lled! Andrew, tell me the truth--is father dead?"

The faithful negro could no longer repress his grief, and sobbed
convulsively, unable to reply.

"Oh, my God! I knew it!" she gasped.

The gleaming arms were thrown up despairingly, and a low, dreary cry wailed
through the stately old mansion as the orphan turned her eyes upon Nellie
and Andrew--the devoted two who had petted her from childhood.

Judge Harris led her into the library, and his weeping wife endeavoured to
offer consolation, but she stood rigid and tearless, holding out her hand
for the despatch. Finally they gave it to her and she read:--

"CHARLES T. HARRIS--

"Huntingdon was desperately wounded at three o'clock to-day, in making a
charge. He died two hours ago. I was with him. The body leaves to-morrow
for W----.

"HIRAM ARNOLD."

The paper fell from her fingers; with a dry sob she turned from them, and
threw herself on the sofa, with her face of woe to the wall. So passed the
night.

CHAPTER XXX

THE BLOCKADE RUNNER

"I intend to trust you with important despatches, Miss Grey--for I have
great confidence in female ingenuity, as well as female heroism. The
meekest of women are miniature Granvelles; nature made you a race of
schemers. Pardon me if I ask, how you propose to conceal the despatches?
It is no easy matter now to run the blockade of a Southern port, especially
on the Gulf; and you must guard against being picked up by the
Philistines."

"I am fully aware of all the risk attending my trip; but if you will give
me the papers, prepared as I directed in my note from Paris, I will pledge
my life that they shall reach Richmond safely. If I am captured and carried
North, I have friends who will assist me in procuring a passport to the
South, and little delay will occur. If I am searched, I can bid them
defiance. Give me the despatches, and I will show you how I intend to take
them."

Electra opened her trunk, took out a large portfolio, and selected from the
drawings one in crayon representing the heads of Michael Angelo's Fates.
Spreading it out, face downward, on the table, she laid the closely-written
tissue paper of despatches smoothly on the back of the thin pasteboard;
then fitted a square piece of oil-silk on the tissue missive, and having,
with a small brush, coated the silk with paste, covered the whole with a
piece of thick drawing paper, the edges of which were carefully glued to
those of the pasteboard. Ta