mmander stood
listening to what he could catch of the conversation within.

"It is absolutely false and misleading," said Davies, "and if it has
been used, as you say, to clear him or anybody else, it should be
exposed at once."

"That," said the adjutant, in his deep, deliberate tone, "is precisely
what I believe, but needed your evidence to establish. Now you will
excuse me from further talk about this or anything else until, say,
after office hours to-morrow morning. I have much to attend to. If you
and the chaplain will meet me at ten o'clock, we can settle various
matters. Meantime I'll lock these papers in my desk." Across the dim
hall-way, as the two friends left the office, stood the door of the
sanctum of the post commander. It was just ajar, but there was no light
beyond, and to all appearances the room was as deserted as it was dark.
Rooke was just coming out of No. 12 as they returned thither.

"I'm glad you're home, Mr. Davies, and I'll be gladder when you've got
that pretty little bunch of nerves and nonsense off my hands and off
this military reservation."

"She will be well enough to travel--when?" asked Davies, as placidly as
he could. Even when the wife of one's bosom has been behaving
outrageously it isn't pleasant to hear it from one's neighbors,
unasked.

"She could go to-morrow and be the better for it," said Rooke, bluntly.
"What she needs is a firm hand and a change of scene--and surroundings.
We're too volatile hereabouts." And this it seems was practically what
he had told Almira herself, much to her scandal and dismay. She
piteously asked why she couldn't see Dr. Burroughs; and was unfeelingly
told that there was no reason whatever, provided she started to-morrow;
that he was at Ogallalla and would be very glad to see her. "Once up
there," said the old cynic, "you can have Burroughs and lollipops to
your heart's content."

"Oh, doctor, but think of the peril, the danger," she moaned.

"Tut, woman, you'll be in no such danger there as here," he answered
brusquely; and Davies found her weeping dejectedly, but weeping to no
purpose. When morning came Barnickel and Katty were boxing up the lares
and penates, and toward nightfall Mira herself was meekly, though not
resignedly, bearing a hand. This indeed was not what she had pictured
army life to be. Davies and the chaplain were to have joined Leonard as
planned at ten o'clock. At nine the orderly came to the door of No. 12,
and said that