, except for what happened."

A shell exploded near the corner of the house, shaking the whole
structure, the fragments tearing into the wood. She caught me by the
arm, and I held her tightly, with face buried on my shoulder.

"We must be quick," I urged. "Those are Federal shells overshooting
their mark, but one may strike the house at any moment. Tell me what it
was that happened."

"It seems so unreal now," she faltered, her whole form trembling, "that
I hardly know how to tell it--yet every word is true. I--I have captured
the murderer of Captain Le Gaire."

"You have! Who was he?"

"I cannot tell; I--I haven't even seen the man's face, but--but he is
one of your soldiers."

"Impossible! There is not one of our men unaccounted for. I could call
every trooper of our first company here now to confront you, except two
who have been killed. The fellow does not belong to us."

"Well, he wears your uniform," and she drew back indignantly, "even to
having the buttons removed. You must believe me, for I can prove it; I
can take you to where he is."

"Where?"

"Down cellar, in the place where you had the Confederate prisoners
confined. He--he is locked in there; I held the door against him, and
dropped the bar."

I looked at her in speechless wonder, a wonder not untinged by
admiration and love. She was standing now, erect, facing me, her cheeks
reddening under my direct gaze.

"I am going to make you believe," she insisted. "I will tell you how it
happened, and then you shall take some men with you, and go down there,
and bring the man up. No, I want to tell you about it first--- please,
please listen."

"Would you mind if I call Miles, and then you can tell your story to
both of us?" I asked. "The fellow is armed, is he not; and I shall need
to take some one along with me?"

"Yes, the man has a revolver. You mean the sergeant? I do not mind
telling him."

I hurried back to the front of the house, more anxious to be assured as
to what was going on outside than to discover Miles. Yet there was
nothing alarming, even the cavalry regiment having been withdrawn across
the pike. Without a question the sergeant followed me back to where the
girl waited.

CHAPTER XXXIV

HER STORY

She remained exactly as I had left her, leaning against the wall in the
slight recess left by the stairs, and she recognized the sergeant with
an inclination of the head, although her eyes were upon me.

"Your friends outsid