Part 15 (2/2)

But now she draay fro into his face as though she doubted his sanity

”Father!” she slowly speaks at length, ”I could noof hiy step is suddenly heard on the wooden ithout, the rattle of an infantry sword against the steps, an imperative rat-tat-tat at the door Elinor speeds away to hide her flushed cheeks and tearful eyes in the solitude of her room Bayard quickly composes his features to their conventional callooh the hall and opens the door

”Dr Bayard in?” asks the brusque voice of the adjutant ”Ah, doctor,”

continues that officer, ate and on his way to visit Mr McLean He begs that you will be present at the interview, as it is on a matter of much iravely, as though divining the solemn import of their errand ”I am at your service at once”

XVII

An odd despatch was that which went by the single wire of the ht It was known that a s through with a staff-officer _en route_ to join the field colu the northern foot-hills of the Big Horn range Major Miller asked the co officer at Fetterman to hold back a brace of horse Laraeneral co the departhty ht was dark and the skies overcast Therethe route; there certainly were no soldiers, for, with the exception of eight or tenon the north side of the Platte and over near the Sioux reservations All the sale trooper, armed only with the revolver and unburdened by the usual blankets and field kit,--riding alht as a racer,--was to make the run and reach Fetterman the next afternoon

This was the result of the intervieith Lieutenant McLean, a conference at which were present Major and Mrs Miller, Dr Bayard, and the adjutant Why Mrs Miller, the wife of the co officer, should have been present in any capacity, it is not the province of the narrator to defend She had been assiduously nursing and caring for the young officer in his weak and wounded condition She had him where he could not escape her shrewd and relentless questionings She was enabled to tell his she certainly thought he had and therefore said he had She was further enabled to tell him of the letters from Robinson and all they portended; of Mr Holmes's loss and what she had seen in thewith Miss Forrest in the darkness of the doctor's hall; of the registered letters sent ahen everybody knew Mrs Forrest hadn't a penny except the captain's pay, and that she had openly and repeatedly announced that her sister-in-law had now co quarrelled with her relatives in the East And so, little by little, she had drawn from McLean the story of Hatton's fareords and the discovery of the card in the handkerchief Then, fortified with this intelligence, and firuilt of her Majesty of Bedlam, Mrs Miller reopened the subject and prodded the major into immediate action She meant well She intended no public exposure, no unnecessary disgrace

She merely wanted that Captain Forrest should come at once, compel his much-afflicted sister (for, of course, kleptomania was the sole explanation) to make restitution, and then remove her to some safe retreat in the distant East Miller decided to see McLean at once, taking his adjutant to jot down the statements made, and Dr Bayard because of his rank in the service and his professional connection with the officer in question Mrs Miller decided to be present because of McLean's great reluctance to tell what he knew and because she conceived it her duty to prompt him; and this was the quartet that swooped down upon the poor fellow in his defenceless condition late that sunshi+ny afternoon No wonder his recovery was delayed!

The most stunned and bewildered ress was Dr Bayard He had gone in the confident expectation that McLean was to be confronted with the evidences of his guilt, and offered the chance of ination His patient was sufficiently reer-line to enable him to sustain the shock, and he had not interposed It was too late, therefore, to put an end to matters on that plea when to his horror-stricken ears was revealed the evidence against the woman who had so enthralled and piqued him Miller led him away in a semi-dazed condition after the close of the conference, and then at last the doctor's veheue

”And all this ti fellow!”

said the major, with a touch of reproach in his voice

There was silence an instant The doctor stopped short and leaned against the fence in front of the adjutant's quarters, his face purpling rath and indignation, his lips twitching, his hands clinched Miller looked at him in amaze, and then came the outburst:

”Suspect hi to what I feel now! That in his depravity he should have stolen was bad enough; but that now, to cover his tracks, he should accuse and defame a defenceless wo be more pitiful and ht of the robbery Where is the handkerchief now? He burned it! He found a note on a card froiven Hatton to replace in the drawer Where is the card? He burned it! He 'purposely destroyed all evidence against her' A sham Quixote! Who found her handkerchief in his bureau? Who saw the burning? Who put the handkerchief in the drawer? Who told hi that you should be delayed in your investigation? Who, in fact, is corroborating witness to everything and anything he alleges, but the ain Hatton is failing rapidly”

”How could he have heard that?” asked Miller, with led wrath and stupefaction in his face,--wrath at the doctor's conteard of all other opinions, and stupefaction at the suddenly presented view of the case

”The attendant, sir, was down at the telegraph office when the news ca told the truth Weeks fears blood-poisoning, and if that has set in nothing can save hiainst this ed lady?”

”Hush!+” exclailance toward Bedla his coether, leaning on the southern balustrade and gazing down upon them in evident interest and equally evident surprise, fanny Forrest and Mr Roswell Holmes Silently he turned and accoateway, and then stopped

”I presu further I can do just now, and, with your permission, sir, I will leave you I want to think this all over”

”Do so, doctor And, when you are ready, come and see me Let me only say this to you: You have hardly known McLean at all We have known him nearly five years, and he has ever been in our eyes the soul of honor and truth”

”The soul of honor and truth, sir, would not be writing love-letters and destroying the peace of irl when all he has to offer her is a -shot the doctor majestically turned away

”So that's where the shoe pinches!” thought Miller, as he entered his quarters, where presently he was joined by his excited wife

”He isn't half as prostrated as you thought he'd be,” she instantly exclaimed, as she entered the rooreatly distressed, but I have promised hiets here, and that then he is to see hi be done?”

”I aain by and by This affair has co him, for he is evidently deeply sone so far Now that letterto the office Youabout it, or about this affair Of course you will be besieged with questions” And so the major sallied forth