efully lifted the vase from its position
before the window, and placed it on a side table. Then he cautiously
slipped from the room.

But he could not easily shake off the perplexity which the occurrence
had caused, although he was satisfied that it was fraught with no
military or strategic danger to his command, and that the unknown spy
had obtained no information whatever. Yet he was forced to admit to
himself that he was more concerned in his attempts to justify the
conduct of Miss Faulkner with this later revelation. It was quite
possible that the dispatch-box had been purloined by some one else
during her absence from the house, as the presence of the mulatto
servant in his room would have been less suspicious than hers. There
was really little evidence to connect Miss Faulkner with the actual
outrage,--rather might not the real spy have taken advantage of her
visit here, to throw suspicion upon her? He remembered her singular
manner,--the strange inconsistency with which she had forced this flower
upon him. She would hardly have done so had she been conscious of its
having so serious an import. Yet, what was the secret of her manifest
agitation? A sudden inspiration flashed across his mind; a smile came
upon his lips. She was in love! The enemy's line contained some sighing
Strephon of a young subaltern with whom she was in communication, and
for whom she had undertaken this quest. The flower was their language of
correspondence, no doubt. It explained also the young girl's animosity
against the younger officers,--his adversaries; against himself,--their
commander. He had previously wondered why, if she were indeed a spy, she
had not chosen, upon some equally specious order from Washington,
the headquarters of the division commander, whose secrets were more
valuable. This was explained by the fact that she was nearer the lines
and her lover in her present abode. He had no idea that he was making
excuses for her,--he believed himself only just. The recollection of
what she had said of the power of love, albeit it had hurt him cruelly
at the time, was now clearer to him, and even seemed to mitigate her
offense. She would be here but a day or two longer; he could afford to
wait without interrogating her.

But as to the real intruder, spy or thief,--that was another affair, and
quickly settled. He gave an order to the officer of the day peremptorily
forbidding the entrance of alien servants or slaves within the preci