dreadfully
weak and emaciated, was surely convalescing--that Dwight, with all his
joy, seemed humbler than a little child. "I believe, by gad, that in his
present frame of mind he'd forgive her, that incomprehensible little
wretch of a wife of his, no matter what she'd done, if she'd come and
ask him now."

Whereupon Stone abruptly said, "By ---- he sha'n't! Come in here," and
he closed the study door behind them. Within twenty minutes thereafter
Dr. Waring had mastered the contents of three precious papers. First,
Major Layton's memorandum of the sentry's statements; second, a little
note that said, "at the usual place and time" and informing somebody of
the writer's intention of quitting "Minneconjou--and him--forever";
third, a note explanatory of the second, and this note was type-written
and without signature:

The inclosed was found in a notebook belonging to Lieutenant
Sanford Ray, which had been dropped last night at the rear entrance
to the quarters of Major Dwight. The major will know who wrote the
inclosed, and should know for whom it was written.

Two nights thereafter, toward one o'clock, Major Dwight, with the post
adjutant and Dr. Waring in attendance, knocked for admission at his own
front door and knocked repeatedly before Felicie could be induced to
appear with the to-be-expected plea that Madame had but just composed
herself after nights of sleepless weeping, and surely she could not now
be disturbed. Dwight demanded instant admission and, finding parley
useless, Felicie unbarred the door and unloosed her tongue. "Shut up,
you Jezebel!" said the doctor impolitely. "Sit down there and be quiet."
Dwight was already mounting the stair, and presently could be heard
demanding admission to his wife's room. There was whimpering appeal in
the response, but the door was speedily unlocked, and the voice of Inez
could be heard in tones suggestive of unspeakable shock and grief and
sense of indignity and injustice. Presently Dwight came down again.
"Unbolt that dining-room door--and the back!" said he curtly to the
trembling maid, and when she would have demurred, seized her not too
gently by the arm, almost as he had seized little Jim, and propelled her
ahead of him into the dining-room. It was significant that the adjutant
remained at the front door. It was more significant that when the rear
door finally swung open there stood a silent sergeant of the guard,
while the waning moon glinte