what Lieutenant Harris would wish to speak to him about.
A few weeks before a Lieutenant-Colonel of cavalry had been
court-martialed on the charge of allowing the escape of a spy. The court
had found him guilty and its findings had been submitted to the higher
authorities and endorsed by them. A copy of these reports now lay on his
desk. All this his Adjutant, Forbes, knew as well as the General
himself, but if Forbes had thought it worth while to speculate on the
extent of his commander's interest he might have guessed for years
without ever drawing one logical conclusion from all the hints that that
impassive face and figure gave him.

Again a ringing step in the corridor and this time Lieutenant Harris
came into the room, his hand going up in salute. But his General was
still looking out of the window, his eyes on a dead level. There was a
silence and then--without turning around--

"Well, Lieutenant, what is it?"

"A short conference, General, if you'll grant it. The case of
Lieutenant-Colonel Morrison." It was hard work to talk to one who kept
his back turned and Harris was embarrassed.

The smoke from the General's cigar still curled lazily upwards.

"Reprieve?" came the monosyllabic question.

Harris caught himself together and put all his feelings.

"No, General. A _pardon_!"

At once Grant wheeled and stood gazing at him keenly.

"_Pardon?_" he said, and he advanced with deliberation to the desk where
he stood with his eyes steady on Harris' face. "Lieutenant! Do you want
me to think you are out of your mind?"

Before Harris could reply Grant stopped him with a gesture and picked up
a batch of papers which lay on the desk.

"The man has been given every chance. He has been court-martialed--and
found guilty."

He dropped the papers in the case back on the desk. "And you--his
counsel--having failed to prove him otherwise now come to _me_--for
pardon."

He snapped his fingers. "Lieutenant, you are wasting time." And he
turned away, pausing for a moment to turn over a sheaf here and there on
his desk and meditate their contents. The incident of Lieutenant-Colonel
Morrison has been disposed of and, in another moment would be forgotten.
It was now or never for Harris and he answered quickly.

"I hope not, sir. Neither yours nor mine." And then, as the General
looked up with some surprise at this retort. "You have read the
findings of the court?"

"Yes," was the grim reply. "And approve the sentence