ry.

He was a man in the full prime of life, intellectual and physical, low and
heavy set, about five feet eight inches in height and inclined to fat. His
movements, however, were quick, and as he swung in his chair the keenest
vigour marked every movement of body and every change of his countenance.

His face was swarthy and covered with a long, dark beard touched with
gray. He turned a pair of little black piercing eyes on her and without
rising said:

"So you are the woman who has a wounded son under sentence of death as a
guerilla?"

"I am so unfortunate," she answered.

"Well, I have nothing to say to you," he went on in a louder and sterner
tone, "and no time to waste on you. If you have raised up men to rebel
against the best government under the sun, you can take the
consequences----"

"But, my dear sir," broke in the mother, "he is a mere boy of nineteen,
who ran away three years ago and entered the service----"

"I don't want to hear another word from you!" he yelled in rage. "I have
no time to waste--go at once. I'll do nothing for you."

"But I bring you an order from the President," protested the mother.

"Yes, I know it," he answered with a sneer, "and I'll do with it what I've
done with many others--see that it is not executed--now go."

"But the President told me you would give me a pass to the hospital, and
that a full pardon would be issued to my boy!"

"Yes, I see. But let me give you some information. The President is a
fool--a d---- fool! Now, will you go?"

With a sinking sense of horror, Mrs. Cameron withdrew and reported to
Elsie the unexpected encounter.

"The brute!" cried the girl. "We'll go back immediately and report this
insult to the President."

"Why are such men intrusted with power?" the mother sighed.

"It's a mystery to me, I'm sure. They say he is the greatest Secretary of
War in our history. I don't believe it. Phil hates the sight of him, and
so does every army officer I know, from General Grant down. I hope Mr.
Lincoln will expel him from the Cabinet for this insult."

When, they were again ushered into the President's office, Elsie hastened
to inform him of the outrageous reply the Secretary of War had made to his
order.

"Did Stanton say that I was a fool?" he asked, with a quizzical look out
of his kindly eyes.

"Yes, he did," snapped Elsie. "And he repeated it with a blankety
prefix."

The President looked good-humouredly out of the window toward the Wa