nd entered. The office was in one corner of the bar-room. The
proprietor himself, a bald-headed Irishman, sat with feet cocked up on
the counter, smoking, and barely glancing up as the Sergeant asked for
Mrs. Dupont.

"Who are yer?" he asked.

"My name is Hamlin; I am here on the lady's invitation."

"Sure; thet 's ther name all right, me bhoy. Yer ter go out on the
east porch there, an' wait a bit whoile I sind her worrd yer here. Oi
'm imaginin' she hed sum doubts about yer comin', the way she spoke."

"How do I get there?"

"Through the winder of the parlur over thar--sure, it 's a noice quiet
spot fer a tate-a-tate." He got up, and peered through his glasses
across the room. "Here, Moike; damn thet slapy head. Will one o' yer
gents wake the lad--that's it. Now come here, Moike. You run over to
the Palace an' tell Mrs. Dupont the fellar is here waitin'. Hold on
now, not so fast; wait till Oi 'm done tellin' yer. Say thet to her
alone--do yer moind thet, ye sap-head; nobody else is to hear whut yer
say; stay there till yer git a chance ter whisper it to her. Now skip."

Hamlin hesitated, watching the boy disappear.

"At the Palace--the dance hall across the street?" he asked
incredulously.

"Sure," indifferently, relighting his pipe. "Officers' ball; couldn't
break in with a can-opener unless you had a invite. Guards at both
ends, sergeant taking tickets, an' Third Regiment Band makin' music.
Hell of a swell affair; got guests here from Leavenworth, Wallace, and
all around. Every room I got is full an' runnin' over--say, there are
fellars over thar in them fool swaller-tail coats; damned if there
ain't. If the b'ys ever git sight of 'em on the street there 'll be a
hot time. Say, ain' that the limit? Injuns out thar thick as fleas on
a dog, an' them swells dancin' here in swaller-tails like this yere was
Boston."

He was still talking when Hamlin crossed the narrow hall and entered
the dimly-lighted, unoccupied parlor. The side window was open, a
slight breeze rustled the heavy curtain, and the Sergeant stepped
outside on to the dark porch. There was a bench close to the rail and
he sat down to wait. A gleam of light from the Palace fell across the
western end, but the remainder of the porch lay in shadow, although he
could look up the street, and see the people jostling back and forth in
front of the Poodle Dog. The sound of mingled voices was continuous,
occasionally punctuated by la