before they
ousted me. I'd have taken time to tell him, even if I'd had to--pinch
somebody's ear."

The soft-voiced little creature laughed when she said that. Frances
felt her breath go deeper into her lungs with the relief of this
assurance, and the threatening tears came falling over her fresh young
cheeks. But they were tears of thankfulness, not of suspense or pain.

Frances did not trouble the soldier at the door to exercise his
unwelcome and distasteful authority over her. But she saw that he was
there, indeed, as she went out to give Mrs. Mathews farewell at the
door.

Nola came pattering to her as she turned back in the house again to
find Maggie, for her young appetite was clamoring. Nola's eyes were
round, her face set in an expression of shocked protest.

"Isn't this an outrage, this high-handed business of Major King's?"
She ran up all flushed and out of breath, as if she had been wrestling
with her indignation and it had almost obtained the upper hand.

"What fresh tyranny is he guilty of?" Frances inquired, putting last
night's hot words and hotter feelings behind her.

"Ordering a soldier to guard the door of Mr. Macdonald's room, with
iron-clad instructions to keep you away from him! He sent his orders
back by Doctor Shirley--isn't it a petty piece of business?"

"Mrs. Mathews told me. At least you could have allowed her to stay."

"I?" Nola's eyes seemed to grow. She gazed and stared, injury,
disbelief, pain, in her mobile expression. "Why, Frances, I didn't
have a thing to do with it, not a thing! Mother and I protested
against this military invasion of our house, but protests were
useless. The country is under martial law, Doctor Shirley says."

"How did Major King know that Mr. Macdonald had been brought here? He
rode away without giving any instructions for his disposal or care. I
believe he wanted him to die there where he fell."

"I don't know how he came to hear it, unless the lieutenant here sent
a report to him. But I ask you to believe me, Frances"--Nola put her
hand on Frances' arm in her old wheedling, stroking way--"when I tell
you I hadn't anything to do with it. In spite of what I said last
night, I hadn't. I was wild and foolish last night, dear; I'm sorry
for all of that."

"Never mind," Frances said.

"Don't you worry, we'll take care of him, mother and I. Major King's
orders are that you're not to leave this house, but I tell you,
Frances, if I wanted to go home I'd g