n
criticism. It is of him, not of yourself, that I feel it my duty to
speak. I should be disloyal to my employer, to my friends, to my own
sense of honor and propriety, were I to keep silence. I know whereof I
speak when I say that he is unfit to step within these doors, to presume
to address you even as an acquaintance; and if you will but listen----"

"But I won't listen. I forbid your ever daring to speak to me in any
such way or on any such subject again." And, so saying, Miss Allison
swept angrily from the room.

Elmendorf shrugged his shoulders. "You see," he said, in the
high-pitched, querulous tone that so closely resembled a whine, "you see
the hopelessness of arguing with a woman in love. I have only succeeded
in making another enemy, and my position here will become all the more
embarrassing."

"In so far as I can uphold you, Mr. Elmendorf," said Mrs. Lawrence,
promptly, "you may count upon me. Flo is stubborn and hot-headed. She
looks upon Mr. Forrest as a hero, whereas he is really a detriment to
her social future. I rejoice in his being ordered West, and hope the
duty will keep him a long time away from Chicago."

"Ah! did he say he was ordered away on any special duty?" asked Mr.
Elmendorf.

"I certainly so understood Florence."

Mr. Elmendorf elevated his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders anew.
"That is very unlike the story that was told me at head-quarters," said
he, significantly.

"What was that?" asked Mrs. Lawrence, with prompt and pardonable
curiosity.

"That he was ordered away--under a cloud--in order to put an end to
probable scandal."

"Gambling?" asked Mrs. Lawrence, whose own first-born left college
prematurely because of fatal propensities in that line.

"W-e-l-l," answered Elmendorf, pursing up his lips, "I won't say there
may not have been something of that kind, but the main trouble is more
serious. I speak from excellent authority in saying that the general
gave him just sixteen hours in which to pack and start, fixing the noon
train to-day as the limit,--very probably to prevent his seeing
the--er--woman in the case again."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER III.

Miss Allison declined to come down to dinner that night, and Mrs.
Lawrence had no power to compel her attendance. What she hoped was that
when Mr. Allison came in he would send his mandate; but Mr. Allison did
not come. Instead there was a messenger from the club. Mr. Allison was
unexpecte