Page 78 (1/2)

Just now the vision of that tantalizing girl continued to haunt his

lorious hope of a co her, her reticence, the uarded lips of Murphy, merely served

to render her the more attractive, while her own naive witchery of

ly unconscious coquetry, had wound about hiic spell, the full power of which as yet rely upon the marvel of the dark

eyes, while the cheery sound of that last rippling outburst of laughter

reëchoed in his ears likeWest Point and joining his

regih men and upon the desolate

plains Forof refinement, nor

enjoyed social intercourse with the opposite sex; life had thus grown

as barren and bleak as those desert wastes across which he rode at the

command of his superiors For years the routine of hisout the dreams of youth Yet, beneath

his mask of impassibility, the heart continued to beat with fierce

desire, biding the time when it should enjoy its oay

Perhaps that hour had already dawned; certainly so, had now come to awaken an interest unfelt before,

and leave hi of shadowed eyes and flushed, rounded

cheeks

He was in this mood when he overtook the Rev Howard Wynkoop and htful look upon his pale face