The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-07-23

Chester leaned upon the table and de-
liberated a moment. He stood there
coldly, distrustfully eying the excited
lieutenant, then turned to Sloat:
Il will responsible for the roll call
of Company b this morning, Sloat. !
have matter Of grave importance TO
bring up to this-this gentleman, and
it is of private nature. Will you let
me see him alone?"
"Sloat, " said Jerrold, "don go yet
/ want you to stay, These are my quar-
tors, and | recognize your right to come
here Ill search of me, since | was not at
revoille, but l want witness here to
bear me out. I'm too amazed yet, too
confOunded by this intrusion of Captain
Chester, to grasp the situation | never
heard of such a thing as this. Explain
it if you can.
Mr.. Jerrold, what | have to ask Oh
say to you concerns you alone 1t is
not an official matter. 1t is as man to
man l want to see you, alone and at
once. Now will you let Major Sloat re-
tire?"
Silence for moment. The angry
flush on Jerrold's face died away, and
i'll its place an ashen pallor was spread
ing from throat to brow His lips were
twitching ominously. Sloat looked in
CONSERVATION at the sudden change.
"Shall go?" he finally asked.
Jerrold looked long, flxedly, search
ingly in the set face of the officer of the
day, breathing hard and heavily. What
he saw there Sloat could not imagine.
AT last his hand dropped by his side.
He made little motion with it-a
slight wave toward the door-and again
dropped it nervously. His lips seemed
to frame the word CO." but he never
glanced at the man whom q moment
before he so masterfully bade to stay,
and Sloat, soIely puzzled, left the room.
Not until his footsteps had died out
of hearing did Chester speak:
'How soon can you leave the post?"
81 don't understand you.
"How soon can you pack up what
you need to take and-get away?"
"Gct away where? What on earth
do you moan?"
"You must know what l mean! You
must know that after last nights work
you quit the service at once and for
ever"
81 don't know anything of the kind,
and | defy you to prove the faintest
thing" But Jerrold's fingers were
twitching, and his eyes had lost their
light.
DO you suppose did not recognize
you?" asked Chester.
"When-where?" gulped Jerrold.
when l seized you and you struck
mep
81 never struck you. 1 don't know
what you mean"
my God, man, let us end this use
less fencing. The evidence l have of
your last nights scoundrelism would
break the strongest record. For the
regiments salie-for the colonel's sake
let us have no public scandal. It's
awful enough as the thing stands.
Write your resignation, give it to ME
and leavo--before breakfast, if you
can. :"
"Ive done nothing to resign for.
You know perfectly well I haven't"
DO you mean that such a crime
that woman's ruin and disgrace-isn' t
enough to drive you from the service"
asked Chester, tingling in every nerve
and longing to clinch the shapely,
swelling threat in his clutching fingers
"God of heaven, Jerrold, are you dead
to all sense of decency?"
Captain Chester, l won't be bullied
this way. may not be immaculate, but
70 man on earth shall talk to me like
this! | deny your insinuation. I've done
nothing to warrant your words, even if
if you did come sneaking around here
last night and find me absent. You
can't prove thing. You"--
"What! When l saw you-almost
caught you! By heaven, l wish the
sentry had killed you then and thereI l
never dreamed of such hardihood. "
you've done nothing but dream
By Jove, | believe you're sleep walk
ing yeti What on earth do you mean by
catching and killing me? 'Pon my soul,
Ireckon you're crazy, Captain Chester "
And color was gradually coming back
to Jerrold's face and confidence to his
tone.
Enough Of this, Mr.. Jerrold. Know
inc what you and l both know, do you
refuse 70 hand me your resignation"
"Oi course l do"
"Do you mean to deny to me where. l
saw you last night?"
81 deny your right to question me-
deny anything-eyerything. believe
you simply thought you had a clew and
could make me tell. Suppose Twas out
last night. ] don't believe you know the
faintost thing about it. p"
10 you want me to report the whole
thing to the colonel?"
"Of course l Idon't. Naturally / want
him to know nothing about my being
out of quarters, and it's thing that no
officer would think of reporting another
for. You'll only win the contempt of
every gentleman in the regiment if you
do it. What good will it do you? Keep
mo from going to town for few days,
l suppose. What earthly business is it
of yours anyway"
"Jorrold, can stand this no longer.
ought to shoot you in your tracks, l
believe. You've brought ruin and mis-
cry to the home of my warmest friend
and dishonor to the whole service, and
you talk of two,or three days stoppage
from going to town! If 1 can't bring
you to your senses, by God, the colonel
81. I. IL a L.