t leaving the hotel desk. He
caught a glimpse of her face and he knew that it was the old maid of the
train. Then something else was impressed upon his mind, something which
he had not noticed at their first meeting, but which came to him at their
second. He had seen a face like hers before, but the resemblance was
so faint and fleeting that he could not place it, strive as he would.
But he was sure that it was there.

"Who is that woman?" he asked.

Daniel shook his head and so did Randolph, but Bagby spoke up.

"Her name is Henrietta Carden," he said, "and she's a seamstress.
I've seen her coming to the hotel often before, bringing new clothes to
the women guests, or taking away old ones to be repaired. I believe that
the ladies account her most skillful. It's likely that she'll be at
the Curtis house, in a surgical capacity, to-morrow night, as a quick
repairer of damaged garments, those fine linen and silk and lace affairs
that we don't know anything about. Mrs. Curtis relies greatly upon her
and I ought to tell you, young gentlemen, that Mr. Curtis is a most
successful blockade runner, though he takes no personal risk himself.
The Curtis house is perhaps the most sumptuous in Richmond. You'll see
no signs of poverty there, though, as I told you, officers in old and
faded clothes are welcome."

Harry saw Henrietta Carden carrying the large basket of clothes, go out
at a side door, and he felt as if a black shadow like a menace had passed
across the floor. But it was only for an instant. He dismissed it
promptly, as one of those thoughts that come out of nothing, like idle
puffs of summer air. He and Dalton bade a brief farewell to their new
friends and left for the headquarters of General Winder. An elderly and
childless couple named Lanham had volunteered to take two officers in
their house near Capitol Square, and there Harry and Dalton were sent.

They could not have found a better place. Mr. and Mrs. Lanham were quiet
people, who gave them an excellent room and a fine supper. Mrs. Lanham
showed a motherly solicitude, and when she heard that they were going to
the Curtis ball on the following night she demanded that their spare and
best uniforms be turned over to her.

"I can make them look fresh," she insisted, "and your appearance must be
the finest possible. No, don't refuse again. It's a pleasure to me to
do it. When I look at you two, so young and strong and so honest in
manner and spee