The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-10-05

have been ten miles away herself. Gre
Vile therefore thought that she was an
cry, and his heart was filled with con-
triton. Yet he was old and wise enough
to be a first lieutenant. He walked be-
humble detection she could not under
stand.
The next morning 1t was Burton's turn.
Greville was over on the range now, vain
ly trying to bring his record up to where
fred at a white pasteboard box cover and
hit it three times out of 20. She was ju-
bilant, and 80 was Burton, because she
was making such progress under bis tut.
ton.
"That's an easy carbins to shoot, Isn't
it?" she asked as they wandered home.
at isn't at all hard to pull the trigger"
Burton glanced at her, and she met his
eyes innocently. tits Just like any other
trigger" he told her.
"Yes. Of course. And 10 that the very
same earbine you use IN the competition
the one you shot with yesterday aud viii
use this afternoon when you finish upS"'
He told her that 1t was.
well" she said complacently. II think
I'm doing very nicely. don't your ] hit
the target three times. and my first finger
doesn't hurt bit-this morning"
That afternoon the competition came to
an end. with Burton q good many points
ahead of Greville. and that night there
was the big hop. It had been understood
from the first that the man who won was
to take Miss Mivart to the hop. So she
went over with Burton and gave him one
third of her dances. Greville had another
third. and the rest were open to the post
at large.
Greville did not look happy at all. 1t
was not the target record he minded. He
never thought about that. 1t was having
to 90 down the board walk to the hop
room behind Burton and to watch Miss
Mivart leaning on his arm and looking up
into his face from under the white mists
of her lace hood. He was not consoled
at all when she looked up into his own
face even more sweetly at the beginning
of the second dance and whispered that
she was $50 sorry"
Now, as the second dance had been
Greville's. the third was Burton's. That
was the way it had been arranged. As
the band began the waltz Miss Mivart
stood beside Greville in the center of
quite group. The commanding officer
was In the group. SO was Burton's cap
tain. and 80 was the adjutant. There
were some others as well. and also some
women. Miss Mivart may have chosen
that position. or it may simply have hap
pened so.
Anyway Just as the waltz started Bur
ton. light hearted and light footed. came
skipping and sliding over the candle
waxed floor and pushed his way into the
midst. ours" he said triumphantly.
But Miss Mivart did not heed him at
once. She was telling them all how she
had learned to shoot a carbine as well as
any one, and they-the men. at any rate
were hanging on her words.
"Mr. Greville taught me-" she said.
land so did Mr.. Burton" This was the
first either had known of the Others part
in it. and they exchanged look. They
taught me with their own carbines. too,
the very same ones they used themselves
in the competition. But shot best with
Mr.. Burton's carbine. He must have
fixed his trigger to pull more easily. II
was almost like-what do you call 1t, q
hair trigger?
She looked about for an answer and
saw on their faces a stare Of stony hor,
ror and surprise. They had moved o
little away from Burton. and the COM
manding officers steely eyes were on his
face. The face had turned white even
with the sunburn. and Buttons voice
was Just a triae unsteady as he spoke.
"This is our dance, think, Miss Mi
vart," he said.
The innocent, round. blue orbs looked
Just a little coldly into his. e'sNo." she
told him. 81 think you are mistaken. II
is Mr.. Grevilles dance" And she turned
and laid her hand on Greville's arm
Argonaut.