lf unseen, and as she stood there
smiling, gracious, the very star of the evening, he thought he had
never before seen her so absolutely sparkling. He had always known her
beautiful; tonight she was regal beyond comparison. Always in the
years to follow he thought of her as she stood there that night,
radiant, dominant, at the very pinnacle of success in all things. He
never again saw her like that.

As he passed on he relit the cigar, forgotten during his meeting with
Masterson, and Pluto, who had been on nettles of anxiety to get away
from his duties all the evening, seized the opportunity when no one
was looking, and followed closely the light of the cigar as it moved
along the hedge past the dining room windows.

He carried the treasured bag holding the dead Rosa's belongings.

"Couldn't get away a mite sooner, not to save me, Mahsa Captain," he
said, breathlessly; "had to run now to get 'way from them niggahs in
the kitchen, who wanted to know what I was toten. I had this here hid
in the pantry whah I had no chance to look through it, so if you'll
s'cuse me I jest gwine dump em out right heah; the picture case, it's
plum down in the bottom; I felt it."

Monroe smoked in silence while the darky was making the search. He no
longer needed the picture in order to convince Madame Caron of the
truth of Pluto's story, yet concluded it best that she have possession
of so compromising a portrait until her clever maid was out of the
country.

He could hear Colonel McVeigh asking for Pluto, and Caroline offering
information that "Pluto jest gone out through the pantry."

"You'd better hurry, my man," suggested Monroe, "they'll be looking
for you."

"They will that--folks all gwine home, an' need a sight o' waiten' on;
thah's the likeness, Mahs Captain;" he handed him a small oval frame,
commenced crowding the other articles hurriedly back into the bag;
"fo' God's sake, be careful o' that; I don' want it to fetch harm to
that gal, but I don' allow neither fo' Madame Caron to be made trouble
if I can help it."

"You're a faithful fellow; there's a coin in exchange for the picture;
you'd better go. I'll see you in the morning."

Pluto was profuse in his thanks, while Monroe hunted for a match with
which to view the picture.

He struck a light and opened the little closed frame as Pluto started
for the side door. An instant later he snapped it shut again, and as
the darky reached the steps Monroe's hand was on his sh