CHAPTER XVIII
WHEN DOCTORS DISAGREE
The next morning all Washington was agog over the news of Nancy'sarrest as a rebel spy, and Captain Lloyd's sudden death. All day longMiss Metoaca's negro butler kept trotting to the front door in answerto the frantic ringing of the bell, and to every anxious inquiry heinvariably replied: "Miss Turkey's only tol'able, thank yo', and shebegs to be 'scused."
Late in the afternoon Senator Warren walked heavily up the steps. OldJonas, who had seen him coming along C Street, stood waiting on thethreshold, and without a word took his hat and cane.
"Dis way, Marse Senator." He helped him off with his overcoat. "We'sbeen 'spectin' yo' all day, suh."
Miss Metoaca, hollow-eyed and weary, dropped the shawl she waspretending to knit, and rose quickly when she caught sight of Warren.
"What news?" she asked, scanning his face anxiously.
The senator motioned her to resume her seat, and drew up a chair byher. He hesitated perceptibly for a second; then answered her querywith another: "Have you seen Nancy?"
"No. I went to the Old Capitol Prison the first thing this morning, andsaw Superintendent Wood. He told me I would have to get a permit fromthe judge advocate general before he could allow me to talk with Nancy.I immediately went to see Judge Holt, and he curtly refused my request.Then I went to the President, who told me he would talk it over withStanton. I knew what _that_ meant; so did not waste any time waiting,but came straight home."
Warren nodded his head gravely. "That is about what I expected. Nancyis in close confinement, charged with the most serious offense possiblein war times. I doubt if I, her legal representative, am allowed to seeher until this mystery is a little more cleared up.
"Stanton is already wrought up over the fact that the key to his ciphercode is known outside of his office. He will move heaven and earth todiscover how Nancy secured the key to the information she is accused ofgiving to Pegram. She can expect no leniency there. Baker also isdetermined to prove that she stole the recovered despatch from Lloyd.He insists she is implicated in some way in the captain's mysteriousdeath."
Miss Metoaca drew a long breath. "It looks as if the odds were againstNancy having a fair chance to prove her innocence," she sighed. "Haveyou any idea when she will be brought to trial?"
"When I saw him just now, Judge Holt was busy selecting officers toserve on a military commission."
"I was told it would be a court-martial."
"Not necessarily." Warren drew out a sheet of paper. "I asked JudgeHolt about it, and he gave this copy of the eighty-second article ofwar, enacted in 1862, which reads: 'All persons, who in time of war, orof rebellion against the supreme authority of the United States, shallbe found lurking or acting as spies in or about any of thefortifications, posts, quarters, or encampments of any of the armies ofthe United States, or elsewhere, shall be triable by a generalcourt-martial, or by a military commission, and shall, on conviction,suffer death.'"
His voice unconsciously deepened on the last solemn word, and MissMetoaca's face went gray.
"I wish you men were not so fond of plain language," she exclaimedirritably. "Please remember they have not yet proved anything againstNancy."
"Quite true. But you must also recollect, Miss Metoaca, that a militarycommission will accept evidence which a civil court would throw out."
"But, Senator, the despatch which Stanton claims Nancy wrote cannot befound. Therefore, it is impossible for them to bring it up as proofagainst her."
"I am not so sure of that."
"Tut! They have only Symonds' word that such a paper ever existed."
"True; but Symonds is a man whose word can be relied on. His story willbe accepted as direct evidence, and it will, I fear, be hard to shakehis testimony."
"Have you learned anything that throws light on Captain Lloyd's death?"inquired Miss Metoaca, after a slight pause.
Warren moved his chair nearer the sofa, and glanced about to see thathe was not overheard.
"The mystery deepens," he said gravely. "By order of the President, Iwas allowed to hear the result of the autopsy held this morning."
"What was it?" demanded Miss Metoaca breathlessly.
"After a prolonged and careful examination, the surgeons declare thatthey could find no wound or mark of violence on Captain Lloyd's body;nor any trace of poison in his system. Therefore, they were forced tobelieve, in the absence of any particular symptom, or pathologicalappearance, that he died from some cause, or causes, to them unknown."Warren paused in the rapid reading of his notes in his memorandum book;then resumed dryly: "In my state, the country people would describeLloyd's death as 'a visitation of God.'"
"Well, Providence might have been worse employed," said Miss Metoacaabruptly, and her face cleared. "Doesn't the autopsy settle thatpreposterous charge against Nancy?"
