She called it a crown! It was a tiara of diamonds, peaked up to a point in front. There was, also, the wide collar of pearls with the diamond slides which had been worn by the painted lady on the stairs. In the smaller boxes were more pearls, long strings of them; sapphires like a midnight sky, opals, fire in a mist; rubies, emeralds--. They should have been locked in a vault at the General's bank, but he had wanted nothing taken away, nothing disturbed. Yet with that touch of fever upon him he had given the key to Hilda. She took off her cap and turned in the neck of her white linen gown. The pearl collar was a bit small for her, but she managed to snap the three slides. She set the sparkling circlet on her head. Then she stood back and surveyed herself in the oval mirror! Gone was the Hilda Merritt whom she had known, and in her place was a queen with a crown! She smiled at her reflection and nodded. For once she was swayed from her stillness and stolidity. She loaded her long hands with rings, and held them to her cheeks; then, struck by the contrast of her white linen sleeve, she rummaged in one of the big closets, and threw on the bed a drift of exquisite apparel. The gowns were all too small for her, but there was a cloak of velvet and ermine. The General's wife had worn it to the White House dinner over the gown in which she had been painted. Hilda drew the cloak about her shoulders, and laughed noiselessly. She could look like this, and she had never known it! But now that she knew--! There was the soft click of the telephone in the General's room. Fearful lest the sound should waken her patient, she tore off the tiara, turned up the neck of her dress to hide the shining collar, dropped the cloak, pulled the chain of the lamp, then sped breathless to the shadowed room. Dr. McKenzie was at the other end of the wire. "I am coming over, Hilda." "You need not,"--her voice was a whisper--"he is sound asleep." "I want to see you for a moment. It is very important." She hesitated. "It is very late." "Has young Drake arrived?" "Yes. He has gone to bed." "I'll be there in ten minutes. You can meet me downstairs." The General stirred. "Miss Merritt." She hung up the receiver and went to him at once. "Has the Doctor come?" "No. But he has just telephoned. He will be here shortly." His sick old eyes surveyed her. "I never saw you before without your cap--" "No." "You are very pretty." She smiled down at him. "It is nice of you to say it." "Don't wear your cap again, I don't like uniforms for women." "But when I am on duty I must wear it. You know enough of discipline to understand that I must." "Yes. But women don't need discipline, God bless 'em." His old eyes twinkled. "Has Derry come in?" "Yes, and gone to bed. He asked after you." "And it's Thanksgiving morning?" "Yes." "And no turkey for me. But you'll get me a glass of wine?" "I'm not sure. I'll ask the Doctor."