to be intimidated by a burglar, and he felt a certain contempt for the midnight marauder, who had entered the mansion and distu

e it did not appear that he had entered the house for the purpose of robbing its occupants. He could not determine whether or not the fellow had actually come into his

ders, and some other papers. As a precaution against inquisitive persons, if the package should happen to be mislaid in the house, he had applied s

atches and money, which he could hardly have helped seeing. His object was not plunder, and there was nothing to indicate the purpose of his visit. In retiring from the house the intruder had left the front door ajar: and Christy thought

than usual when the call bell had been rung. He went down-stairs, and found his mother and Florry very busy in the dining-r

ed the lieutenant, glancing from o

replied Mrs. Passford, with a smile, af

ing the table, mother; and the first bell ra

oor. She told me she could not find Walsh, and breakfast had been ready half an hou

Walsh?" inqu

oachman, and he has been to his room and lo

hether this sudden disappearance had anything to d

valise with him, which indica

ad been at home so little that he ha

s not willing to persuade him to shirk his duty. Walsh has not been here quite two weeks. He said he was born in the West Indies; but he was always prying into matters that did not concern him, and I have s

establish no other relation between them. Then it flashed upon his mind that the man-servant had been the person who had opened or closed his door, and visited his room; but he was sure he had seen a man near the grand entrance of th

at he could not be at home to say good-by to his son, who was to leave that day in the store ship Vernon. He wrote a spe

ur. Bertha Pembroke and her father were quite as sad as the mother and sister, and the young officer did hi

ach the Gulf. I hope you will not be rash, and try to do t

ery seriously, for he was sensitive on the point his mother had brought up. "Father has said a great deal to me on this subject, and I have always done my best to carry out his pri

my son," added his

ate prison. I don't think my Uncle Homer would cry his eyes out if such should be my fate

he has no ill-w

t think

eard anything from him or his fa

assford was exchanged, and sent back to the South a year ag

m to the railroad station. The parting was not less tender than it had been on former similar occasions, and Mrs. Passford preferred that it should be in the house rather than at the railroa

of others who had gone forth to fight the battles of their country, many thousands of whom slumber in hallowed graves far away from home and

board of which he was ordered to report as a passenger, but when he asked a deck hand what the steamer was, he was informed that it was the Vernon. The ferry-boat had just gone into

ruin if the Vernon sailed without him. There had been some mistake in his orders, or in those of the commander of the store ship, and he was likely to be the sufferer for it. He

Christy, with almost

oat!" replied the man

on board of that steamer before

returned the oarsman, as he

in after it. The belated passenger cast an earnest look at the Vernon, which had just beg

sir?" interrog

e, and you must not stop to talk

ive you one of my oars if I don't put you on her deck," said the boatman

l put me alongside the steamer," answered Christy. "No

id five dollars, I believe, sir," added t

took a bill of that denomination from his porte-monnaie, rolled it

th more vigor even than before, and did not say a

risty hauled up his valise. He felt that he had saved himself from the dishonor of failing to obey his orders, and he looked about him for some one who would be able to explain to him how the steamer happened to be sailing two hou