and heartache he will cause that poor little girl, and how utterly powerless I am to help her, I feel sometimes as if I-I could kill him.” And Jack brought his fist down with a bang on the cannon.

During this recital Miss Cole came to a pretty accurate conclusion of the state of affairs. Jack's unconscious softening of the voice and tender smile when speaking of Lilian, and his deep indignation against Hervey, were a revelation to this girl, who, accustomed to take a cynical, hardened view of life, now saw with wondering eyes a true, perfect, and noble love, a love so disinterested, so sacrificing, no thought of self was present; a love so generous its only aim was to give the woman it worshiped to the man she loved. See her happy, then go on its way rejoicing-alone.

"But the awakening will come," sighed Nannie Cole; "and oh! I do pity him when he discovers how much he loves her. If this Lilian has one jot of common sense she will discard that frivolous creature and reward this honest man; but she won't, and he is so good. What fools girls are."

Such thoughts passing through her mind gave a gentler expression to the almost too bright eyes, and her voice was truthfully tremulous as she answered him, causing Jack to turn and be hardly less surprised than gratified to find actual tear-drops shining on her heavy lashes.

"I suppose it is a very old story. One reads so much of woman's faith and man's desertion, etc.,-and vice versa, for I think we are quite as bad, but I never had it so brought home to me before; and yet, I can't help thinking how much better it would be for her if Mr. Norvell did marry some one else. She might get over it, and she could be so much happier with a better man."

"You don't understand," answered Jack, innocently, but somehow comforted by this reasoning, although not believing in it. "This affection of hers has grown up with her: they were boy and girl lovers, and Lilian is not the kind of a woman to have two loves in a lifetime. If Hervey does forget her, no one will ever know she suffered, but I believe she will die." And Jack's voice broke almost in a sob, for which weakness Miss Cole liked him none the less. "But what a dreary morning I have given you! It is awfully good in you to listen so well to my woful tale. I can't expect you to be as interested as I am; indeed, you might say as it is not my affair you wonder why I trouble myself or any one else about it. But Hervey has always been my friend, and there is no woman on earth whom I venerate more than Lilian. Indeed, Miss Cole, faith in womankind beats with my blood. You see how I turn to you in my trouble; and I have to thank you for making me feel so thoroughly that my confidence has not been misplaced."

"I hope it has not," she answered, gently. "The pathos of your story has touched me. I cannot advise you, but I wish I could com

fort her. She must be beautiful in nature to have your-your friendship, and I hope you will talk to me again of her, and let me try to help you."

"I will," said Jack, assisting her down from the embrasure. "I will always come to you for sympathy and comfort." And he always did.

CHAPTER VI.

HERVEY was standing in front of the adjutant's office holding in his hand one of those long yellow envelopes, marked "War Department," the receipt of which, unless a promotion is pending, is so often dreaded by army officers. The contents of this baleful sheet were particularly disagreeable to Lieutenant Norvell. His orders had come: in three days he was to sail, by way of the Isthmus, for Oregon. He was still in a half-dazed state. He still shunned Jack, and still hovered around Miss Grey; the trite simile of the moth and candle applying with particular force to him, for while Miss Grey attracted him she hurt him, time and again, by either her graceless want of tact or her utter indifference to his feelings. Day after day had the scene described on the beach been repeated. There was just a little monotony attending a steady companionship with Miss Grey. Yet her beauty! how it fired his imagination! how it elevated his thoughts! how of all that was grand and beautiful did it make him think! "Surely this love has come to me for my good," he said. "Ah me! how much better she might make me if she only would!" If she only would !-rather if she could! For what of good or truth or holiness could come from such a foundation of deceit and want of faith?

"Here is another letter for the lieutenant, which had been mislaid," said the crisp tones of the orderly, as he handed Hervey a dainty missive, sealed with crest and initial and bearing a far-away post-mark,— so far away. Hervey started as he read, and, with an impatient gesture, thrust the letter in his pocket without opening it; not so quickly, however, but that Jack, coming along the walk for his mail, did not see the angry movement, and shrewdly guessed the cause.

"No bad news, I hope, old fellow," he cried, familiarly laying his hand on Hervey's shoulder. Jack persistently ignored Hervey's change of manner.

"Bad enough and disagreeable enough for me," was the surly re"I've got my orders."

sponse.

“Oh, I am sorry; but then you expected them. What post have

you?"

66

Willamette," almost whispered Hervey, turning red.

"Willamette! By Jove! you are in luck. You can't expect me to condole with you. The finest post in the State,-headquarters, and

Colonel Almer in command. Why, man, I almost fear an early death for you, the gods so love you."

"I'll be hanged if I appreciate their devotion shown in this way. An early death would be a more sensible favor, and little I'd care how soon it came."

"Oh, maybe they have that in store for you too, you favored mortal," laughed Jack, who, in the exuberance of his own fine health and rarely affected spirits, had an almost brutal contempt for the King of Terrors. Not so Hervey, through whose being ran an undercurrent of melancholy at times amounting to superstition.

"It's a nasty subject to joke on," he answered.

"But it is such a joke, your dying young," persisted Jack. "You are not good enough, my friend. Hervey," he continued, more seriously, come over to my rooms and breakfast with me. Don't let us go to the hotel this morning. My man makes the best of coffee, and there is plenty of cold meat left from my supper-party last night, which, by the way, you disdained. But we are too soon to be separated to stand on ceremony. Come with me and have one good long talk of Auld Lang Syne before we part, maybe for years."

