4
THE BATTALION
my sake met Olsen with one of her most winning smiles.
She was even more charming than in those days when I had
first learned to admire her sunny spirit and sweetness of
temper. Olsen seemed to be greatly taken with her. She
put forth all her powers to please, and in that mood she was
simply irresistable.
* When we left the house, I asked Olsen what lay behind
all that seeming pleasure in our society :
“Had she any a/rriere pei'isee? ”
“One that never varied for a moment,’ 1 said he. “I
thought her delightful, in spite of it. But she kept saying to
herself: ‘He is jlrclxie’s friend. I must be eery
uiee 10 him,. ’ Who Archie is, of course, I have not the
least idea, except that he is all the world to her. But you,
equally of course, must know him well.”
I did indeed know him well, dear old Archie McQueen !
.1 knew, too, that he was many fathoms deep in love with her,
but had not yet summoned courage enough to put his fortune
to the proof. And I wondered if I ought not to give him a
hint of how fondly the memory of him was carried in the
heart of so sweet a girl wherever she went. It was a dif
ficult problem to solve. I put it to Olsen. His answer was:
“I have sworn never to make profit of my gift for my
self, because, long ago I realized how perilous a power it
was, if selfishly used. But to help another is a different mat
ter. If, without indelicacy as regards the lady, you can put