r boarders for the provost
marshal. When he arrived, I turned the rooms over to him, and came on
here to report to the Secretary."

"Did you send for a physician, Symonds?" asked Lincoln.

"Yes, Mr. President. Doctor Ward reached the boarding house a few
minutes before the provost marshal. He declared Captain Lloyd had
apparently been dead for some hours, and that Major Goddard was
unconscious from a blow on the head."

"Did he make an examination as to the cause of Captain Lloyd's death?"
inquired Stanton.

"No, Mr. Secretary. He said that the captain was beyond his help, and
that Major Goddard needed immediate attention. He dressed the major's
wound at once, and then I helped him lift the still unconscious officer
onto the other bed."

"Had Major Goddard regained consciousness before you left?"

"No, Mr. Secretary. He had lost a great deal of blood, and Doctor Ward
said it might be hours before he came to himself. The doctor seemed to
fear concussion of the brain," he added thoughtfully.

A low sigh escaped Nancy. Only the President noticed her agitation. The
other men had forgotten her presence, so absorbed were they in Symonds'
story.

"The provost marshal stationed a guard about the house," resumed
Symonds, before the Secretary could frame another question. "He placed
Mrs. Lane and her whole household under arrest pending an
investigation."

"He did right," was Stanton's brief comment. "The affair is certainly
mysterious. Did the room look as if there had been a fight?"

"No, Mr. Secretary. There was a good deal of blood collected on the
floor about Major Goddard's head; but not even a chair was overturned.
When I first reached him, Captain Lloyd lay as if asleep, covered by a
bed quilt."

"Strange!" muttered Stanton, and he looked at the President, who sat
tilted back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head, gazing through
lowered lids at the scene before him. As Lincoln made no comment, and
Warren was equally silent, he continued his questions more briskly.
"Undoubtedly Major Goddard will satisfactorily explain what took place
in the room before Captain Lloyd's death, and who his assailant was, as
soon as he regains consciousness. Now, we have a more pressing matter
to attend to to-night." With a wave of his hand, he indicated Nancy.
"This afternoon Captain Lloyd showed you a paper, a cipher despatch,
written by this young lady..."

"I protest," interrupted Nancy vehemently, "against such a ba