most lovable of men.
He has simply mocked at life--the life he used to know."

"Yes; I suppose that was the way of it," she said pensively. "In one of
his brief messages he spoke of a young woman who had interested him, but
I never can tell when he's serious--"

Archie met the question promptly.

"A charming young girl, Ruth Hastings, whose antecedents and connections
are the best. You need have no fears on that score. You shall see her,
very soon."

She permitted him to describe the meeting with Ruth and Isabel at
Rochester, and her face betrayed relief and pleasure as he made it clear
that the Governor's romance was in no way discreditable.

"It is curious, and in his own way of looking at things may be
significant, that your telegram reached me on the day following the
seventh anniversary of the beginning of his exile."

"He had looked forward to the seventh anniversary as marking the end of
the dark influences; he believed there would be a vast change in his
affairs."

"If only he lives!" she exclaimed. "Is it possible that he can ever step
back into the world he left?"

"You may be sure he has planned a return, with marriage at the very
threshold."

"Then God grant that he may live!" she said fervently.

The following evening, after Dr. Mosgrove's visit had left their hopes
high, Archie carried her to Heart o' Dreams. Happiness shone in the
stars over the northern waters. Putney Congdon and his wife were
enjoying to the full the peace that followed upon the storms of their
married life. They had established themselves in a tent on the outskirts
of the camp and declared that they might remain there forever. A girl
bugler sounded taps and the lights went out, leaving tired and happy
youth to the fellowship of dreams.

Isabel gave Archie no opportunity to speak to her alone, and he found
her aloofness dismaying. Her scruples against hearing protestations of
love from a man she believed she had injured were creditable to her
conscience, but Archie was all impatient to shatter them. She made a
candid confession to Mrs. Congdon, with Putney and Archie standing by.

"With malice aforethought I practiced my vampirish arts upon these two
men! And, Alice, the crudest thing you could do would be to forgive me!
I couldn't bear it. I flirted with Mr. Congdon; not only that but I took
advantage of his distress over his father's efforts to estrange you two
to counsel him to lead a reckless, devil-may-care existenc