d and fresh
vegetables dreadfully expensive.

"Mrs. Ruthven is comfortable and happy in the luxury provided. She is
very sweet and docile with us all--and we are careful not to irritate
her or to have anything intrude which might excite or cause the
slightest shock to her.

"Yesterday, standing at the window, she caught sight of a passing negro,
and she turned to me like a flash and said:

"'The Tenth Cavalry were there!'

"She seemed rather excited for a moment--not unpleasantly--but when I
ventured to ask her a question, she had quite forgotten it all.

"I meant to thank you for sending me the revolver and cartridges. It
seemed a silly request, but we are in a rather lonely place, and I think
Miss Bond and I feel a little safer knowing that, in case of necessity,
we have _something_ to frighten away any roaming intruder who might take
it into his head to visit us.

"One thing we must be careful about: yesterday Mrs. Ruthven had a doll
on my bed, and I sat sewing by the window, not noticing what she was
doing until I heard her pretty, pathetic little laugh.

"And _what_ do you think she had done? She had discovered your revolver
under my pillow, and she had tied her handkerchief around it, and was
using it as a doll!

"I got it away with a little persuasion, but at times she still
asks for her 'army' doll--saying that a boy she knew, named Philip,
had sent it to her from Manila, where he was living.

"This, Captain Selwyn, is all the news. I do not think she will
begin to fret for you again for some time. At first, you remember,
it was every other day, then every three or four days. It has now
been a week since she asked for you. When she does I will, as
usual, telegraph you.

"With many thanks for your kindness to us all, "Very respectfully
yours,

"Mary Casson."

Selwyn read this letter sitting before the fire in the living-room, feet
on the fender, pipe between his teeth. It was the first day of absolute
rest he had had in a long while.

The day before he had been at the Hook until almost dark, watching the
firing of a big gun, and the results had been so satisfactory that he
was venturing to give himself a holiday--unless wanted at Edgewater.

But the morning had brought this letter; Alixe was contented and
comfortable. So when Boots, after breakfast, went off to his Air Line
office, Selwyn permitted himself the luxury of smoking-jacket and
s