old General. "She has had a sad
past, but she is a noble woman." And unheeding Lois's little sniff, he
told the whole story of Terpsichore, and the brave part she had played.
Spurred on by his feeling, he told it well, no less than did he the part
that Keith had played. When he was through, there had been tears in
Lois's eyes, and her bosom was still heaving.

"Thank you," she said simply, and the rest of the drive was in silence.

When General Keith left Brookford he was almost as much in love with his
young hostess as his son could have been, and all the rest of his
journey he was dreaming of what life might become if Gordon and she
would but take a fancy to each other, and once more return to the old
place. It would be like turning back the years and reversing the
consequences of the war.

* * * * *

The General, on his arrival in New York, was full of his visit to
Brookford and of Lois. "There is a girl after my own heart," he declared
to Gordon, with enthusiasm. "Why don't you go down there and get
that girl?"

Gordon put the question aside with a somewhat grim look. He was very
busy, he said. His plans were just ripening, and he had no time to think
about marrying. Besides, "a green country girl" was not the most
promising wife. There were many other women who, etc., etc.

"Many other women!" exclaimed the General. "There may be; but I have not
seen them lately. As to 'a green country girl'--why, they make the best
wives in the world if you get the right kind. What do you want? One of
these sophisticated, fashionable, strong-minded women--a woman's-rights
woman? Heaven forbid! When a gentleman marries, he wants a lady and he
wants a wife, a woman to love him; a lady to preside over his home, not
over a woman's meeting."

Gordon quite agreed with him as to the principle; but he did not know
about the instance cited.

"Why, I thought you had more discernment," said the old gentleman. "She
is the sweetest creature I have seen in a long time. She has both sense
and sensibility. If I were forty years younger, I should not be
suggesting her to you, sir. I should be on my knees to her for myself."
And the old fellow buttoned his coat, straightened his figure, and
looked quite spirited and young.

At the club, where Gordon introduced him, his father soon became quite a
toast. Half the habitues of the "big room" came to know him, and he was
nearly always surrounded by a group liste