ad him, and gave
her whole attention to Miriam, until Mr. Barker shouted from the lower
hall. Oh, yes, cook and Maggie both declare they were in their room,
but--I believe they were next door at the Snaffles'. I believe the back
door was left open for--whoever it was."

"And nothing is missing?"

"Nothing. He was frightened off evidently. But Captain Sumter wished to
have it all kept quiet until he could confer with the detectives in
town. He has a theory of his own."

She had lowered her voice, and now walked to the hall door, as though
listening for sounds from aloft, whither Kate and Miriam had vanished.

"Miss Kate has a level head," presently spoke Larrabee. "What does _she_
say?"

"Doctor, that is what troubles me! Kate won't say--anything. It's the
first time she ever kept a secret from me." And now tears of genuine
distress were welling in Mrs. Sumter's eyes.

It was half after two, and the wind was shrieking through the open space
back of the line, when Doctor Larrabee, bending almost double, managed
to fight his way homeward. Schuchardt, occupant of the adjoining set to
his own, had not yet returned. At Sumter's gate the senior surgeon
encountered the corporal-of-the-guard, nearly blind and well nigh
exhausted. He had been sent round to relieve the men on post and bid
them make the best of their way to the guard-room. He was even then
searching for Number Five, who had most justifiably, in fact,
involuntarily, taken refuge as previously explained. Had he not been
blown into the Snaffles' kitchen, he might, like Barker's cow, have been
blown away.

"You will probably find Doctor Schuchardt at Lieutenant Lanier's
quarters," shouted Larrabee at the corporal, with kindly intent. "Take
Number Five in there and get thawed out. Tell him I think a nip of
whiskey advisable under the circumstances."

And thus it happened that two storm-beaten soldiers presently shoved
their way through Lanier's back gate and banged at the kitchen door.
Nobody answering, they presently entered, passed through that deserted
apartment, and, hearing voices further on, the corporal ventured into
the dark hallway leading through the little frame house, now fairly
quivering in the blast. Here he caught sight of two officers--big,
powerful men, in fur caps and canvas overcoats, just pushing forth
through the front door into the fierce blast without. One was Doctor
Schuchardt, the other Lieutenant Ennis, joint occupant with Lanier of