orely tried. He told Cranston something of it as they walked away
together after loading Mart with provisions and fruit at the corner
grocery. Together they stopped to see Dr. Francis and have a brief chat
with him about his patient, and then Cranston mounted and rode
thoughtfully back to camp at the lake front. Captain Davies, with his
troop, had just returned from a long day's dusty, dirty, exasperating
duty at the stock-yards, and no sooner had he made his brief report than
the major queried, "Do you happen to know whether Forrest is back with
his regiment?"

"He was commanding his company at the yards to-day, sir. I heard he
returned four days ago."

"H'm!" said the major, reflectively: "I think I'll stroll over to-night
and find Kenyon."

They were both sons of Chicago, these two field officers, and had always
been close friends. Forrest, however, was a New Yorker, many years their
junior in the service. Cranston had liked him well, yet now he felt that
he should be glad to consult Kenyon, who had known him still longer, for
that which he had heard from Wells as they walked to the doctor's filled
him with vague anxiety. In common with most society people, Cranston
shared the belief that, if not actually engaged to Florence Allison,
Forrest certainly would be as soon as old Allison's objections were
removed; but in speaking of the probable cause of Miss Wallen's illness
Wells had used some vehement language. Plainly the librarian told
Cranston of the stormy interview between Allison and himself, in which,
in presence of Mr. Waldo and "that man Elmendorf," Allison had demanded
her discharge. Plainly he told him his own views of Miss Wallen's
character and conduct, and what his wife thought of her,--that she was a
girl to be honored and admired and respected above her kind; "but," said
he, "Mr. Forrest always treated her as though he thought so too, and it
may be that she learned to care for him before she had heard about his
being a suitor for the hand of Miss Allison. I sent the girl who was
temporarily occupying her place back into the library when we had our
talk," said Wells, "but I reckon she didn't go beyond the passage-way
and heard pretty much the whole thing. Allison bellowed, like the bull
he is, and perhaps I did, too. Still, it hadn't occurred to me to
question her on the subject, though I was minded to tell her if she had
heard anything she was on no account to repeat it or any part of it; but
Miss Wa