roversy as to who had the
line. In her impatience, she rose; he rose, too, standing beside her.

"Here's your party," said central at last.

Her "party" was Wayne.

But something was still the matter on the line; she could not get what
Wayne was trying to tell her.

As her excitement became more difficult to control the man at her side
kept speaking to her--touching her--soothingly.

At last she could hear Wayne. "You hear me, Katie?"

"Oh yes--_yes_--what is it?"

"I want to tell you--"

It was swallowed up in a buzzing on the line.

Then central's voice came clear and crisp. "Your party is trying to tell
you that _Ann_ is found."

"Oh--" gasped Katie, and lost all color--"Oh--"

"Katie--?" That was Wayne again.

"Oh _yes_, Wayne?"

"I have found her. She is well--that is, will be well. She is all
right--going to be all right. I'll write it all to-morrow. It's all over,
Katie. You don't have to worry any more."

The next instant the telephone was upside down on the table and Katie,
sobbing, was in his arms. He was holding her close; and as her sobs grew
more violent he kissed her hair, murmured loving things. Suddenly she
raised her head--lifting her face to his. He kissed her; and all the
splendor of those eons of life was Katie's then.

CHAPTER XXXII

Captain Jones had come down from Fort Sheridan late that afternoon. He
had been in Chicago for several days, as a member of a board assembled up
at Fort Sheridan. The work was over and he would return to the Arsenal
that night.

But he was not to go until midnight. He would have dinner and go to
the theater with some of the friends with whom he had been in those
last few days.

He wished it were otherwise. He was in no mood for them. He would far
rather have been alone.

He had a little time alone in his room before dinner and sat there
smoking, thinking, looking at the specks of men and women moving about in
the streets way down there below.

He was in no humor that night to keep to the everlasting talk about army
affairs, army grievances and schemes, all those things of a world within
a world treated as if larger than the whole of the world. The last few
days had shown him anew how their hold on him was loosening.

There seemed such a thing as the army habit of mind. Within their own
domain was orderliness, discipline, efficiency, subservience to the
collectivity, pride in it, devotion to it--many things of mind and
character sadly