push themselves through the densely packed rooms they kissed the bride, and

then the first girl they came to.
Betty and Lydia had been Alice's maids of honor. This being Betty's first

experience at a frontierwedding, it developed that she was much in need of
Lydia's advice, which she had previously disdained. She had rested secure in

her dignity. Poor Betty! The first man to kiss Alice was George Martin, a big,
strong fellow, who gathered his brother's bride into his arms and gave her a

bearish hug and a resounding kiss. Releasing her he turned toward Lydia and
Betty. Lydia eluded him, but one of his great hands clasped around Betty's

wrist. She tried to look haughty, but with everyone laughing, and the young
man's face expressive of honest fun and happiness she found it impossible. She

stood still and only turned her face a little to one side while George kissed
her. The young men now made a rush for her. With blushing cheeks Betty, unable

to stand her ground any longer, ran to her brother, the Colonel. He pushed her
away with a laugh. She turned to Major McColloch, who held out his arms to

her. With an exclamation she wrenched herself free from a young man, who had
caught her hand, and flew to the Major. But alas for Betty! The Major was not

proof against the temptation and he kissed her himself.
"Traitor!" cried Betty, breaking away from him.

Poor Betty was in despair. She had just made up her mind to submit when she
caught sight of Wetzel's familiar figure. She ran to him and the hunter put

one of his long arms around her.
"I reckon I kin take care of you, Betty," he said, a smile playing over his

usually stern face. "See here, you young bucks. Betty don't want to be kissed,
and if you keep on pesterin' her I'll have to scalp a few of you."

The merriment grew as the day progressed. During the wedding feast great
hilarity prevailed. It culminated in the dance which followed the dinner. The

long room of the block-house had been decorated with evergreens, autumn leaves
and goldenrod, which were scattered profusely about, hiding the blackened

walls and bare rafters. Numerous blazing pine knots, fastened on sticks which
were stuck into the walls, lighted up a scene, which for color and animation

could not have been surpassed.
Colonel Zane's old slave, Sam, who furnished the music, sat on a raised

platform at the upper end of the hall, and the way he sawed away on his
fiddle, accompanying the movements of his arm with a swaying of his body and a

stamping of his heavy foot, showed he had a heartyappreciation of his own
value.

Prominent among the men and women standing and sitting near the platform could
be distinguished the tall forms of Jonathan Zane, Major McColloch and Wetzel,

all, as usual, dressed in their huntingcostumes and carrying long rifles. The
other men had made more or less effort to improve their appearance. Bright

homespun shirts and scarfs had replaced the everyday buckskin garments. Major
McColloch was talking to Colonel Zane. The genial faces of both reflected the

pleasure they felt in the enjoyment of the younger people. Jonathan Zane stood
near the door. Moody and silent he watched the dance. Wetzel leaned against

the wall. The black barrel of his rifle lay in the hollow of his arm. The
hunter was gravely contemplating the members of the bridal party who were

dancing in front of him. When the dance ended Lydia and Betty stopped before
Wetzel and Betty said: "Lew, aren't you going to ask us to dance?"

The hunter looked down into the happy, gleaming faces, and smiling in his half
sad way, answered: "Every man to his gifts."

"But you can dance. I want you to put aside your gun long enough to dance with
me. If I waited for you to ask me, I fear I should have to wait a long time.

Come, Lew, here I am asking you, and I know the other men are dying to dance
with me," said Betty, coaxingly, in a roguish voice.

Wetzel never refused a request of Betty's, and so, laying aside his weapons,
he danced with her, to the wonder and admiration of all. Colonel Zane clapped

his hands, and everyone stared in amazement at the unprecedented sight Wetzel
danced not ungracefully. He was wonderfully light on his feet. His striking

figure, the long black hair, and the fancifully embroidered costume he wore
contrasted strangely with Betty's slender, graceful form and pretty gray

dress.
"Well, well, Lewis, I would not have believed anything but the evidence of my

own eyes," said Colonel Zane, with a laugh, as Betty and Wetzel approached
him.

"If all the men could dance as well as Lew, the girls would be thankful, I can
assure you," said Betty.

"Betty, I declare you grow prettier every day," said old John Bennet, who was
standing with the Colonel and the Major. "If I were only a young man once more

I should try my chances with you, and I wouldn't give up very easily."
"I do not know, Uncle John, but I am inclined to think that if you were a

young man and should come a-wooing you would not get a rebuff from me,"
answered Betty, smiling on the old man, of whom she was very fond.

"Miss Zane, will you dance with me?"
The voice sounded close by Betty's side. She recognized it, and an

unaccountable sensation of shyness suddenly came over her. She had firmly made
up her mind, should Mr. Clarke ask her to dance, that she would tell him she

was tired, or engaged for that number--anything so that she could avoid
dancing with him. But, now that the moment had come she either forgot her

resolution or lacked the courage to keep it, for as the music commenced, she
turned and without saying a word or looking at him, she placed her hand on his

arm. He whirled her away. She gave a start of surprise and delight at the
familiar step and then gave herself up to the charm of the dance. Supported by

his strong arm she floated around the room in a sort of dream. Dancing as they
did was new to the young people at the Fort--it was a style then in vogue in

the east--and everyone looked on with great interest and curiosity. But all
too soon the dance ended and before Betty had recovered her composure she

found that her partner had led her to a secluded seat in the lower end of the
hall. The bench was partly obscured from the dancers by masses of autumn

leaves. "That was a very pleasant dance," said Alfred. "Miss Boggs told me you
danced the round dance."

"I was much surprised and pleased," said Betty, who had indeed enjoyed it.
"It has been a delightful day," went on Alfred, seeing that Betty was still

confused. "I almost killed myself in that race for the bottle this morning. I
never saw such logs and brush heaps and ditches in my life. I am sure that if

the fever of recklessness which seemed in the air had not suddenly seized me I
would never have put my horse at such leaps."

"I heard my brother say your horse was one of the best he had ever seen, and
that you rode superbly," murmured Betty.

"Well, to be honest, I would not care to take that ride again. It certainly
was not fair to the horse."

"How do you like the fort by this time?"
"Miss Zane, I am learning to love this free, wild life. I really think I was

made for the frontier. The odd customs and manners which seemed strange at
first have become very acceptable to me now. I find everyone so honest and

simple and brave. Here one must work to live, which is right. Do you know, I
never worked in my life until I came to Fort Henry. My life was all

uselessness, idleness."
"I can hardly believe that," answered Betty. "You have learned to dance and

ride and--"
"What?" asked Alfred, as Betty hesitated.

"Never mind." It was an accomplishment with which the girls credited you,"
said Betty, with a little laugh.

"I suppose I did not deserve it. I heard I had a singular aptitude for
discovering young ladies in distress."

"Have you become well acquainted with the boys?" asked Betty, hastening to
change the subject.

"Oh, yes, particularly with your Indianized brother, Isaac. He is the finest
fellow, as well as the most interesting, I ever knew. I like Colonel Zane

immensely too. The dark, quiet fellow, Jack, or John, they call him, is not
like your other brothers. The hunter, Wetzel, inspires me with awe. Everyone

has been most kind to me and I have almost forgotten that I was a wanderer."
"I am glad to hear that," said Betty.

"Miss Zane," continued Alfred, "doubtless you have heard that I came West
because I was compelled to leave my home. Please do not believe everything you

hear of me. Some day I may tell you my story if you care to hear it. Suffice
it to say now that I left my home of my own free will and I could go back