"I have not finished telling you all that I heard from the surgeons,"went on Warren patiently. "They also said that it was just possiblethat the last five days in the saddle without sufficient food or sleepmight have produced heart failure, but they judged that extremelyunlikely----"
"I don't call that bad news," broke in Miss Metoaca. "Seems to me thatstatement clears Nancy absolutely."
"Unfortunately, Doctor Ward contends that the symptoms would be thesame if Lloyd had been suffocated by some anaesthetic, chloroform, forinstance."
"Suffocated!" ejaculated Miss Metoaca, half rising in her surprise."What nonsense! They would have detected the smell of chloroform."
"Not necessarily," again returned Warren. "Lloyd had been dead somehours before they found him; secondly, one of the windows was open topand bottom, which ventilated the room. The chloroform probablyevaporated quickly, and left no tell-tale odor behind."
"And do you mean to tell me that those idiots believe on such flimsyevidence as that that Nancy killed Lloyd!" exclaimed Miss Metoacawrathfully. "Do you believe a young, delicate, high-strung girl, likeNancy, could commit such a cold-blooded murder?"
"Nancy's sex will not protect her when the passions of men are roused.Do you suppose that a suspected spy will not be an object of hatred inthese days?"
Miss Metoaca nodded sullenly in agreement. She knew the opprobrium andscorn which were heaped on rebel sympathizers in Baltimore andWashington, and realized the justice of Warren's comment.
"This is not the day of miracles," continued the senator, "and it isstretching probability to the breaking point to believe that Lloyd diedfrom natural causes at the very moment when his death would be ofbenefit to Nancy. In addition to this, there is the disappearance ofthat important despatch."
Miss Metoaca made no remark, so Warren resumed his argument.
"The first and most important thing in solving a murder mystery is tofind a _motive_ for the crime. When that is once established, the meansare easy to prove. The thing that will militate the most against Nancyis the _timeliness_ of Captain Lloyd's death.
"The military commission will undoubtedly believe that Nancy, realizingthat Lloyd could prove she was a rebel spy, resorted to murder tosilence the one man whose evidence would hang her. I fear, I greatlyfear, Nancy will have a hard time convincing the commission that, ifnot actually the criminal, she did not connive at Captain Lloyd'sdeath."
"It is an outrage!" fumed Miss Metoaca. "I am willing to stake myimmortal soul that Nancy had nothing to do with the captain'smysterious death, nor with the disappearance of that miserabledespatch."
"My wife and I also believe in Nancy's innocence," declared Warrenwarmly; "and I give you my solemn word of honor, Miss Metoaca, that Iwill do everything within my power to assist her."
"God forever bless you!" Miss Metoaca leaned forward, and impulsivelyclasped his hand in both of hers. "You give me renewed courage. Tellme," as Warren's eyes strayed to the clock on the mantel, "have youheard how Major Goddard is getting on?"
"I stopped at Mrs. Lane's this morning, but the corporal of the provostmarshal's guard stationed about the house refused to admit me.Fortu
nately I met Doctor Ward on his way out from seeing Goddard, andhe told me that the major had regained consciousness, but was very weakand unable to talk. I drove at once to the Old Capitol Prison, andinduced Wood to promise to tell Nancy that Major Goddard wasrecovering. I hope the message gave her some comfort, poor girl!"
"Senator," Miss Metoaca lowered her voice until she almost whispered,"Major Goddard and Nancy were thrown together day after day while wewere in Winchester. We both felt so sorry for him, and Nancy used totalk or read to him continually during his convalescence. I watchedthem both, and it gradually dawned on me that the major worshipped theground Nancy walked on. Now, is it not possible that he overheard Lloydtell Symonds he had secured a paper which might hang Nancy?"
"Yes," agreed the senator, seeing she paused for a reply.
"Men have thrown worlds away before now to win a woman's love," went onMiss Metoaca so rapidly that her words tumbled over each other. "Godknows, I don't want to turn suspicion against an innocent man; but doyou not think it possible that Major Goddard...?"
"Killed his friend and secured the paper," finished Warren, as shehesitated. "Possible, but not probable."
"Why not?" demanded Miss Metoaca heatedly. "It is more probable thanthat Nancy should have committed the murder."
"Men have done many mad deeds for love," pursued Warren, paying noattention to her interruption, "but they cannot accomplish theimpossible. You think Goddard stepped into that bedroom, chloroformedLloyd, and then stole the wallet containing that despatch?"
Miss Metoaca nodded her head without speaking.
"How could a blind man do all that and _not_ overturn one thing in theroom?" asked Warren quietly.