"Why, how could that be?
Surely your courage had been sufficiently tested before ?" "Cowardice, and disobedience of orders," he repeated dully, "after I had been under fire almost night and day for three years; after I had risen from the ranks and commanded the regiment." "And you had no defence ?" "No; at least, none I could use; this man might have saved me, but he did not, and I never knew why." "Who was he ?" "My senior captain, detailed on Early's staff; he brought me the orders verbally I was afterwards accused of disobeying.

I was temporarily in command of the regiment that day with rank as major.

There was a mistake somewhere, and we were horribly cut up, and a number taken prisoners.

It was my word against his, and--and he lied." She took the haversack from him, studying the scarcely legible inscription.
"'E.

L.F.' Are those the letters ?" "Yes; they stand for Eugene Le Fevre; he was of French descent, his home in New Orleans." "You knew him well ?" "I thought so; we were at school together and afterwards in the army." She looked across at him again, touched by the tender echo of his voice; then leaned forward and placed one hand upon his.
"You have not spoken about this for a long while, have you ?" "No," his eyes lighting up pleasantly, "hardly thought of it, except sometimes alone at night.