had supposed I knew her, believed I had solved her nature, only
to be led into deeper bewilderment.

"Major," I said soberly. "I do imagine just that. There is no sacrifice
your daughter would not make for the South. She realized the importance
of this information, and that she alone could take it to Chambers."

I turned to the back stairs, and went down, feeling my way in the gloom,
until I touched the door. To my surprise it opened, although I knew I
had locked it, and the key was still in my pocket. There were four
troopers in the kitchen, and they turned at the noise to stare at me.

"How long have you boys been stationed here?" I questioned.

"'Bout fifteen minutes, I guess," answered the nearest. "Ain't that
about it, Joe?"

"Not no longer."

"Room empty when you came?"

"Not a rat here, that we saw; did we, Joe?"

The other shook his head.

"Was that bar across the outer door there then?"

"No, sir, there wan't no lock on it, an' Bill rigged up that contrivance
hisself."

I believed now I comprehended how it had occurred, all except the
mysterious unlocking of the door at the foot of the stairs, and this
fellow in our uniform that haunted the ell. To make certain I retained
the key, I took it out, and fitted it into the lock. Still there might
be a duplicate, and as for the soldier, I was hardly half convinced of
his reality. Billie had acted quickly, under the inspiration of
discovery, and all the circumstances had conspired to make her escape
from the house easy. Miles had withdrawn his men on my orders, and we
were all grouped together in the front hall. She had simply slipped down
these back stairs, used a duplicate key, passed through the kitchen
unobserved, and out into the garden. Where then? To the stable,
without doubt, and, mounted, into Chambers' lines, taking her
news to the highest officer she could reach. We would hear from it
presently,--strange if not even already some of those troops were
wheeling to invest the house. I called back up the stairs,

"Conroy, send Major Hardy down here."

The Confederate appeared almost instantly, his eyes anxiously surveying
the room.

"Have you found my girl?"

"No, but I have satisfied myself as to where she is. Without doubt she
came down those stairs, and out this door, while we were in the front
hall. A battle-line is a rough place for a woman, and I am going to
turn you out now to see if you cannot find and protect her. One of you
men take