it was bad enough that these
things should have occurred there, and that suspicion should have
attached to some one in Captain Forrest's household; but things are
worse than ever now. Have you seen Mr. Hatton to-day?"

"I've seen him, of course, but he didn't say anything on--on such a
subject."

"Now, I don't want you to blame Mr. Hatton, major. You must remember
that he has always said that I was like a mother to him because I
nursed him through the mountain fever, and he has always confided in me
ever since; but the other night while he was at the Gordons', the same
night he came here after tattoo, somebody went to his room and stole
from his trunk over one hundred and fifty dollars in greenbacks and a
beautiful scarf-pin that his brother gave him."

"And he did not report it to me?" asked the major, impetuously.

"He did not then, though he meant to, because Mr. McLean induced him to
promise not to, because----"

"Well, because what? What reason could young McLean assign that could
justify his concealing such a matter from the commanding officer?"

"Because he said it was cruel to allow a woman to be suspected, when
she had no man in the garrison--husband, brother, or father--to take
her part."

"A woman! What? some servant?"

"Worse than that, major,--Miss Forrest."

Bang! dropped the heavy boot the major had just pulled from his foot,
and, one boot off and the other boot on, he started up and stood
staring at his wife in blank amaze.

"Listen, dear," she said, "heaven knows it is no pleasure to tell it.
She was seen, so my letter said, in the quarters of the officer who was
robbed at Red Cloud, the night he was officer of the day. They lived,
you know, in the same building. The night Mr. Hatton's trunk was opened
she came very late to the Gordons'. Very probably it was she with whom
Mr. McLean collided out on the parade, though I hushed you summarily
when you began to joke about it, and Mr. Hatton hints that McLean could
tell more if he would, but he has firmly set his lips against saying a
word. However, that was before to-night. Now for something even worse,
because it has happened to a guest within our gates. Mr. Holmes's
porte-monnaie with over one hundred dollars was taken from his
overcoat-pocket as it hung in the hall to-night, and I saw her go out
there while you were having your after-dinner smoke. I saw her go out
there and stand by the hat-rack and pretend to be patting and admiring
that be