ng
towards his betrothed; but she had been unwilling to think that it
amounted even to coldness. Such a change could be explained in a hundred
natural ways, and might, indeed, exist merely in her own imagination.

"Oh, he's not the same as he was!" cried Mary, "I don't know what it is,
but I feel it in his whole manner. Yesterday evening he barely said a
word."

James had dined with the Clibborns in solemn state.

"I daresay he's not very well yet. His wound troubles him still."

"I try to put it down to that," said Mary, "but he seems to force
himself to speak to me. He's not natural. I've got an awful fear that he
has ceased to care for me."

She looked from Colonel Parsons to his wife, who stared at her in
dismay.

"Don't be angry with me," she said; "I couldn't talk like this to anyone
else, but I know you love me. I look upon you already as my father and
mother. I don't want to be unkind to mamma, but I couldn't talk of it to
her; she would only sneer at me. And I'm afraid it's making me rather
unhappy."

"Of course, we want you to treat us as your real parents, Mary. We both
love you as we love Jamie. We have always looked upon you as our
daughter."

"You're so good to me!"

"Has your mother said anything to annoy you?"

Mary faltered.

"Last night, when he went away, she said she didn't think he was devoted
to me."

"Oh, I knew it was your mother who'd put this in your head! She has
always been jealous of you. I suppose she thinks he's in love with her."

"Mrs. Parsons!" cried Mary, in a tone of entreaty.

"I know you can't bear anything said against your mother, and it's
wicked of me to vex you; but she has no right to suggest such things."

"It's not only that. It's what I feel."

"I'm sure Jamie is most fond of you," said Colonel Parsons, kindly.
"You've not seen one another for five years, and you find yourselves
altered. Even we feel a little strange with Jamie sometimes; don't we,
Frances? What children they are, Frances!" Colonel Parsons laughed in
that irresistibly sweet fashion of his. "Why, it was only the day before
yesterday that Jamie came to us with a long face and asked if you cared
for _him_."

"Did he?" asked Mary, with pleased surprise, anxious to believe what the
Colonel suggested. "Oh, he must see that I love him! Perhaps he finds me
unresponsive.... How could I help caring for him? I think if he ceased
to love me, I should die."

"My dearest Mary," cried Mrs. Parsons,