THE CULPRIT IS ARRESTED
"General Beauregard," she whispered at last, "I am the traitor. He was
detained by me."
"That doesn't excuse him," said the general, severely. "Any man who
fails in his duty because he succumbs to a woman's wiles, even though
that woman loves him, has no plea to urge in justification. He is a
soldier. His duty to obey orders is first of all."
"But--but--you don't understand. I--I--kept him there by force, sir.
Major Lacy told me of the expedition--he and Mr. Sempland had called
upon me in the afternoon. They--they had each of them asked
me--in--marriage. We--we quarrelled. Mr. Sempland left me in anger,
Major Lacy divined that I--I--cared for Mr. Sempland. He came back
later in the evening and told me Mr. Sempland was going to blow up the
_Wabash_, and he begged me to see Mr. Sempland again and bid him
good-by. I had only two thoughts--that it meant certain death to my
father and possibly Mr. Sempland--the man--I--What was I to do? I might
have sacrificed myself by letting Mr. Sempland run the risk, but my
father, sir--"
She stopped and looked at him in pitiful entreaty.
"Go on," said the general, inflexibly.
"I had Mr. Sempland ushered into the strong room of the house--the old
Rennie house, you know, sir?"
The general nodded.
"The door was locked on him after he entered. My three negro boys kept
watch outside. There was no escape for him. He beat and hammered on the
door until his hands bled. He begged and implored to be released. It
was agonizing to hear. I did not realize that he was telling the truth
when he said he was being dishonored. I had no time to consider
anything. I only thought of my father--helpless on that great ship--the
sudden rush of that awful little boat."
"You were a traitor to the South!" said General Beauregard, coldly.
[Illustration: "'You were a traitor to the South!' said General
Beauregard, coldly."]
"Yes. God pity me, I see it now," answered the girl.
"How did he get away? Did you release him?" continued the general.
"He swore that he would kill himself if I did not open the door."
"Did you open it?"
"Yes."
"Then did he burst through you and the men?"
"No. They were armed and would have killed him. He could not have made
his escape that way. He begged me to speak to him alone for a moment. I
went into the room and shut the door. He seized me in his arms and then
put his pistol to my head, threatening to kill me if I did not order
the door opened."
"And you obeyed?"
"No, I refused. Then he called out to the slaves to open at once or he
would kill me, their mistress."
"What happened then?"
"I ordered them not to open the door, to let me die. But they did as he
said. He made them leave the hall. They obeyed him in spite of my
protests. Then he threw me aside, and ran to the wharf. I followed
after. The rest you know. It was useless after all. I thought no one
would go if he did not. I thought if I could detain him a night--get
some delay--I would come here in the morning and tell you the truth and
ask you to spare my father."
"Miss Glen," said the little general, "I would not spare my own father
if my duty demanded that he be sacrificed."
"I suppose so. You are a man, you cannot understand. I am a woman.
There were but two I loved on earth. I was ashamed of my father, but I
loved him. Four years of war have taught me other things. I am sorry
that he did not go with the South, but it is not for me to judge him. I
could not see him condemned to death and not raise a hand to save him.
And I discovered too late that I--I--cared for Mr. Sempland. I drove
him from me in scorn and contempt--I taunted him. He sought that detail
to prove his courage, I could not let him go to certain death. If he
did it would be my fault, I would have murdered him. Pity me! I am only
a woman. Try to understand!"
"But the young man has proven his courage--"
"I know, I know! I never doubted it," she interrupted.
"By keeping silent this morning, by facing certain death upon charges
that are worse than the punishment to a soldier, in that they blast his
fame," said the general.
"Thank God for that kindness to me!"
"And he did all this for you."
"He loves me, as I love him."
"But your love has disgraced him, his has protected you."
The girl shrank before the stern words of the soldier.
"Yes," she said faintly, "it is as you say. I alone am to blame. Let
mine alone be the punishment. I will tell all to the court. He must be
cleared!"
"It is just," said Beauregard. "You have committed an act of treason
against the South. There is, however, some excuse for your action, and
your previous record in the hospital service has been such as to
entitle you to every consideration. I am disposed to be lenient, but
the offence is one I cannot condone. I will have to put you under guard
until I can consider what is best to be done."
"I make no protest," said Fanny Glen. "You will, of course, release Mr.
Sempland from arrest, and see that his reputation takes no hurt?"
"I will attend to that."
He struck a bell again and summoned the assistant adjutant-general once
more. Fanny Glen dropped her veil so that her face was concealed from
the officer. He did not perceive what she had suffered and was
suffering. Yet her heart was full of relief--her father was safe, her
lover would be free, and, best of all, she had such testimony as few
women have received to the depth and power of his passion. He loved her
indeed. There was a joy in that thought that set her heart beating.
The general drew his subordinate into a corner of the room, where they
conversed earnestly for a few moments. Then they came back to the young
girl.
"Adjutant-General Wylie," said the commander-in-chief, "you will take
charge of Miss Glen. You will follow him, Miss Glen. I will communicate
my further plans within an hour."
There was something intensely pathetic in the droop of the little
figure, in spite of the comforting thoughts that had come to her, when
the girl rose and followed the soldier from the room.
The general was almost persuaded to call after her a reassuring word or
two, but he restrained himself and said nothing.