“With General Grant, but where just now I cannot say.”

As he spoke, the door opened and an officer announced—­“The President.”  The ungainly length of Lincoln appeared.  A quiet smile lingered on the large-featured face, with some humorous appreciation of the War Secretary’s evident annoyance at this abrupt visit.  Mr. Stanton’s greeting as he rose was as the Colonel thought coldly civil.

“My friend, Colonel Penhallow, sir.”

“Glad to see you,” said Lincoln, and then with a certain simplicity explained, “You see, Colonel, sometimes I run away out of the back of the White House—­just to get free of the guards.  Don’t look so bothered, Stanton.  I’m too fine a failure for any one to want to kill me.  Any news?”

“None,” said the secretary, as he stood not too well pleased; “Colonel Penhallow is to be in my office on inspection duty.”

“Indeed!  Glad to see you.”  The huge hand closed on Penhallow’s with innocent use of its power.  “Name sounds familiar.  Yes—­there was a cadet of your name last year.  Your son, I suppose?”

“No, my nephew—­in the engineers with General Grant.”

“Tell him I asked for him—­handsome fellow.  Anything I can do for him?”

“Nothing, sir.”

“Anything I can do for you?”

“Nothing, sir.”

“Don’t let Stanton kill you.  He ought to have a brevet, Stanton.  He is the only man in Washington don’t want anything.”  Even the weary face of the Secretary smiled under his heavy beard.  “Just stepped in to divide growls with you.  Come with me, Colonel, or Stanton will have a brigade of officers to escort me.  Wait for me at the outer door—­I’ll join you.”

Penhallow pleased and amused, went out taking with him the sense of puzzle felt by so many over this unusual personage.  At the main entrance the Colonel came on Swallow.

“A word with you,” he said very quietly.  “You have been lying about me to the Secretary and elsewhere.  Be careful.  I am sometimes short of temper.  You have hurt yourself, not me, and you will get no contracts here.”

“Well, we will see about that,” said Swallow, and was about to say more when the President appeared.

“Come, Colonel,” he said.  Swallow fell back and Penhallow walked away as men touched their hats.  For a block or more Lincoln did not speak, and respecting his silence the soldier was as silent.  Then, with his amazing frankness, Lincoln spoke.

“Does the Emancipation Proclamation please you?”

“As a war measure, yes.”

“And not otherwise?”

“It is none of my business to criticize my Commander-in-Chief.”

“Well, I won’t make it an order, but I wish McClellan was of your way of thinking.”  Again there was silence.  Penhallow was astonished at this outspoken statement, being aware as few men were of the fact that the General in question had been disinclined to announce the emancipation message to the army until he found that his corps commanders were not cordially with him in opinion.