Hal fairly bounded out of the little parlor, through the short hallway, and pulled the front door open. "Good afternoon, Mr. Colton," was Hal's almost shaky greeting. Hal had known this postman ever since the young soldier had been a boy in his first trousers. "Good afternoon, Hal," rejoined the postman. "One letter--for you. I'll be back to ask you about it to-morrow morning." Hal stood in the doorway, almost dazed. It was a long, official-looking envelope that he held in his hand. Up in one corner he made out the words, "War Department--Official Business." Then, still clutching the envelope, Hal walked unsteadily back into the little parlor. "By George--he's _got_ it!" almost shouted Noll. "What's--what's the real word, Hal?" Noll was now standing on his feet, actually trembling. Mrs. Overton fairly flew to her son. "What is it, Hal? What's the answer?" she demanded, in a shaking voice that was but little above a whisper. "It's--it's addressed, 'Lieutenant Henry Overton, U. S. A.,'" replied Hal, turning the envelope so that his mother might read. But a sudden rush of mist to her eyes made the letters blur. "Whoop!" let out Sergeant Noll. "Hal, you've won out!" "Why don't you open the envelope?" asked Mrs. Overton tremulously. "I'm afraid I'm almost too dizzy to think of anything," answered Hal in a strained voice. For answer his eager mother snatched the envelope from his hands, caught up her sewing scissors from a table, and held the envelope up to the light. "Now, take out your letter, Hal, as quickly as you can, and let us know what it says," commanded Mrs. Overton. Hal withdrew the letter from the envelope. It was from the adjutant general of the Army, stating that Hal had passed the examinations and that the President had just appointed him, _ad interim_, a second lieutenant of infantry in the United States Army. "Now, what's the meaning of that awful '_ad interim_'?" demanded Mrs. Overton. "Why, you see, Mother, Congress isn't in session just now----" "I don't see what that has to do with----" "Why, Mother, officers are appointed by the President, and----" "And it's none of Congress's business!" "All appointments to commissions in the Army and Navy, Mother, are made by the President, subject to the approval of the Senate----" "I just knew there was some string to it all," cried Mrs. Overton. "As a matter of form the Senate has to approve. But the Senate rarely ever refuses to confirm the President's full list of appointments for the Army and Navy." "Tell me this, Hal: Is there a bootblack at the Capitol in Washington?" "I--I think it very likely that there is at least one, Mother." "Then we'll find out that the bootblack has to be consulted, too, my boy, before we're at all sure that you're really an Army officer." "Oh, no, Mother," laughed Hal. "I feel just as sure, at this moment, that I'm a second lieutenant in the Army as I shall ever feel."