death, and Calhoun felt that she was trembling
violently.

"Joyce! Joyce! is this to be our leave-taking?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Are you not coming to see me where I am going?"

"No, I dare not; we must not see each other again until--until the war is
over."

"Without a kiss, Joyce. Joyce, I--"

"Hush! you have no right to ask for one, I much less right to give it.
Come when the war is over, and then"--Her voice broke, and she turned and
fled into the darkness.

How Joyce got back into the house she never knew. She fell on her bed
half-unconscious. The strain upon her had been terrible, and the effect
might have been serious if tears had not come to her relief. After a
violent paroxysm of sobbing, she grew calmer, and tired nature asserted
itself, and she fell asleep.

It was yet early morning when she was aroused by a cry from Miss Goodsen,
and that lady came rushing into her room, wringing her hands and crying,
"He is gone! He is gone!"

"Who is gone?" asked Joyce, springing up as if in amazement.

Miss Goodsen, in her excitement did not notice that Joyce was fully
dressed. "The wounded Rebel, Lieutenant Pennington," she fairly shrieked.
"Oh! what shall I do? What shall I do?" and she wrung her hands in her
distress.

Joyce ran to Calhoun's room; sure enough it was empty. "Stop your noise,"
she said, sharply, to Miss Goodsen. "If any one is to blame, I am. They
will do nothing with you. It may be he became delirious during the night
and has wandered off. We must have the house and premises searched."

The noise had aroused the whole household. The utmost excitement
prevailed. Miss Crawford was frantic. She was sure they would all be sent
to prison, and she upbraided Joyce for not getting another male nurse to
watch him during the night. The house and the premises were thoroughly
searched, but nothing was found of the missing man. The neighborhood was
aroused and a thorough search of the surrounding country began.

Joyce took to her room with a raging headache. The afternoon brought a
couple of deputy marshals from Columbus. They had come to convey Calhoun
to prison, and were astonished when told that the prisoner had escaped.
Miss Goodsen was closely questioned. She had looked in once during the
night. The Lieutenant was awake, but said he was comfortable and wanted
nothing. She then went to sleep and did not awake until morning. She found
Joyce in her room, who was overcome when told that her patie