A rumor spread through the barracks that the prettiest girl in Kansas had just arrived at Fort Riley, sixty-eight miles beyond Topeka. Colonel Phillip St. George Cooke of Virginia commanded the Fort and his daughter Flora had ventured all the way from Harper's Ferry to the plains to see her beloved daddy.
The news thrilled Stuart. He found an excuse to carry a message from
Colonel Sumner to Colonel Cooke.
He expected nothing serious, of course. Every daughter of Virginia knew how to flirt. She would know that he understood this from the start. It would be nip and tuck between the Virginia boy and the Virginia girl.
He had always had such easy sailing in his flirtations he hoped Miss
Flora would prove a worthy antagonist.
As a matter of course, Colonel Cooke asked the gallant young Virginian to stay as his guest.
"What'll Colonel Sumner say, sir?" Stuart laughed.
"Leave Sumner to me."
"You'll guarantee immunity?"
"Guaranteed."
"Thank you, Colonel Cooke, I'll stay."