s been wholly unfitting an officer and a gentleman. If I did my
full duty I'd order you in arrest at once, and have you brought to trial
before a general court-martial. You have visited upon yourself a
disgrace that you can't wipe out in a year. You have--but what's the
use? You wouldn't understand!"

"I'm a little dull just now, sir," agreed Algy. "But after a bath and a
long night's sleep I'll be as fresh as ever."

"You'll have neither bath nor sleep!" retorted the colonel testily.
"You'll go to your quarters and get into your uniform without a moment's
delay. You'll be back here in fifteen minutes, or I'll order you in
arrest. And you'll finish out your tour of guard duty. You'll be on duty
and awake, sir, until the old guard goes off to-morrow morning. More,
you'll remain all that time at the guard house, so that the sergeant of
the guard can be sure that you are awake."

"Good heavens!" murmured Algy.

"Further, Mr. Ferrers, until further orders, you will not step off the
limits of the post without express permission from either myself or
Major Silsbee. Now, go to your quarters, sir--and don't dare to be gone
more than fifteen minutes."

Lieutenant Prescott, hearing some one move in Mr. Ferrers' rooms, looked
in inquiringly.

"Oh, but I'm in an awful hurry. I've got to get back to that beastly
colonel," explained Algy.

"Beastly? Colonel North is a fine old brick!" retorted Prescott
indignantly.

"Well, he has an--er--most peculiar temper at times," insisted Algy.
"Why, he seemed positively annoyed because I had obeyed the social
instinct and had gone away to meet old friends of our family."

"Have you any idea what you did to-day?" demanded Lieutenant Prescott.
"Ferrers, you've been guilty of conduct that is sufficient to get an
officer kicked out of the service for good and all."

"And just between ourselves," sputtered Algy, "I don't believe the
officer would lose much by the operation. Have you any idea of the
social importance of the Douglas-Fraziers and of the----"

"Oh, hang the Douglas-Fraziers and all their works," uttered Prescott
disgustedly. "Algy, are you ever going to become a soldier?"

"You're as bad as the colonel!" muttered Ferrers. "What the Army needs
is a little more exact understanding of social life and its
obligations."

"Let me help you on with your sword," interrupted Prescott dryly.
"You're getting it tangled up between your legs."

"I'm excited, that's why," returned F