aid Ailsa, furious; "and don't you dare to
swear again. Do you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am--I will--I won't, I mean. And if I see that old
mudsill, Simon Cameron, I'll take off my cap to him, b'gosh!"

It was an anxious and subdued soldier who showed them the door of
the Commission's office, and stood at attention, saluting carefully
as the ladies passed him.

"You won't peach, will you?" he whispered loudly, as Ailsa stopped
to pay the driver.

"No, I won't--this time," she said, smiling, "if you promise to be
a very good soldier hereafter."

He promised fervidly. He happened to be on duty at headquarters,
and the fear of the Commission had been driven into him deep. So
she and Letty entered the door with a stream of people who
evidently had business with the officials of the American Sanitary
Commission; and a very amiable young man received them in their
turn, took their papers, examined their credentials, nodded
smilingly, and directed them to a small boarding-house on F Street,
where, he explained, they had better remain until further orders.

There had been some desultory fighting in Virginia, he said, also
there were a great many sick soldiers in the army.

Perhaps, added the young man, they would be sent to one of the city
hospitals, but the chances were that they would be ordered directly
to a field hospital. In that case their transportation would be by
army waggon or ambulance, or the Commission might send one of its
own mule-drawn conveyances. At any rate, they had better rest and
not worry, because as long as the Commission had sent for them, the
Commission certainly needed them, and would see that they arrived
safely at their destination.

Which turned out to be a perfectly true prophecy; for after a
refreshing bath in their boarding-house quarters, and a grateful
change of linen, and an early supper, a big, bony cavalryman came
clanking to their door, saying that a supply train was leaving for
the South, and that an ambulance of the Sanitary Commission was
waiting for them in front of the house.

The night was fearfully hot; scarcely a breath of dir stirred as
their ambulance creaked put toward the river.

The Long Bridge, flanked by its gate houses, loomed up in the dusk;
and:

"Halt! Who goes there?"

"Friends with the countersign."

"Dismount one and advance with the countersign!"

And the Sergeant of cavalry dismounted and moved forward; there was
a low murmur; then: "Pass on, Sanit