ain,
and attend the council. Pardon me that I have been the cause of
detaining you so late, and believe me when I say that deeply do I
thank you for the interest you have taken in me."

"God bless you, Ronayne! Alas, you are not alone in, your trials--much
of moment awaits us all. Good night!"

And, assuming her disguise, she speedily regained her home.

CHAPTER X.

"Ne'er may he live to see a sunshine day that cries--Retire,
when Warwick bids him stay."
--_Henry IV._

On the western bank of the south side of the Chicago River, and
opposite to Fort Dearborn, stood the only building which, with the
exception of the cottage of Mr. Heywood on the opposite shore, and
already alluded to, could at all come under the classification of
a dwelling-house. The owner of this mansion, as it was generally
called, which rose near the junction of the river with Lake Michigan,
was a gentleman who had been long a resident and trader in the
neighborhood, and between whom and the Pottowatomie Indians in
particular, a good understanding had always existed. Several
voyageurs, consisting of French Canadians and half-breeds, constituted
his establishment, and in the course of his speculations, chiefly
in furs, with the several tribes, he had amassed considerable
wealth. He was, in fact, the only person of any standing or education
outside the wall of the fort itself, and of course the only civilian,
besides Mr. Heywood--whom, however, they far less frequently
saw--the officers of the garrison could associate with. His house
was the abode of hospitality, and as, in his trading capacity, he
had opportunities of procuring many even of the luxuries of life
from Detroit and Buffalo, which were not within the reach of the
inmates of the fort, much of the monotony which would have attached
to a society purely military, however gifted or sufficient to their
mutual happiness, was thus avoided. His library was ample, and
there was scarcely an author of celebrity (the world was not overrun
with them in those days), either historian, essayist, or novelist,
whose works were not to be found on the shelves of his massive
black walnut bookcase, made by the hands of his own people from
the most gigantic trees of that genus that could be found in
Illinois. He had, moreover, for the amusement of the officers of
the little garrison, prepared a billiard room, where many a rainy
hour was passed, when the sports of the chase and of the prai