y sudden--rather summary, orders some two months ago,"
suggested Elmendorf; "and it created, as you can readily imagine, some
little comment in society." No, Kenyon hadn't heard, and he eyed the
speaker sharply from under his bushy, overhanging brows. Cranston,
however, promptly replied that there was nothing in the least remarkable
in it. Officers were frequently hurried off on sudden orders, and there
was no reason why society should be exercised over it. Elmendorf
promptly disavowed any intention of casting the faintest aspersion on
Mr. Forrest, whom he at least had found to be certainly quite the equal
of his comrades in most things pertaining to the officer and gentleman,
although there were some things, perhaps, which to a humble civilian
like himself might call for explanation. He was merely stating a fact,
one which he regretted, of course, as he did all the idle talk that
circulated in superficial circles of society. He was glad to find
officers of such prominence as Kenyon and Cranston so ready to stand up
for Forrest, as some men--he preferred not to mention names--had been
less outspoken, at least, in his behalf. And then Kenyon impatiently
arose and went out, Cranston met a brace of cavalrymen going back to
their regiment after a leave, and Elmendorf drifted away in search of
his clerk and found him.

A glance at the register showed that Forrest had already been in to
report his arrival, had given his old rooms as his present address, and
"verbal instructions of Dept. Comdr." as the explanation of his return.
The adjutant-general, seated in his own office, had seen Forrest, and
had further instructions to communicate, evidently, for they had been
closeted together nearly half an hour, but what passed between them the
clerk could not say, and Elmendorf was left to his own vivid
imagination. Forrest certainly had not rejoined his regiment, and
Elmendorf had chosen to think that that was what he was ordered to do
when leaving Chicago. Thinking of it so much, he had come to believe it
a fact; but Forrest was now back here in Chicago, as suddenly and
mysteriously as he went. He was not, however, back in his old office,
was not then restored to his functions at head-quarters. What more was
needed, therefore, to warrant the belief that he was picked up by the
general in his wanderings in the Indian Territory and sent in for trial
on charges of disobedience of orders and absence without leave? At all
events, it was