into the room, he laughed heartily at the mishap, and the major declared that the general would make him the butt of ridicule for six months to come.

Braddock was a tall, stately Irish gentleman of forty, with a clear, piercing, steel-blue eye. He

was major-general and commander-in-chief of all English-American forces. Edward Braddock was a man in fortune desperate and in manners brutal, in temper despotic, obstinate and intrepid, expert in the niceties of a review and harsh in discipline. As the English secretary of war had confidence only in regular troops, it was ordered that the general and field-officers of the provincial forces should have no rank, when serving with the general and field-officers commissioned by the king. This order so disgusted Washington, that he retired from the service and his regiment was disbanded.

Braddock came to America with the utmost contempt for Americans, and his death was the greatest blessing which could have happened to them. Had he lived, the general would have set up a military despotism in the colonies, with himself as the head.

Mr. Robinson introduced the gay general and his staff-officers to his guests. When he came to Noah Stevens, the general said:

"So you are the Mr. Stevens, who was with Mr. Washington at Fort Necessity?"

"I was with Colonel Washington, general," Noah answered.

"Why not call him general? Titles in this country are cheap. Call him general."

"Honors! By my soul! is it an honor to advance to meet a foe, and at first smell of powder turn your back and fly? Zounds! Mr. Stevens, my regulars will show you how to fight those French and barbarians."

Noah Stevens felt the insult of the brutal officer most keenly. He curbed his rising wrath and answered:

"General Braddock, you may find it to your advantage to take some lessons of provincial soldiers."

"Lessons from provincials! Zounds! man, do you think an American can teach a British officer anything in the art of war? Egad! I will courtmartial any provincial who attempts such a thing.

The cheek of the young American flushed with. indignation, and he was almost on the eve of making some hasty rejoinder, when Anne Saturfield came gliding noiselessly forward to where he stood, and linking her arm in his own, led him aside.

'Captain Stevens, I want to talk with you," she

said.

"I am always willing to listen to you, Miss Saturfield; yet I am sorry you interrupted me just now.

แ

Why?"

แ I want to knock that English general down for his insolence."

“Oh, Captain, don't dare do anything so terrible.

Don't arouse the anger of General Braddock. Never mind his insults."

"You are not an American?"

"No; but I feel that Europe will some day learn the power of the Americans.

"Let us not discuss politics. My conscience hurts me, captain.'

Your conscience, Miss Saturfield? Why should your conscience trouble you?"

"For the reason that I have been deceiving you. Deceiving me?" he cried in amazement.

have you deceived me, pray?"

"How

"Do you not remember seeing me before?" "Yes, at Williamsburg."

"But before that.

"I seem to have seen you, but where? Your face is like a sweet, sad dream so faded from the memory that scarce an outline remains. "

"When first we met, I was poor, friendless and in prison. Do you forget my dying parents, the Montrevilles, in the debtors' prison, and how to you and Governor Oglethorpe I was confided?" "Anne Montreville!" cried Noah.

hardly believe it.”

"I can

"And I do not wonder. Time and circumstances have wrought great changes. I was adopted by Mr. Saturfield, once an influential merchant,

yet who, by going surety, became bankrupt. In the new world his experience as a trader soon made him rich again. A distant relative of my own dying in Flanders left me ten thousand pounds which he invested for me, and the money has more than doubled under his careful management. When I met you in Virginia, I hoped you would recognize me; but you did not. It is humiliating to know that our first acquaintance was in a debtors' prison."

"It is not, Miss Montreville. Your family was a good one, though unfortunate," said Captain Stevens. Do not feel any humiliation."

Before the ball was over, he had confessed his love and was accepted. As he re-entered the ball

room with the blushing Anne on his arm, he heard the loud, blatant voice of Major Bridges in conversation with Miss Philipse.

"Zounds! fair maiden, do you think a British soldier fears a few pagans?"

"But they do not fight as civilized soldiers," she answered.

"Egad! beg pardon, Miss Philipse, for my over zeal in speaking; but I was going to say to you that we care not how they fight. They have never met British regulars."

They have met the provincial troops-the Virginia militia."