"Yes; but closely watched."

"Did you take the despatch from her?"

"No."

"She still has it?"

"I suppose so. Good God! man, what's the matter?"

Mitchell, white faced and trembling, collapsed into a chair.

"Pull yourself together," continued Lloyd sternly. "She cannot do any
harm even if she does manage to send that despatch to Lee; it is false
information."

Twice Mitchell tried to speak. "Man, man," he gasped finally. "By some
fearful mischance I dropped a real despatch and not the bogus one."

With eyes starting from his head, Lloyd regarded the unfortunate
officer while he slowly digested his startling news. Then he picked up
his overcoat and hat and made for the closed door. "To think I let that
girl go into Virginia under the President's pass with that despatch in
her pocket. Damnation!" and the door slammed violently on his
retreating figure.

Goddard rose bright and early that morning. He did not awaken Lloyd,
for he had bidden him good-bye the night before, so after scrawling a
few lines to his friend thanking him for his hospitality and leaving
the note on the bureau, he hastened down to the Newtons'. Nancy and her
aunt did not keep him waiting long, and with the help of their butler
he got them into the waiting hack, tossed in their numerous hand
luggage, and jumped up by the driver. On their arrival at the depot he
found they had but three minutes in which to catch the train, so he
unceremoniously bundled Miss Metoaca and Nancy through the gates and to
the train; while the hackman brought up the rear with two carpet bags
and a lunch hamper.

They found they had the car practically to themselves, so Miss Metoaca
picked out the cleanest seat, and insisted that all the luggage be put
by her side where it would be directly under her eye. Then she
announced she was going to take "forty winks," as she had been up most
of the night and needed sleep. With a sigh of satisfaction, Goddard
settled himself next to Nancy in the seat directly across the aisle
from Miss Metoaca. As the train pulled out from the depot a man swung
himself aboard the back platform and slipped into a seat in the rear of
the last car unseen by Goddard.

"You look tired," said Goddard, glancing keenly at Nancy's pale face.

"I am; for I spent most of the night with a sick servant. But you,
Major Goddard, don't look any too fresh yourself," replied Nancy
quickly.

It was true. Goddard had spent a sleepless night. He could