satisfy you on another point, where it would seem we greatly
differ."

He walked to the door, and summoned his servant, to whom he gave an
order. In another moment the fresh-faced young officer who had at
first admitted her re-appeared with a file of official papers. He
glanced slyly at Thankful Blossom's face with an amused look, as if
he had already heard the colloquy between her and his superior
officer, and had appreciated that which neither of the earnest
actors in the scene had themselves felt,--a certain sense of humor
in the situation.

Howbeit, standing before them, Col. Hamilton gravely turned over
the file of papers. Thankful bit her lips in embarrassment. A
slight feeling of awe, and a presentiment of some fast-coming
shame; a new and strange consciousness of herself, her
surroundings, of the dignity of the two men before her; an uneasy
feeling of the presence of two ladies who had in some mysterious
way entered the room from another door, and who seemed to be
intently regarding her from afar with a curiosity as if she were
some strange animal; and a wild premonition that her whole future
life and happiness depended upon the events of the next few
moments,--so took possession of her, that the brave girl trembled
for a moment in her isolation and loneliness. In another instant
Col. Hamilton, speaking to his superior, but looking obviously at
one of the ladies who had entered, handed a paper to Washington,
and said, "Here are the charges."

"Read them," said the general coldly.