te him!"

Luigi stared at her in amazement. He scarce could keep pace with her
rapid walk that was almost a run. Her cheeks were aflame; her eyes
filled with tears. All her pent up wretchedness of the last two months,
all her outraged love, her womanhood's humiliation, a sense of life's
bitter injustice and of her impotence to avenge the wrong put upon her
affections, found vent in these three words. And Luigi, seeing Aileen
Armagh changed into something that an hour before he would not have
believed possible, was gripped by a sudden fear,--he must know the truth
for his own peace of mind,--and, under its influence, he laid his hand
on her arm and brought her to a standstill.

Rag snarled another warning; Aileen thrust him aside with her foot.

"What has he done to you to make you hate him so?"

Because he spoke slowly, Aileen thought he was speaking calmly. Had she
not been carried away by her own strength of feeling, she would have
known that she might not risk the answer she gave him.

"Done to me?--nothing; what could he do?--but I hate him--I never want
to see his face again!"

She was beside herself with anger and shame. It was the tone of Luigi's
voice that brought her to her senses; in a flash she recalled Octavius
Buzzby's warning about playing with "volcanic fires." It was too late,
however, to recall her words.

"Luigi, I've said too much; you don't understand--now let's drop it."
She drew away her arm from beneath his hand, and resumed her rapid walk
up the driveway, Rag trotting after her.

"And you mean what you say--you never want to see him again?" He spoke
again slowly.

"Never," she said firmly.

Luigi made no reply. They were nearing the house. She turned to him when
they reached the steps.

"Luigi,"--she put out her hand and he took it in both his,--"forget what
I've said about another and forgive me for what I've had to say to
yourself--we've always been such good friends, that now--"

She was ready with the smile that captivated him, but it was a tremulous
one for she smiled through tears; she was thinking of the contrast.

"And always will be, Aileen, when we both know for good and all that we
can be nothing more to each other," he answered gently.

She was grateful to him; but she turned away and went up the steps
without saying good-bye.

X

"'Gad, I wish I was well out of it!"

For the first time within the memory of Elmer Wiggins and Lawyer Emlie,
who heard the Colonel'