carelessly, and I watched the simple operation, all the life gone out of
me, unable to decide what to do. It was useless to go back; almost
equally useless to go forward. I had no information to take into our
lines of any value, and had failed utterly in my efforts to intercept
the important despatches for Beauregard. The knowledge of my mistake
stung me bitterly, yet I could blame no one for the failure except
myself. The apparent carelessness of the girl puzzled me--why should she
be so completely at her ease in this adventure? Only at the first had
she exhibited the slightest excitement. This seemed hardly
natural--alone, thus suddenly attacked by a stranger, an enemy, and
openly threatened.

"You seem perfectly contented," I said. "Are you not frightened?"

"Frightened!" and she paused in her hair-dressing to bend slightly
forward so as to look into my shadowed face. "Why, of course not; why
should I be?"

"But I am a stranger to you--a Yank. You are on the other side, are you
not?"

"Oh, of course," her lips revealing again the white teeth. "But I don't
think all Yankees are demons. I don't believe you are. I like your
voice. You see, I was educated in the North, and so am not prejudiced.
Please won't you take off your hat, just for a minute?"

I did so, almost mechanically, not even realizing why she asked, until
she bent forward, her eyes on my face.

"No, I am not frightened with you. I was just a little, at first, of