or. "There may be no train till to-morrow;" and with that led
the way to the parlor.

Almost immediately, without waiting for the coming of the attendants
with their hand-bags, Miss Arnold fled up-stairs, followed, at a glance
from her mother, by Kate.

"You see how wretchedly nervous she continues," said Mrs. Sumter. "How
could we have let her go alone?"

"How should we let her go at all?" said Larrabee. "Indeed"--with a
glance from the clouding window over the storm-swept parade--"I repeat,
there will be no going anywhere for anybody just now. Has--has she--told
you anything, as yet?"

Mrs. Sumter was gradually emerging from her winter coat of furs. For a
moment she hesitated, then closed the door leading back to the
dining-room and returned to him as he stood there, warming his hands at
the great parlor stove then indispensable in our frontier homes. His
fine, intellectual face, in its silver-gray fringe of crisp curling
hair, was full of sympathy and interest. It was a face to confide in,
and all Fort Cushing swore by its senior surgeon. "Doctor," said she,
calling him by the title he best loved, "Miriam says she believes it was
all a mere delusion--a dream. She blames herself bitterly and--begs us
to think no more of it--to forgive her, but----"

"But?" and the kind dark eyes studied the gentle, matronly face.

"But--oh, why should I attempt to conceal it? You know, and we have
reason to know, she _did_ see some one--some one right there in her
room. Some one who went out like a thief, through the window, and down
the roof to the shed, and away in spite of sentries or--or anybody--some
one who was in there when they so unexpectedly got home. _You_ saw----"

"Yes, I saw the tracks in the fresh snow on the roof. I could see them
when I came hurrying over," murmured the doctor.

"Captain Sumter had the snow swept off before reveille. What was the use
of advertising it further? Mr. Barker and Mr. Blake saw it, too. They
hold it was some garrison sneak-thief, looking for jewelry. Yet not so
much as a ring, or a pin, was touched--only her desk."

"Did _she_ tell of that?"

"No, Kate was the first to see it. She flew up-stairs when she heard the
scream; found Miriam a senseless heap on the floor, the desk open on the
little table by the window, the contents scattered, the window up, and
somebody bounding and slipping away in the moonlight. Then she heard the
challenge and scuffle outside and thought the guard h