Year: 1879

anu ne udu Always Deen sDy, ana neIa
himself so aloof, that perhaps he did not
discover there was but little cordlality in
their courtesy. And presently he ex-
changed into another regiment, which
went on foreign service.


He was away for several years, and in
the fortunes of war he got rapidly pro-
NOTED, SO that when he returned home,
though he was still young, hR was no
longer poor nobody.


When he landed in his own country
he found letter awaiting him, written
by one who had sat near him at that
memorable dinner party, and who was
now residing in the old castle where the
general and Lady Elizabeth had been
guests. This letter pressed him, in the
warmest terms, to spend some of his
earliest days in England at this very cas-
tie, and to give many old friends who
were in the neighborhood an opportu-
nifty of meeting and congratulating him.
Ensign Ransom, now Colonel Ransom,
smiled little strangely when he read
his invitation, but he wrote very po-
lite reply and accepted 1t.


Once more he sat in the stately old
banquet-room of the fort. This time he
had not walked in from the bleakest end
of the town, but had been taken from the
castle in the chariot of the castle owner.
But as he took his seat in the chair of
honor, he noticed that every face at the
table was, in all its changes, familiar TO
him. All of the guests at the former
dinner were not there. Many of those,
indeed, he well knew, were sleeping on
battle-felds far away. But nobody was
at this dinner who had not been at the
other one.


Once more the dishes were removed
and the servants withdrawn. Theguest
of this evening was no wonderful story
teller, like the good old general, who has
now passed to his rest. Colonel Ransom
was as taciturn as Ensign Ransom was
shy, and he even let the conversation
flag and never seemed to notice 1t.


Colonel" said the eldest gentleman
of the party, speaking with visible eff
fort, and giving slight cough, to veil
his embarrassment, "Colonel, think
we all remember another time when we
dined together here"


Certainly 1 remember it, answered
the Colonel, lifting his gray eyes with q
cool light in them.


Colonel, we fancy you think some
of us did you ill-justice then. At least a
lady says you felt so = Lady Elizabeth,
the good old generals widow. If what
we are going to do is any way painful to
you, l hope you will pardon us, for we
are only following her counsel. Colonel,
there was box lost that evening. Here
1t is."


Yes, there 1t was, cleaning once more
in the light which danced gaily upon it.
The Colonel looked at it calmly, and
asked:


Where was 1t found 7"


His composure was exceedingly dis
concerting. Another gentleman, feel
ing that the first had done his part, now
took up the parable.


1t was found in the very chair in
which you are now seated, colonel" he
said. . You will remember that the
general sat there on that night. II
must have found its way back to the
generals own hand, and in the interest
and excitement of his story telling he
must have intended to slip it back into
his pocket, which, If you recollect, was
the first place where he sought it. In
stead of that, 1t evidently escaped the
proper orifice and dropped into the COW
ering of the chair, that covering was
very thick and heavy, and hung in lap.
pets about its legs. Part Of it was un.
sewn, and this box dropped between the
damask and the lining and remained
there safely and unseen, till the chair
was recovered last year."


Gentleman" said the colonel, with
his accustomed calmness, though hi:
lips trembled a little, " cannot wonder
II some of you thought my conduct sus.
picious. thank you heartily for show.
ing me your brotherly delight that those
suspicious were unfounded."


At the bottom of the table sat the
spiteful old major (he was on halfpay
now, and more spiteful than ever) and
he thought within himself that there
was no telling whether Ensign Ransom
had not taken some subsequent oppor
tunity of getting rid of his dangerou;
booty into the hole in the damask, and
that mystery could not be called cleareC
up. unless the colonel had explained