some of the least explicable changes of manner are the most genuine, so it is not necessary to assign any reason for the fact that on the way back to the hotel jermyn and kate, who had both been under considerable restraint a few moments before, talked as freely and rapidly as if they had been acquainted for years. the only indication that there was more than one thought between them was the care with which they kept trixy in sight and reach, so that her little tongue could not wag until it had been put under proper curb by trixy's mother. on the other hand, they kept her far enough from them for her not to overhear anything that they were saying to each other, and their frequent recalls, whenever the child attempted to skip or run, had the effect of soon making trixy appear as if she were a prisoner under close guard.

even when the hotel was reached the child was kept within view yet out of hearing, while jermyn and kate sat down with trif. fortunately for them, harry and fenie just then thought of some one whom they wanted to find in the ball-room, and they were glad of some one who would keep trif from being alone.

jermyn began with military directness by saying:

"miss trewman, may i ask one of my oldest friends to congratulate me?"

"yes," kate replied, "if you will let her include me in the congratulations."

"oh, you dear people!" exclaimed trif. "there's nothing that i would rather have heard."

"you don't think it shockingly sudden?" asked kate.

"not i—considering what either of you might have missed by delay."

"i assure you," said kate, "that not a word would have been said about it for months—it all came so suddenly—if it hadn't been for trixy."

"where is that child?" asked jermyn, rising in alarm and looking in every direction.

"she's looking at her dolls," trif replied. "no, she isn't. dear me! i arranged those dolls for her on a chair not ten minutes ago."

"not ten minutes ago?" asked jermyn dreamily.

"it seems ten hours ago—ten days," whispered kate dreamily.

"my dear children," said trif, although kate was only three years younger than she and jermyn was older by several years, "you ought to be the happiest people alive, except phil and i; but to keep the matter to ourselves for a while, if only to divert attention and prevent impertinent curiosity while kate is down here—you know how some of the best of people will talk—don't tell any one—although i'm sure that i[pg 147] must tell fenie, who can't help telling harry, but no one else need know."

"but, my dear madam," said jermyn, once more rising and peering earnestly in every direction, "your interesting daughter already knows. i do wish i knew where to look for her."

"trixy knows? how on earth did she learn?"

"tell her—if you can," said kate to jermyn.

"i am sure that you would do it more gracefully," said jermyn.

"oh," began kate, "we were walking along the beach, talking about—never mind what. i hadn't the faintest idea how far we were from the hotel, and the first thing i knew we were near the lighthouse, and i didn't know that any one else was anywhere near us—indeed, i didn't think. just then mr. jermyn—oh, the artfulness of some men—mr. jermyn—he——"

"he suddenly recognized miss trewman as his superior officer for all time, and he made the salute which custom has sanctioned for such occasions," interrupted jermyn.

"very gracefully done," murmured kate with a tender look.

"what?—the salute? your remark encourages me to——"

"no, you horrid fellow; the explanation."

"but what has this to do with trixy?" asked trif.

"only this; it seems that she had been following us all the while, and she heard it."

trif pursed her lips a moment, and laughed before she said:

"i suppose that soldiers are so accustomed to noisy salutes that they don't always think——"

"oh," said kate, "i'm sure she didn't hear the kiss, because i didn't, and i think—oh, trif, you're too mean for anything! to make me——"

"i think i made some remarks afterward," said jermyn, "but they were interrupted by a shout of 'hurrah,' and on looking around we saw trixy."

"she shan't trouble you again!" exclaimed trif. "i'll take her home—to-morrow."

"please don't!" exclaimed kate.

"how could you be so cruel?" asked jermyn.

"you inconsistent, incomprehensible couple. a moment ago you were complaining that——"

"but haven't you any mercy for harry and fenie?" asked kate. "they are so ecstatically happy here."

"quite right, my dear!" said jermyn gravely. "harry and fenie, to be sure!"

"but they can see each other in new york quite as well as if they were here," argued trif.

"but what is to become of me?" asked kate. "if you go home, fenie will go with you, and harry will want to hurry after, and i can't remain here alone, and you are the only married woman of my acquaintance who is here, and who knows."

"my dear girl!" exclaimed trif. "i beg a thousand pardons. let me see; what can i do? i don't see what, except to caution trixy very carefully; and as she is the most conscientious little thing in the world, and——"

"and the leakiest," added kate.

"be quiet, kate! i won't have the dear child maligned. she never tells anything she is ordered not to—unless she is asked. i shall tell her that she will make great unhappiness for two people who love her dearly if she says anything to anybody about anything which she has heard or—ahem!—seen this evening. of course, no one will question her, for no one has any reason to suspect anything, and, of course, nothing in the manner of either of you will give any ground for curiosity."

"'twould be awful—simply too awful," moaned kate, "if anyone should learn what has happened on so short acquaintance. beside, i'd be the principal sufferer, whereas it wasn't in the least particular my fault."

