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I thought she would be pleased, but not to such a degree. Her congratulations were so warm that they set me on fire."
"They must have been very warm indeed," I remarked.
"'Miss Rosa,' said I," continued Pepton, without regarding my interruption, "'it has been my fondest hope to see you wear the badge.'
'But I never could get it, you know,' she said. 'You have got it,' I exclaimed. 'Take this. I won it for you. Make me happy by wearing it.' 'I can't do that,' she said. 'That is a gentleman's badge.'
'Take it,' I cried, 'gentleman and all!'
"I can't tell you all that happened after that," continued Pepton. "You know, it wouldn't do. It is enough to say that she wears the badge. And we are both her own--the badge and I!"
Now I congratulated him in good earnest. There was a reason for it.
"I don't owe a snap now for shooting an eagle," said Pepton, springing to his feet and striding up and down the floor. "Let 'em all fly free for me. I have made the most glorious shot that man could make. I have hit the gold--hit it fair in the very centre! And what's more, I've knocked it clean out of the target! n.o.body else can ever make such a shot. The rest of you fellows will have to be content to hit the red, the blue, the black, or the white. The gold is mine!"
I called on the old ladies, some time after this, and found them alone.
They were generally alone in the evenings now. We talked about Pepton's engagement, and I found them resigned. They were sorry to lose him, but they wanted him to be happy.
"We have always known," said Miss Martha, with a little sigh, "that we must die, and that he must get married. But we don't intend to repine.
These things will come to people." And her little sigh was followed by a smile, still smaller.
