ers where his wife could nurse him, and
the surgeon allowed it, after dressing his cuts and bruises."

Anita still looked so grave that Colonel Fortescue said to her:

"How about a ride this afternoon, Anita? We can get back in time for
you to dress for the dinner."

"Do go, Anita," urged Mrs. Fortescue plaintively, "it is such a relief
to have your father out of the house when I am arranging for a dinner
of twenty-four."

It was one of the great treats of Anita's simple life to ride with her
father and the proposition brought a smile, at last, into her serious
face.

"At four, then," said the Colonel, rising to return to the headquarters
building, while Anita ran to get his cap, and Mrs. Fortescue fastened
his military cape around him, and his gloves were brought by the
After-Clap, who had been drilled in this duty. The Colonel was well
coddled, and liked it.

Anita practised on her violin nearly the whole afternoon, and, not
satisfied with that, sent a message to Neroda asking him to come at six
o'clock, when she would have returned from her ride, and rehearse with
her once more the obligatos she was to play to Broussard's singing.

Anita's spirits rose as she rode by her father's side in the biting
cold of the wintry afternoon. They both loved these rides together and
the long talks they had then. The time was, when Colonel Fortescue
felt that he knew every thought in Anita's mind, but not so any longer.
He began to speak of Broussard, to try and search Anita's mind on that
subject, but Anita remained absolutely silent. The Colonel's heart
sank; Anita was certainly growing up, and had secrets of her own.

It was quite dark when the Colonel and Anita cantered through the lower
entrance, the short way to the C. O.'s house. One door alone was open
in the long row of red brick barracks. The electric light in the
passageway fell full upon the figures of Broussard and Mrs. Lawrence as
the woman impulsively put her hand on Broussard's shoulder; he gently
removed it and walked quickly out of the door. Under the glare of a
street lamp he came face to face with Colonel Fortescue.

An officer visiting the wife of a private soldier is not a thing to be
excused by a strict Colonel, and Colonel Fortescue was very strict, and
had Argus eyes in the bargain.

Broussard saluted the Colonel and bowed to Anita and passed on. The
Colonel returned the salute but Anita was too startled to acknowledge
the bow. When the