and come as I like these days," I
answered evasively. But Dr. Samuel Bond was a hard man to evade.

"Jack," said he, fumbling in his dusty desk, "here's something _you_
ought to see. I saved it for you, over there, the morning you threw it
into the fireplace."

He spread out on the top of the desk a folded bit of hide. Familiar
enough it was to me.

"You saved but half," I said. "The other half is gone!"

He pushed a flake of snuff far up his long nose. "Yes," said he quietly.
"I sent it to her some three months ago."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing, you fool. What did you expect?"

"Listen," he went on presently. "Your brain is dull. What say the words
of the law? 'This Indenture Witnesseth!' Now what is an 'indenture'? The
old Romans and the old English knew. They wrote a contract on parchment,
and cut it in two with an indented line, and they gave each party a
half. When the court saw that these two halves fitted--as no other
portions could--then indeed the indenture witnessed. It was its own
proof.

"Now, my son," he concluded savagely, "if you ever dreamed of marrying
any other woman, damn me if I wouldn't come into court and make this
indenture witness for you _both_--for her as well as you! Go on away
now, and don't bother me any more."

CHAPTER XLV

ELLEN

Our forces passed up the valley of Virginia and rolled through the old
Rockfish Gap--where once the Knights of the Golden Horn paused and took
possession, in the name of King Charles, of all the land thence to the
South Sea. We overspread all the Piedmont Valley and passed down to the
old town of Charlottesville. It was nearly deserted now. The gay
Southern boys who in the past rode there with their negro servants, and
set at naught good Thomas Jefferson's intent of simplicity in the narrow
little chambers of the old University of Virginia, now were gone with
their horses and their servants. To-day you may see their names in
bronze on the tablets at the University doors.

I quartered my men about the quiet old place, and myself hunted up an
office-room on one of the rambling streets that wandered beneath the
trees. I was well toward the finish of my morning's work when I heard
the voice of my sentry challenge, and caught an answering word of
indignation in a woman's voice. I stepped to the door.

A low, single-seated cart was halted near the curb, and one of its
occupants was apparently much angered. I saw heir clutch the long brown
ri