ours were over. Neither relief nor
reply had reached him. He heard the halls resounding to the footsteps of
officers and clerks as they closed their doors and left the building.
Bidding his assistant remain a moment he strode to the further end of
the long passage. The General was at the moment issuing from his private
office, conversing with two of his staff. The adjutant-general, a bundle
of papers in his hand, was hastily crossing the hall toward his own
office. Loring raised his hat in grave salutation to his commander, who
bowed with dignified reserve in return, and moment later the Engineer
was facing the colonel at his desk.

"Colonel Strain," said he, "I have much to do. Will you name the hour at
which I am to meet my relief?"

"Mr. Loring," said the official tartly, "when we are ready to relieve
you the order will be issued--and not before."

"Colonel Strain," answered Loring, "I shall be at my office all evening,
ready to receive that order." And wheeling about he met the General at
the door. An open telegram was in the latter's hand, a queer look on his
flushed and angry face. Relieving his impatient clerk, Loring seated
himself to answer a letter, and there fell from the package he drew from
his pocket a little note, and with a sudden pang of shame and sorrow he
stooped and picked it up. It was only a tiny missive, only a few sad,
almost pleading, words. Did he mean to go without a word of good-by to
Pancha? His heart reproached him as he remembered that this had reached
him two days before.

He was writing a note to the Lady Superior, telling her of his
expectation of sailing on the morrow, and asking if he might be
permitted to call to say adieu to his little friend of the shipwreck,
when an orderly entered.

"Colonel Strain's compliments and desires to see the lieutenant at
once." It was not customary for officers to be so summarily summoned
after office hours, but Loring went. With a hand that trembled visibly,
but with every effort to control his voice, the chief-of-staff held
forth a telegram and said:

"The General desires to know, sir, whether you have sent any telegram to
Washington which can account for this?"

Loring took and slowly read it. Divested of address and signature it
read as follows:

"The Secretary of War is informed that Lieutenant Loring has not been
relieved as directed. Report reason by telegraph."

Loring deliberately finished reading, and then as deliberately looked
u