Harry laughed and Dalton reddened.

"The joke is on me, Mr. Onderdonk," said Dalton. "But we're here on a
serious errand. Where is General Meade?"

"I haf not had my regular letter from General Meade this morning.
Vilhelmina, you are sure ve haf noddings from General Meade?"

"Noddings, Jacob," she said.

Dalton flushed again and muttered under his breath.

"We want to know," he said sharply, "if you have seen the Army of the
Potomac or heard anything of it."

A look of deep sadness passed over the face of Jacob Onderdonk.

"I haf one great veakness," he said, "one dot makes my life most bitter.
I haf de poorest memory in de vorld. Somedimes I forget de face of mein
own Vilhelmina. Maybe de Army uf de Potomac, a hundred thousand men,
pass right before my door yesterday. Maybe, as der vedder vas hot,
that efery one uf dem hundred thousand men came right into der house
und take a cool drink out uf der water bucket. But I cannot remember.
Alas, my poor memory!"

"Then maybe Wilhelmina remembers."

"Sh! do not speak uf dot poor voman. I do not let her go out uf der
house dese days, as she may not be able to find der vay back in again."