At Jack's words all the old boyish love and friendship rushed for a moment over Hervey like a wave, and, alas, like a wave receded, as the pleading voice ceased.

"I have a-a-partial engagement at the hotel," he stammered, pulling himself away from Jack's detaining hand.

"Only a partial engagement, Hervey, and I, your oldest friend, ask for a few words for the last time?" said Jack, waxing pathetic in his eagerness to make one more attempt to talk Hervey over to his fealty, now that he was going straight to his forsaken love's home.

Hervey hesitated. Then a brilliant thought struck him, a project so plausible, so easy, so agreeable, he wondered it had never occurred to him before. How many hours of suffering it would have saved him, and how different would have been his manner to Jack, if he had only thought! But it was not too late. Jack, dear old fellow, was not offended. There would be no trouble about his agreeing to such a pleasant plan. Through the heavy mist a gleam of hope had come; his difficulties had vanished, and his easily impressionable nature rose like the mercury under the influence of the sun. Linking his arm in Jack's, he cried,

"Don't weep, old boy; I am not off yet. Of course I'll breakfast with you. Sorry I didn't know of your supper. Did you send a note ? Pshaw! I never read notes. Now I think of it, I could not have come anyway. Besides, I had the blue devils to such an extent last night I didn't get a wink of sleep until reveille. I would have been the skeleton at the feast. I must have had a foreboding of these unwelcome orders."

Jack wisely refrained from comment. He did wonder at Hervey's sudden transformation; but perhaps he had just realized it was better for him to go away. Nothing was said, however, until the appetizing little breakfast prepared by the soldier cook was disposed of, and two soul-soothing cigarettes were adding a perfect finish to the charming repast.

"By George, I wonder you don't cut the hotel and set up a mess of your own," said Hervey. "Wish I had such a striker. By the way, I hope you will turn him over to me."

do

"Turn him over to you! Why, he belongs to the Fourth. What you mean ?"

"Oh, nothing! Nonsense!" laughed Hervey. "I say, Jack, do you like it here?"

"Yes, I like it. For comfort and pleasure it is a jolly post, and when I entered the army I inade up my mind to be satisfied wherever I was stationed; but the life here is awfully inactive. Jove! I wish I had your chance."

"Do you? do you really ?" cried Hervey, radiant with delight at this auspicious opening to a subject he scarcely knew how to broach. "I declare it is too bad we should be so mixed up. I don't believe I am as ambitious as you. For the next two or three years nothing would please me better than to stay right here in this sleepy old fortress. I've no sort of a fancy for wasting the best years of my life in that faraway God-forsaken country. What a pity we could not change places! Eureka! I have it! Why can't we change?" springing up as if the idea had just occurred. "Why can't we transfer? I think I can rake up enough influence in Washington to have it done. Come, now; do you agree?"

Anger, astonishment, and disappointment were plainly depicted on Jack's more honest than beautiful countenance. This, then, was the reason of the sudden change in Hervey. The idea coming to him had caused him to drop, for the nonce, his habit of coldness and repulsion. To gain a favor he had resumed the good-fellowship of early days, had broken bread with him, and had tried by clever acting to deceive his friend into believing he was thinking of his good, and that the thought was sudden and spontaneous.

For an instant Jack hid his face for very shame that the friend of his boyhood had fallen so low; then, rising to his feet, with stern-set features he faced Hervey, who was beginning to see some flaw in the beautiful plan he thought he was so successfully projecting.

"Hervey Norvell, do you dare to come to me with such a proposition ?"

"Dare' is a strange word to use to me, Mr. Tremaine," cried Norvell, with blazing eyes. With all Hervey's faults, physical cowardice could not be numbered among them.

you

"No stranger than that I should have to use it to you. Nay, Hervey, I don't wish to quarrel with you; and if for a moment I was angry, when you are calmer will not wonder. You are not yourself, you are under some strange influence; else how can I account for your repining at an order that carries you straight to Lilian Almer,carries you to the woman who is waiting, longing for your coming? -the woman whose plighted troth you wear, and whose heart will break if you play her false. Ah! Hervey, go. Go now, before it is too late. Your only salvation lies with Lilian. She is your good angel, and this other, this other is, I verily believe, a fiend."

--

One word too much. Pleadings for Lilian were not so disagreeable for Mr. Norvell to hear, and his anger was rapidly subsiding: but contempt expressed for the girl he had singled out for devotion touched his vanity, and he was up in arms immediately.

"And by what right, Mr. Tremaine, do you assume the part of mentor to me? And, sir, I will request you in the future to speak more respectfully of the lady I hope to make my wife."

"Your wife?" incredulously, from Jack.

"Yes, my wife; and if you have been referring in your conversation to a former engagement of mine,-in which you seem to have greatly interested yourself, you may be pleased to know it is canceled, and, if I can get a month's delay, Miss Grey will accompany me to Oregon as my wife." With which lofty assurance he marched from the room.

"What a muddle I've made of it!" groaned Jack, as he watched Hervey's retreating figure. "I'll be hanged if I believe he has Miss Grey's consent to any such arrangement. I hope to heaven she is fooling him. The scoundrel! And yet even I feel his fatal charm, and cannot quarrel with him when I would."

(To be continued.)