door with his endless
effort to wash his hands without water.

"A young gentleman wishes to see you, sir, a reporter I think--Mr. Ned
Vaughan, of the _Daily Republican_."

Without lifting his eyes from the Virginia hills, the quiet voice said:

"Let him in."

In vain the wily diplomat of the press sought to obtain a declaration of
policy on the question of the relief of Fort Sumter. In his easy,
friendly way the President made him welcome, but only smiled and slowly
shook his head in answer to each pointed question, or laughed aloud at
the skillful traps he was invited to enter.

"It's no use, my boy," he said at last, with a weary gesture. "I'm not
going to tell you anything to-day----" he paused, and the light suddenly
flashed from beneath his shaggy brows, "----except this--you can say to
your readers that my course is as plain as a turnpike road. It is marked
out by the Constitution. I am in no doubt which way to go. I am going to
try to save the Union."

"In short," Ned laughed, "you propose to stand by your Inaugural?"

"That's a pretty good guess, young man! I'm surprised that you paid such
close attention to my address."

"Perhaps I had an interpreter?"

"Did you?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"A very beautiful young woman, Mr. President," Ned answered serenely.

The hazel-grey eyes twinkled:

"What's her name, sir?"

"Miss Betty Winter."

"Not the daughter of that old grizzly bear who's always camping on my
trail?"

"The same, sir."

The swarthy face lighted with a radiant smile:

"What did she say about my Inaugural?"

"That it was the utterance of a wise, patient, great man."

Two big hands suddenly closed on Ned's and the tall figure bent low.

"Thank you for telling me that, my boy. It helps me after a hard day!"

"She said many other things, too, sir," Ned added.

"Did she?"

"With enthusiasm."

"Tell her to come to me," the President said slowly. "I want to talk to
her."

He paused, turned to his desk and seized a pen:

"I'll send a subpoena for her--that's better."

On one of his cards he quickly wrote:

"MY DEAR MISS WINTER:

"You are hereby summoned to immediately appear before the Chief
Magistrate to testify concerning grave matters of State.

A. LINCOLN."

He slipped his long arm around Ned's shoulder and walked with him to the
door:

"Serve that on her for me, will you, right away?"

With a nod and a smile, the reporter bow