"You have heard nothing yet from General Sherman?" she asked pathetically.
"Nothing, child."
"And no message of any kind from John Vaughan since he left!" she exclaimed hopelessly.
"But I'm sure, remember, sure to a moral certainty—that he reached Richmond safely and left there safely."
"How do you know?"
"Gilmore has just arrived with his reply from Jefferson Davis. It will be worth a half million votes for us. From his description of the 'reporter' with Benjamin I am sure it was our messenger."
"But you don't know—you don't know!" Betty sighed.
The President bent and touched her shoulder gently:
"Come, dear, it's not like you to despair——"
The girl smiled wanly.