ted President, surrounded by the men who at present
control his party, just so surely will the war end in compromise,
failure and hopeless tragedy----"

"Why do you say that?" John asked sharply.

"Because standing here on this very spot, before the battle of
Gettysburg I offered him the Presidency if he would preside at a great
mass meeting of his party and guarantee to save the Union. I offered to
efface myself and give up the dearest ambition of my soul to heal the
wounds of my people--and he refused----"

"Refused?" John gasped.

"Yes."

The younger man gazed at the haggard face for a moment through dimmed
eyes, sank slowly to a seat and covered his face in his hands in a cry
of despair!

The reaction was complete and his collapse utter.

The President gazed at the bent figure with sorrowful amazement, and
touched his head gently with the big friendly hand:

"Why, what's the matter, my boy? I'm the only man to despair. You're
just a captain in the army. If to be the head of hell is as hard as
what I've had to undergo here I could find it in my heart to pity Satan
himself. And if there's a man out of hell who suffers more than I do, I
pity him. But it's my burden and I try to bear it. I wish I had only
yours!"

John Vaughan sprang to his feet and threw his hands above his head in a
gesture of anguish:

"O my God, you don't understand!"

He quickly crossed the space that separated them and faced the President
with grim determination:

"But I'm going to tell you the truth now and you can do what you think's
right. In the last fight before Petersburg I killed my brother in a
night attack and held his dying body in my arms. I think I must have
gone mad that night. Anyhow, when I lay in the hospital recovering from
my wounds, I got the letter about my father and made up my mind to kill
you----"

He paused, but the sombre eyes gave no sign--they seemed to be gazing on
the shores of eternity.

"And I came here to-night for that purpose--my men are in that hall
now!"

He stopped and folded his hands deliberately, waiting for his judge to
speak.

A long silence fell between them. The tall, sorrowful man was looking at
him with a curious expression of wonder and self pity.

"So you came here to-night to kill me?"

"Yes."

Again a long silence--the deep eyes looking, looking with their strange
questioning gaze.

"Well," the younger man burst out at last, "what is my fate? I deserve
it. Even generos