"Good for you, Larry!" I said; but was myself shocked a moment later when he said, with both hands in the air warning us: "Mesdames--señoras, señoritas, ladies, demoiselles--there probably isn't the least danger, but no harm in standing clear. You, Nettie," he added, when I was going to rush over to him, in my pride to let the others know who he was and I was--"you, too, Nettie, same as the rest!" "Larry Trench, why, what--" I began, and "O Larry!" began Nan. "And you, Nan--you know I'm not allowed to speak to you," said Larry. "I promised your mother I wouldn't"; but he gave her a glance which sent her trembling up against me, murmuring: "O Nettie, Nettie, I'm so glad!" "And you, too, Mrs. Wedner," said Larry--"all stand clear of the main entrance. Perhaps you'd all better go up a flight--yes, two flights, up out of the way--everybody!" And he began shooing us all toward the stairs. [Illustration: "All stand clear of the main entrance."] "Why, Larry Trench!" I cried, "you'd think you'd been seeing us every day for the last year, instead----" "Don't be silly," said Nan's mother. "He is right. Ladies, I think we would all do well to follow Lieutenant Trench's instructions." And she always did look the born leader--all we women followed her when she led the way up-stairs. But we did not go up any two flights. At the head of the grand staircase we stopped, and there waited to see what would happen next. It soon happened. A man looked through between the tables and chairs of the portales. Larry invited him in. He was one of Podesta's officers, and he came in with a pistol in his belt, but very polite; and Larry just as much so. They talked, and were still talking, when we heard the tramping of men in shoes outside in the plaza, and then--I couldn't believe my eyes--when I took another look there was my own Ned in uniform; and he stepped past the chairs and tables to where Larry and the native officer were; and there was a palavering all around. And I felt pretty proud the way Ned could talk the lingo with so many looking on. "Ned, Ned!" I called out; and he heard me, but gave me a sign to be quiet with his hand behind his back. And by and by Ned and Larry and the native officer marched out, and then we rushed to the windows of the rooms opening on the plaza, and we saw General Podesta order his men to march off; and as they did our bluejackets and marines stacked arms in the plaza, and then we knew everything was going to be all right. And Ned came back into the hotel with Larry to tell us that we need have no further fear--that Podesta's men were to leave the city; and Podesta came back and bowed to us, and said it was so.