n its short dark
beard--the broad intellectual brow, half covered by unmanageable hair, his
face marked with deep-cut lines of life and death, with great hollows in
the cheeks and under the eyes. In the lines which marked the corners of
his mouth she could see firmness, and his beetling brows and unusually
heavy eyelids looked stern and formidable. Her heart sank. She looked
again and saw goodness, tenderness, sorrow, canny shrewdness, and a
strange lurking smile all haunting his mouth and eye.

Suddenly he threw himself forward in his chair, wheeled and faced one of
his tormentors with a curious and comical expression. With one hand
patting the other, and a funny look overspreading his face, he said:

"My friend, let me tell you something----"

The man again stepped before him, and she could hear nothing. When the
story was finished, the man tried to laugh. It died in a feeble effort.
But the President laughed heartily, laughed all over, and laughed his
visitors out of the room.

Mrs. Cameron turned toward Elsie with a mute look of appeal to give her
this moment of good-humour in which to plead her cause, but before she
could move a man of military bearing suddenly stepped before the
President.

He began to speak, but seeing the look of stern decision in Mr. Lincoln's
face, turned abruptly and said:

"Mr. President, I see you are fully determined not to do me justice!"

Mr. Lincoln slightly compressed his lips, rose quietly, seized the
intruder by the arm, and led him toward the door.

"This is the third time you have forced your presence on me, sir, asking
that I reverse the just sentence of a court-martial, dismissing you from
the service. I told you my decision was carefully made and was final. Now
I give you fair warning never to show yourself in this room again. I can
bear censure, but I will not endure insult!"

In whining tones the man begged for his papers he had dropped.

"Begone, sir," said the President, as he thrust him through the door.
"Your papers will be sent to you."

The poor mother trembled at this startling act and sank back limp in her
seat.

With quick, swinging stride the President walked back to his desk,
accompanied by Major Hay and a young German girl, whose simple dress told
that she was from the Western plains.

He handed the secretary an official paper.

"Give this pardon to the boy's mother when she comes this morning," he
said kindly to the secretary, his eyes suddenly fu