Evening journal., 1892-07-30

That night, despite the long hours in
the saddle, the young officers had hidden
their lady friends to an informal dance
in the hoproom. It was just week
after Nita Guthrie's adventure, and al
ready, except in the thoughts of two or
three men, that strange affair was a
thing Of the past. People had settled
down TO an acceptance of her own ex-
PLANTATION of the cause, not that il was
entirely satisfactory, but because no
other seemed plausible. Just why a girl
should have been rendered nervous and
upset because she had had a proposal,
Mrs. Vance of course could not under
rtand-"especially said she, ga girl
who was reputed to have had so many
offers" 1t was laughingly remarked by
various military benedicts that since the
moment when Miss Guthrie's scream Of
terror had appalled, the garrison the
danes and damsels of their several
households had shown an unwonted de-
gree of tiInidity in visiting about the post
after nightfall, and that much more
than the traditional amount Of hunting
behind curtains and under bedsteads
was now going on.
Berrien was especially jocular, and
more than ever disposed to tell his
cronies in her presence that Berengaria
had said this or Berengaria had done
that, the this or that being something
more than usually absurd or improbable.
But in the conversations held of late in
the sanctty of Berengaria's boudoir the
major had been anything but jocular.
There was one incident of that evening
that had caused him deep perplexity.
He had never for moment forgotten
his wife's allusions 10 Winifred-Wini-
fred, the apple of his eye. The possi-
bility of her having lost her young heart
to, or even having come to feel more
than passing interest in, Carroll Brew
ster was something that troubled him
far more than he cared TO admit. Like
many another father he had gone on
fancying his daughter only a child
one to whom the idea of falling in love
would not present itself for years to
come, and then only On parental init
nation that it was expected Of her.
Personally and officially he had nothing
against Brewster. He liked him quite
as well as he did any of the junior Of
icers, and he liked most of them very
much indeed. It was as soldierly, man
ly lot of young fellows as one could
ask to see, but in the close comradeship
and intimacy of frontier life men get to
know one another so thoroughly and so
well that the foibles. weaknesses and
waywardness of the animal are apt to
be far more prominently mentioned in
garrison chat than his sterling or lovable
traits. Some men, it may be said, have
to die before their virtues can be in the
least appreciated.
More than once had the major closely
interrogated his wife as TO the reason of
her statement. Had the young fellow
dared to speak to Winifred without first
asking his permission: Had Winifred
dared to fall in love before-but no, that
was impossible. "What makes you
think she cares for himf" GLOW do you
knowr "Why should she care for him
anyhow" were the impatient questions
that rose to his lips To one and all
she had simply replied that she knew be.
cause she knew-woman's unanswerablt
reason. No, Winifred had not told her
They had never exchanged a word upor
the subject. No, Mr.. Brewster had moi
spoken, if by that was meant of love OF
marriage, for Winifred would have tol6
her on the instant. But half a dozen
other people had spoken. The whole
garrison could see he was deeply in love
with her. Every glance, word, gesture
act, told the story with unerring Ger
tainty. Us there a day, is there al