and see Marion married. Mrs. Stannard was to start by June
30,--why not go with her? The California mining venture--his old Arizona
investment--would fully warrant the extravagance. Many a woman will
refrain from attending the gayest of balls because her Strephon cannot
be there, but where is the woman who can resist a wedding? Grace went,
as a matter of course.

What pen can describe the sensation that had shaken society to its
foundation when it began to leak out that the lovely Miss Sanford,
eldest daughter of the Honorable Blank Sanford,--plutocrat,--was going
to marry an army officer? This, then, was the reason why swains from
Philadelphia and New York had sighed in vain all that winter. Ever since
November she had been the acknowledged belle, frank, joyous, radiant,
gracious, winning, a woman all men worshipped and all women envied. "I
wish I could find something in her to criticise," was the despairing
summary of a would-be rival. "She is so courteous, so considerate, so
generous, so hopelessly regardful of everybody else's rights and
feelings. _I_ don't think she's a radiant beauty. You cannot but see
defects in her features, but who ever saw a more winning face? I don't
wonder everybody, old and young, is simply fascinated by her. I watched
her there all last evening when they had that little party. She was
surrounded every moment. She was having the best kind of time, but her
eyes were everywhere watching to see that everybody was entertained, and
no sooner was a woman left alone for an instant than she was by her side
with a gracious word--or a man. It is so everywhere she goes. Now, who
on earth can this officer be? What's an officer like, anyhow?"

It was no isolated opinion. Marion Sanf