ious manner found its way to her
mother's room. "I don't understand it at all," she said, racking her
brain for a solution of the mystery. "But the letter at least is safe
with me. I'll send it to Helen this very day and to-morrow I'll tell
Mark Ray."

Procrastination was not one of Bell Cameron's faults, and for full half
an hour before her mother and Juno came home, the stolen letter had been
lying in the mail box where Bell herself deposited it, together with a
few hurriedly written lines, telling how it came into her hands, but
offering no explanation of any kind.

"Mark is home now on a leave of absence which expires day after
to-morrow," she wrote, "but I am going around to see him, and if you
do not hear from him in person I am greatly mistaken."

Very closely Bell watched her mother when she came from her room, but
the letter had not been missed, and in blissful ignorance Mrs. Cameron
displayed her purchases and then talked of Wilford, wondering how he was
and if it were advisable for any of them to go to him.

The next day a series of hindrances kept Bell from making her call as
early as she had intended doing, so that Mrs. Banker and Mark were just
rising from dinner when told she was in the parlor.

"I meant to have come before," she said, seating herself by Mark, "but
I could not get away. I have brought you some good news. I think--that
is--yes, I know there has been some mistake, some wrong somewhere,
whether intended or not. Mark Ray," and the impetuous girl faced
directly toward him, "if you could have any wish you might name what
would it be? Come now, imagine yourself a Cinderella and I the fairy
godmother. What will you have?"

Mark knew she was in earnest and her manner puzzled him greatly, but he
answered, laughingly: "As a true patriot I should wish for peace on
strictly honorable terms."

"Pshaw!"

The word dropped very prettily from Bell's lips as with a shrug she
continued:

"You men are very patriotic, I know, especially if you wear shoulder
straps, but isn't there something dearer than peace? Suppose, for
instance, Union between the North and South on strictly honorable terms,
as you say, was laid upon one scale and union between yourself and Helen
Lennox was laid upon the other, which would you take?"

Mark's lips were very white now, but he tried to laugh as he replied: "I
should say the Union, of course."

"Yes, but which union?" Bell rejoined, and then as she saw that Mrs.
B