. The pass would
admit his sister on Thursday night. Betty had three days in which to
work. She drew every dollar of her money and went at her task swiftly,
silently, surely, until she reached the guard inside the grim old
prison, who held the keys to the death watch.

She couldn't trust the sister with her daring plan. She might lose her
nerve. She must impersonate her. It was a dangerous piece of work, but
it was not impossible. She had only to pass the inspectors. The guards
inside were her friends.

On Thursday night at eight o'clock a carriage drew up at the little red
brick house, on whose door flashed the brass plate sign:

ELIZABETH GARLAND, MODISTE

She had made an appointment with Mrs. Lincoln's dressmaker and arranged
for it at this late hour. She must not be seen leaving her father's
house to-night.

She drove rapidly to the Capitol, stopped her carriage at the north end,
entered the building through the Senate wing, quickly passed out again,
and in a few minutes had presented her pass to the commandant of the Old
Capitol Prison.

The woman inspector made the most thorough search and finding nothing
suspicious, allowed her to enter the dimly lighted corridor of the death
watch.

The turnkey loudly announced:

"The sister of the prisoner, Ned Vaughan!"

She met him face to face in the large cell in which the condemned were
allowed to pass their last night on earth. The keen eyes of a guard from
the Inspector's office watched her every act and every movement of her
body.

Ned stared at her. His heart beat with mad joy. She was going to play
his sister's part! He would take her in his arms for the first time and
feel the beat of her heart against his and their lips would meet. He
laughed at death as he looked into her eyes with the hunger of eternity
gleaming in his own.

There could be no hesitation on her part.

She threw both arms around his neck crying:

"Brave, foolish boy!"

He held her close, crushed her with one mad impulse, and slowly relaxed
his arms. She would forgive him for this moment of delirium on the brink
of the grave, but he must be reasonable.

"I am ready to die, now, dearest," he murmured.

She slowly lifted her lips to his in a long kiss--a kiss that thrilled
body and soul--and pressed into his mouth a tiny piece of tissue paper.

She stood holding both his hands for a moment and hesitated, glancing at
the guard from the corner of her eye. He was watching w