Marion's Faith.

The kind reception accorded "The Colonel's Daughter" was a surprise and delight to the author, nevertheless it was a long time before he could be induced to write this sequel.

When Mr. Sam Slick, at the first essay, shot the cork out of a floating bottle some thirty yards away, he had the deep sagacity never to pull trigger again, well knowing he could not improve on the initial effort, and so Prudence whispered that with the Finis to the story of Jack Truscott and sweet Grace Pelham there had best come a full stop.

But many a plea has been received to "Tell us more about the --th," and at last the motion prevailed. Thackeray has said, "It is an unfair advantage which the novelist takes of the hero and heroine to say good-by to the two as soon as ever they are made husband and wife, and I have often wished that we should hear what occurs to the sober married man as well as to the ardent bachelor; to the matron as to the blushing spinster." And so, many of the characters of the old story reappear upon the scene. That they will be welcomed for the sake of auld lang syne has been promised, and that they and their associates may find new interest in the eyes of the indulgent reader is the prayer of

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I.--TWO TROOPERS 5

II.--GARRISON TALK 20

III.--HEROINES 43

IV.--IMPENDING SHADOWS 59

V.--MARION SANDFORD 72

VI.--AT THE FRONT 84

VII.--WAR RUMORS 100

VIII.--AT RUSSELL 112

IX.--RAY TO THE FRONT 125

X.--A JUNE SUNDAY 147

XI.--THE WOLF AND THE SHEEPFOLD 162

XII.--A SERANADE 177

XIII.--SURROUNDED 189

XIV.--RAY'S RIDE FOR LIFE 207

XV.--RESCUE AT DAWN 222

XVI.--HOW WE HEARD THE NEWS 232

XVII.--A COWARD'S DEED 246

XVIII.--DESERTION 257

XIX.--IN CLOSE ARREST 272

XX.--A CORNERED RAT 286

XXI.--RAY'S TROUBLES 296

XXII.--A SHOT AT MIDNIGHT 309

XXIII.--IN CLOSER TOILS 322

XXIV.--THE GRASP OF THE LAW 334

XXV.--WHOSE GAUNTLET? 345

XXVI.--REVELATIONS 359

XXVII.--VINDICATED 373

XXVIII.--THE COLORS ENTWINE 396

XXIX.--A CAVALRY WEDDING 419

MARION'S FAITH.

A SEQUEL TO THE COLONEL'S DAUGHTER.

CHAPTER I.

TWO TROOPERS.

"Ray, what would you do if some one were to leave you a fortune?"

"Humph! Pay for the clothes I have on, I suppose," is the answer, half humorous, half wistful, as the interrogated party, the younger of two officers, glances down at his well-worn regimentals. "That's one reason I'm praying we may be sent to reinforce Crook up in the Sioux country. No need of new duds when you're scouting for old 'Gray Fox,' you know."

"I thought you wanted to take a leave this summer and visit the old home in Kentucky," says the major, with a look of rather kindly interest from under his shaggy eyebrows.

"Want must be my master, then. I couldn't pay my way home if they'd take me as freight," replies the lieutenant, in the downright and devil-may-care style which is one of his several pronounced characteristics. "Of course," he continues presently, "I would like to look in on the mother again; she's getting on in years now and isn't over and above strong, but she has no cares or worries to speak of; she don't know what a reprobate I am; sister Nell is married and out of the way; the old home is sold and mother lives in comfort on the proceeds; she's happy up at Lexington with her sister's people. What's the use of my going back to Kentuck and being a worry to her? Before I'd been there a week I'd be spending most of my time down at the track or the stables; I could no more keep away from the horses than I could from a square game, and she hates both,--they swamped my father before I knew an ace from an ant-hill. No, sir! The more I think of it the more I know the only place for me is right here with the old regiment. What's more, the livelier work we have in the field and the less we get of garrison grind the better it is for me. I almost wish we were back in Arizona to-day."