hat love? whose love? and what has that to do with the
fidelity of the Pottowatomies?"

"The love of Wau-nan-gee, the once gentle and modest son of Winnebeg,
who, scarce three months since, could not gaze into a white woman's
eyes without melting softness beaming from his own, and the
rich, ripe peach-blush crimsoning his dark cheek."

"And what now?" questioned Captain Headley, seriously.

"My love," resumed Mrs. Headley, placing her hand emphatically on
his shoulder, "you know I have never concealed from you anything
that regarded myself. I have had no secrets from you; but this is
one which affects another. Except for the present aspect of affairs,
when you should be duly informed of that which bears reference to
our immediate position, I should have felt myself bound by every
tie of delicacy and honor, not less than of inclination, to have
kept confined to my own bosom that which I am now to reveal in the
fullest confidence, on the sole understanding that the slightest
allusion shall never be made by you hereafter to the subject."

"This becomes mysterious," rejoined the commandant, smiling; "but
Ellen, pleasantry apart, I promise you most truly--and, shall I
add, on the honor of an officer and a gentleman, that your disclosure
shall be sacred."

"Good! now that I have quieted my own mind, by exacting from you
what in fact was not absolutely necessary, I will explain as briefly
as I can. Do you recollect the evening of Maria Heywood's marriage
with Ronayne?"

"Yes."

"And you remarked the agitation evinced by Wau-nan-gee, during the
ceremony, and particularly at the close, when Ronayne, as customary,
kissed his bride?"

"I noticed that there was some confusion caused by his abrupt
departure, but I neither knew nor inquired the cause; I was too
interested in the performance of the ceremony to think of anything
but the happiness that awaited them, and which they appeared so
much to desire themselves."

"Well, no matter; but you must know that all the agitation of the
youth was caused by his jealousy of the good fortune of Ronayne."

"Jealous of Ronayne?" exclaimed Captain Headley with unfeigned
surprise. "Ha! ha! ha! excuse me, my dear Ellen, but I cannot
avoid being amused at the strangeness of the conceit."

"It was even so," returned Mrs. Headley, gravely, "and a source of
unhappiness I fear it will prove to us all that it was so."

"Proceed," said her husband.

"Are you aware that the son of Winn