ntreaties and
determined to start eastward with her sister without delay. Packing was
already begun. Miss Travers had promised herself that she would within
thirty-six hours put Mr. Hayne in possession of certain facts or
theories which in her opinion bore strongly upon the "clearing up" of
the case against him; Mr. Hayne had determined that he would see Major
Waldron on the coming day and begin active efforts towards the
restoration of his social rights; the doctor had about decided on a new
project for inducing Clancy to unbosom himself of what he knew; Captain
Rayner--tired of the long struggle--was almost ready to welcome anything
which should establish his subaltern's innocence, and was on the point
of asking for six months' leave just as soon as he had arranged for
Clancy's final discharge from service: he had reasons for staying at the
post until that Hibernian household was fairly and squarely removed; and
Mrs. Clancy's plan was to take Mike to the distant East, "where she had
frinds." There were other schemes and projects, no doubt, but these
mainly concerned our leading characters, and one and all they were put
to the right-about by the events of the following day.

The colonel, with his gruff second in command, Major Stannard, had been
under orders for several days to proceed on this particular date to a
large town a day's journey eastward by rail. A court-martial composed
mainly of field-officers was ordered there to assemble for the trial of
an old captain of cavalry whose propensity it was not so much to get
drunk as never to get drunk without concomitant publicity and discovery.
It was a rare thing for the old war-dog to take so much as a glass of
wine; he went for months without it; but the instant he began to drink
he was moved to do or say something disreputable, and that was the
trouble now. He was an unlucky old trooper, who had risen from the
lowest grades, fought with credit, and even, at times, commanded his
regiment, during the war; but war records could not save him when he
wouldn't save himself, and he had to go. The court was ordered, and the
result was a foregone conclusion. The colonel, his adjutant, and Major
Stannard were to drive to town during the afternoon and take the
east-bound train, leaving Major Waldron in command of the post; but
before guard-mounting a telegram was received which was sent from
department head-quarters the evening before, announcing that one of the
officers detail