Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-04-05

through the nan and opens the door.
''Dr. Bayard ?' asks the brusque voice
of the adjutant "Ah, doctor" continues
that officer, marching straightway into the
den. "Maior Miller is at the gate and ON
his way to visit Mr. Mclean He begs that
you will be present at the interview as it is
on matter of much importance"
Every well, Mr. Adiutant," answers
Bayard, gravely, as though divining the
solemn nature of their errand. Il am at
your service at once.'
An odd dispatch was that which went by
the single wire of the military telegraph
line to Fort Fetterman late that night. 1t
was known that Il small escort would leave
that point early in the morning, going
through with staff officer en- route to Join
the field column now busily engaging the
hostile Indians along the northern foothills
of the Big Horn range. Major Miller asked
the commanding officer at Fetterman to
hold back a brace of horsemen to wait the
arrival of courier just leaving Laramie.
and bearing an important and confidential
letter to the general commanding the de-
partment who was with his troops in the
field. 1t was over eighty miles by the river
road; the night was dark and the skies over
cast. There might be Indians along the route;
there certainly were no soldiers, for, with
| the exception of eight or ten men, all of
Captain Terry's troop were with him scout
ing on the south side of the Platte and over
near the Sioux reservations. All the same,
a single trooper, armed only with the revo-
yer and unburdened by the usual blankets
and field kit-rlding almost as light as a
| racer-was to make the run and reach
Fetterman the next afternoon.
This was the result of the interview with
Lieutenant Mclean, a conference at which
| were present Major and Mrs. Miller. Doctor
Bayard and the adjutant Why Mrs. Mill
| er, the wife of the commanding officer
should have been present in any capacity it
is not the province of the narrator to defend.
She had been assiduously nursing and caring
| for the young officer in his weak and wound
ed condition. She had him where he could
not escape her shrewd and RELENTLESS question:
| ingS. She was enabled to tell him much
| that Hatton had told her and few things
She certainly thought he had and therefore
said he had. She was further enabled to
tell him of the letters from Robinson
and all they portended, of Mr.. Holmes s loss
and what she had seen in the mirror of her
meeting with Miss Forrest in the darkness
of the doctors hall; of the registered let
ters sent away when everybody knew Mrs
Forrest hadn't penny except the cap
tan's pay and that she had openly and
repeatedly announced that her sister in
| law had now come to be Il burden, too, hay
ing qualTelled with her relatives in the east
And so little by little she had drawn from
Mclean the story of Hatton's farewell
words and the discovery of the card in the
handkerchief. Then fortified with this in
telligence and firmly convinced that she
could not be mistaken in the guilt of Her
Majesty of Bedlam, Mrs. Miller reopened
| the subject and prodded the ma jor into i'm
| mediate action. She meant well. She in
| tended no public exposure, no unnecessary
| disgrace. She merely wanted that Captain
| Forrest should come at once; compel his
much afflicted sister for of course, klepto-
mania was the sole explanation to make
| restitution and then remove her to some
safe retreat in the distant east. Miller de-
cided to see Mclean at once taking the adj
iutant to jot down the statements made and
Doctor Bayard because Of his rank in the
service and his professional connection with
the officer in question. Mrs. Miller decided
to be present because of McLean's great re
luctance to tell what he knew and because
she conceived it her duty to prompt him;
and this was the quartet that swooped down
upon the poor fellow in his defenceless CON
wonder his recovery was delayed,
The most stunned and bewildered man of
the party while the painful interview was
i'll progress was Doctor Bayard. He had
gone Ill the confident expectation that Nc
Lean was to be confronted with evidences of
his guilt. and offered the chance of immedi-
ate resignation. His patient was sufficient
! ly removed from the danger line to enable
hlm to sustain the shock and he had not in
terposed. 1t was too late, therefore, 10
put an end to matters on that plea, when to
his Demonstration ears was revealed the
evidence against the woman who had SC
enthralled and piqued him. Miller led him
away in a semi-dazed condition after the
close of the conference and then at last the
doctors emotions found tongue.
"And all this time you have been suspect
ing that poor fellow said the major with
a touch of reproach in his voice.
There was silence an instant The doctor
stopped short and leaned against the fence
in front of the adjutant's quarters his face
purpling with wrath and indignation, hi,
lips twitching, his hands clinched Mill
er looked at him in amazc, and then came
the outburst.
Suspect him? By Heaven, sir What
1t was before as is nothing to what feel now
That in his depravity he should have stolen
was bad enough; but now, to cover his tracts
he should accuse and defame a defenceess
women is infamy. Look at his story and
tell me, could anything he more pitiful and
mendacious! Her handkerchief was found
in his bureau the night of the robbery
Where is the handkerchief now? He burned
it! He found a note ON card from he1
hidden in the handkerchief she had givel
Hatton to replace in the drawer. Where is
the card? He burned it. He'purposely de-
stroyed all evidence against her. A sham
Quixote. Who found her handkerchief
in the bureau? Who saw the burning
Who put the handkerchief in the drawers
Who told him of her confession? Who hearC
her beg that you should be delayed in youI
investigations Who, in fact, is corroborat
ing witness TO everything and anything he
alleges but the man he believes, and | be
lieye, you can never reach again. Hattor
is failing rapidlyn
| How could he have heard that?"askeC
Miller with mingled wrath and stupefac
ton in his face. Wrath at the doctors con,
2 temptuous disregard of all other oninions