“You can come in, Lieutenant Dalton.  He’s all right except for his headache, and an extraordinary spell of curiosity.”

Dalton stalked solemnly in, and regarded Harry with a stern and reproving eye.

“You’re a fine fellow,” he said.  “A lady finds you dripping blood from the chin, and out of your head, wandering about the street in the darkness and rain.  Fortunately she knows who you are, takes you into her own house, gives you an opiate or some kind of a drug, binds up your jaw where some man good and true has hit you with all his goodness and truth, and then goes for me, your guardian, who should never have let you out of his sight.  I was awakened out of a sound sleep in our very comfortable room at the Lanham house, and I’ve come here through a pouring rain with Miss Carden to see you.”

“I do seem to be the original trouble maker,” said Harry.  “How did you happen to find me, Miss Carden?”

“I was sitting at my window, working very late on a dress that Mrs. Curtis wants to-morrow.  It was not raining hard then, and I could see very well outside.  I saw a dark shadow in the street at the mouth of the alley.  I saw that it was the figure of a man staggering very much.  I ran out and found that it was you, Lieutenant Kenton.  You were bleeding at the chin, where apparently some one had struck you very hard, and you were so thoroughly dazed that you did not know where you were or who you were.”

“Yes, he hit me very hard, just as you supposed, Miss Carden,” said Harry, feeling gently his sore and swollen chin.

“I half led and half dragged you into my house—­there was nowhere else I could take you—­and, as you were sinking into a stupor, I managed to make you lie down on my bed.  I bound up your wound, while you were unconscious, and then I went for Lieutenant Dalton.”

“And she saved your life, too, you young wanderer.  No doubt of that,” said Dalton reprovingly.  “This is what you get for roaming away from my care.  Lucky you were that an angel like Miss Carden saved you from dying of exposure.  If I didn’t know you so well, Harry, I should say that you had been in some drunken row.”

“Oh, no! not that!” exclaimed Miss Carden.  “There was no odor of liquor on his breath.”

“I was merely joking, Miss Carden,” said Dalton.  “Old Harry here is one of the best of boys, and I’m grateful to you for saving him and coming to me.  If there is any way we can repay you we’ll do it.”

“I don’t want any repayment.  We must all help in these times.”

“But we won’t forget it.  We can’t.  How are you feeling, Harry?”

“My head doesn’t throb so hard.  The jarred works inside are gradually getting into place, and I think that in a half-hour I can walk again, that is, resting upon that stout right arm of yours, George.”

“Then we’ll go.  I’ve brought an extra coat that will protect you from the rain.”