seen an old friend. Call on me, will you, please! You know where to find me, I suppose. Gentlemen," and she turned to the group of admirers who surrounded her, "there's no harm in my receiving a visit from an old friend, I hope, though we are both sound Royalists."

"Of course not," said Colonel Shee, who had approached unperceived, from another quarter, "because we expect to convert you to our cause soon, and if we can gain you over to our side, we shall feel secure of victory."

"Upon my word, colonel," replied Margaret, gaily, moving toward him, and placing her arm within his own, "I don't know how I shall thank you for your appreciation of my worth. Come, I cannot reply to your compliments, but I will dance with you; will that do ?" and again the colonel met that fascinating smile.

"I am more than honored," replied the gallant colonel, as he ventured a gentle pressure upon the arm which hung upon his own.

He did not perceive the slight curl which for an instant rested upon the lip of the vivacious beauty, or he might not have marched off with his prize so proudly and happily as he did.

CHAPTER XI.

MARGARET AND HER CONQUESTS.

MARGARET had mixed with the gay assemblage at least two hours, and had been surrounded from first to last by a bevy of admirers and flatterers. During all that time she had only caught an occasional glimpse of Major Burr, who had stationed himself among the elderly ladies, and who seemed to be pleased as well in this society as though he had joined in the giddy throng which filled the spacious apartments.

Several times she caught his look fixed upon her with an expression which she well knew how to interpret, and when, pleading with absolute truth, downright inability to dance any more, for the present, she was conducted to the coterie among which the major had established himself, she took his proffered arm with a feeling of real pleasure, which she had not experienced during the whole evening, and which she testified by a gentle pressure of the arm which held her own.

"Do, Major Burr, take me where I can get some air," she said, beseechingly; "I am almost suffocated with the heat, and absolutely wearied with dancing."

The young soldier, with a gallant bow, was about

moving toward a door which led upon a broad piazza, when, as he turned, he found himself confronted by a corps of general officers, who were approaching him from the direction of the door. General Greene led the van, arm in arm with the gallant Lord Stirling, and the rear was brought up by Generals Heath, Sullivan, Mifflin, and Spencer. They had evidently been engaged in private converse, for even as they approached, their words were uttered to each other in whispered tones.

"How now, major ?" said Lord Stirling, dropping the arm of General Greene, and, advancing with his most courtly bow, "who have we here ?"

"A desperate little Tory, my lord," replied Major Burr, releasing, as he spoke, Margaret's arm from his own. "Miss Moncrieffe, the daughter of ".

“Oh, yes; I know your father well, my child," he interrupted, smiling as he spoke, and he extended his hand cordially. "It was my fortune once to make a prisoner of him, and I can say, with truth, I was very sorry when he was exchanged. Pray who has captured you?"

"I believe I belong to General Putnam," she added, as she saw the old soldier advancing toward the circle by which she was surrounded, and as room was made for him, she added, "don't I, general ?" and she smiled naïvely as she spoke.

Now, General Putnam, with all his well-known

courage, so often and so severely tested, was particularly sensitive to ridicule, and when he observed Margaret standing in the midst of the circle of general officers, he feared that she had been speaking of him by the pet name which she had conferred upon him, and which he had permitted because he could not help himself, and the perspiration actually stood on the soldier's brow as he approached, dreading lest he should hear himself addressed in presence of his compeers by his new title. But Margaret was too well bred to use such familiarity under such circumstances as now surrounded her, and as he caught the last words of her sentence only, he answered promptly:

"Of course you do ;" for he was so glad to be freed from his apprehensions he scarcely thought what he said.

"Really, Miss Moncrieffe," said the gallant Mifflin, "I should like to enlist you in our cause. To judge by the havoc you made to-night, you must be a perfect Mars, or more likely the Goddess of Victory. What bounty shall we pay you to enlist ?”

"Let me have my choice," she said, in the same gay strain.

"Oh, you need not ask his permission for that, young lady," said General Greene. "Please to look around and make your own selection-yours may be the only difficulty."

Margaret, glad to have an opportunity of turning upon themselves the badinage thus addressed to her by the generals, turned her head very leisurely around, as if taking a survey of the company present, and as she did so, her eyes met those of Major Burr, fixed upon her with anxious scrutiny, for he really feared she might say or do something offensive. She returned his glance with a look which said, as plain as words could speak, "My choice is made," and that look reassured him, for it told him she was only gaining time to make a suitable reply.

He replied by a glance of equal meaning with her own, and, after scanning the assembled company for some moments, she turned suddenly to General Putnam, and, putting her arm within his own, said, gaily: "I don't see any one here I prefer to my kind friend and host, so I will choose him."

The good old general actually blushed, as Margaret thus took him by surprise; but his astonishment was heightened, and the laughter of the circle raised to the highest pitch, as she added, "Come, general, one gavotte with me.”

"You little vixen," he said, in low tones, bringing his mouth close to her ear; "I'll put you on bread and water for this for three days, and keep you locked up," and, raising his voice, he said aloud, "Me dance!" and the burly soldier laughed till the tears ran down his face at the idea-" Me dance, my child! I weigh