"'twas all your fault, my dear," protested jermyn. "if you hadn't been the most incomparable woman in all the world——"

"please don't forget," interrupted kate, "that we are not alone."

"i'll take trixy aside at once," said trif, "and caution her thoroughly."

"you will make us everlastingly your debtors," said jermyn. "let me find her for you."

while the young man was absent, the two women talked as rapidly and earnestly and ecstatically as only women can talk about the most important event—but one—that can befall one of their sex. almost as soon as jermyn returned with the child, an orderly from the fort appeared with the word that the officer was wanted at his company quarters, so jermyn bade a reluctant adieu, and hurried away.

as he passed through the postern gate of the fort, he met an officer who seemed to be looking for some one, and who exclaimed:

"hurry along, old fellow! every one is waiting impatiently."

"every one waiting? what has happened?"

"you'll learn in a moment."

"has some high government official died, and are all the troops at the fort to attend the funeral?"

"no such bad luck; at any rate, you won't have to go into mourning." so saying, the officer led jermyn into the club, where the wondering man found several officers of his own rank, and all bachelors. as jermyn entered, all arose, with glasses in their hands, and one of them shouted:

"here's jermyn!"

"jermyn!" shouted the others in chorus, after which each man drained his glass and refilled it. then some one shouted:

"hats, off gentlemen! here's 'her!'"

"her!" responded the chorus, and again the glasses were drained.

"what are you fellows talking about?" asked jermyn, with a savage frown.

"don't lose your temper, old fellow," said one of the party. "you know that we're not given to prying into the personal affairs of our comrades, but this information came to us unsought."

"not only unsought," said lieutenant prewser, "but we did all in our power to avoid getting it—didn't we, groston?"

"indeed we did. we tried to change the[pg 151] subject of conversation, or, more properly speaking, of report, but she wouldn't have it. she got back to it every time, and she stuck to it until she had her say."

"she? who?"

"trixy."

"heavens!" muttered jermyn, while his face became very red.

"the accused displays the customary sign of guilt," remarked the oldest officer of the party.

"really, jermyn," said prewser, "i never met anyone who was more determined to talk. if i'd been alone i wouldn't have said anything about it, but as there were three of us, and we all tried to dissuade her, and she persisted in offering circumstantial evidence—ahem!—too strong to be set aside, we thought it only fair that we, who have fought and bled and died with you, or expect to do so, should be the first to congratulate you. to think of all the women who've angled for you, yet whom you've escaped! and you've made such a glorious capture, too! if we hadn't agreed that there should be only two toasts on this happy occasion, i should be in favor of our drinking also to trixy."

"confound her!" exclaimed jermyn, thinking only of kate's feelings should trixy have talked further before he captured her and led her to her mother, "are you fellows so foolish as to attach any importance to what a child like that may say?"

"does the accused desire that the evidence shall be reviewed, item by item, in his pres[pg 152]ence?" asked some one. "only three of us have heard it, but if the accused himself insists——"

"be quiet!" jermyn roared.

"your secret is safe with us, old fellow," said prewser, "as you know well, so forgive us if we've been a little effusive in our rejoicing for your sake. go to your quarters and to happy dreams. jove! how i envy you!"

"so—so say we all of us," repeated the others in unison, as jermyn beat a hasty retreat.

the miseries which jermyn wished trixy during the short walk from the club to his quarters quite out-heroded herod. once fairly by himself, however, his joy banished his anger. let the boys laugh among themselves! they all envied him, didn't they say so? how could he ever sleep, after so exciting an evening? what had he ever done that he should be so richly blessed as he would be with kate trewman for his wife?

there must have been a special providence watching over him in other days when he thought himself in love, even when he failed to win tryphosa wardlow, and, within a few days—how long passed they seemed!—when he could not keep the face of trif's pretty sister out of his mind, and wouldn't have done so if he could!

but how very long the coming night would be! he had known long nights while on picket, when his battery was on duty in the indian country and he had looked forward to them with dread, but now there would be twelve[pg 153] hours, at the very least, before he could again gaze upon the face of the woman who was all the world to him. what could he do to pass the time? study?—bosh! read? no; he must sleep, for he owed it to kate to appear his very best the next day. still, it was only ten o'clock; he never retired before eleven. he would read a little while; read some poetry—something he had done but little in late years.

he had read but a few minutes when there was a knock at the door and a servant handed him a letter addressed in writing which he did not recognize. he opened it and read:

we return to new york by the morning train. you had scarcely left us when two ladies whom i've known only two or three days came to tell me how glad they were of the news. when i learned what they meant i expressed surprise, but they said that every one in the hotel knew of it—some one had overheard trixy talking of it to two or three officers. that child!

sorrowfully,

kate.