The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-20

until she was arrested" said Brapt
impulusively.
The President knitted his eyebrows
humorously. 'tDon't let us traveB out
of the record, general. You're as bad
as the department. The question: was
one OF your personal treachery, but
you need not accept the fact that you
were justly removed because your wife
was a spy. Now, general, 1 am an old
lawyer, and I don't mind telling you
that in Illinois we wouldn't hang a
yellow dog on that evidence before the
department. But when Il was asked to
look into the matter by your friends
I discovered something of more inn
portance to you. had been trying to
find a scrap of evidence that would
justify the presumption that you had
sent information to the enemy.
found THAT it was based upon the fact
of the enemy being in possession of
facts at the first battle of Gray Oaks
which could only have been obtained
from our side, and which led to tine
federal disaster, that you however, re-
trieved by your gaiiantry. 1 asked the
secretary If he was prepared to show
that you had sent the information
with that view, or that you had been
overtaken by a tardy sense OF repent
lance. He preferred to consider my
suggestion as humorous. But the in
quiry led to my further discovery that
| the only reasonable correspondence
actually in evidence was found upon
the body of a trusted federal officer,
and had been forwarded to the divi
sion commander. But there was no
written record of it in the case"
''Why, 1 forwarded it myself" said
Brant eagerly.
| $50 the division commander writes, "
said the President smiling. land he
forwarded it to the department.. But
1T was suppressed in some way. Have
! you any enemies, General Brant? ?"
| None that know Of"
''Then you probably have. You are
young and successful. Think Of the
hundred other officers who naturally
believe themselves better than you are,
and haven't a itrait0rOus wife. Still
the department may have made an ex-
lample of you for the benefit of the
only man who couldn't profit by it,
Might it not have been, sir, that
this suppression was for the good re-
port of the service-as the chief Offend
er was dead?'
Il am glad to hear you say 50. gem
eral, for it is the argument 1 have used
successfully in behalf of your wife"
Then you know it an, sir?' said
Brant, after a gloomy pause.
AN, L think. Come, general, you
seemed, ust now, to- be uncertain
about your enemies. Let me- assure
you you need mot be so in regard " to
your friends
II dare to hope I have found one,
sir" said Brant, with almost boyish
humidity.
"oh, not me-" said the President
with laugh of depreciation. Some
one much more potent"
May 1 know his name, Mr.. Presi-
dent?"
''No, for it is woman. You were
nearly ruined by one, general. I sup
pose it's quite right that you should
be saved by one; and. of course, irreg-
ularly"
"A womanr' echoed Brant.
Eyes! One who was willing to con-
fess herself a worse spy than youl
Wife-a double traftor-lto save you
Upon my word, general, I don't know
if THE department. was. far wrong; 6
man with such an alternately unset
thing. and convincing effect upon a wo
mans highest political conviction:
should be under some restraint. Luck
lily the department. knows nothing o.
1T"
Nor would any one ever hav,
, known from me-" said Brant eagerly
: Il trust that she did not think-tha
You, sir-did not for an instant believe
that l.
: "Oh, dear, noa Nobody would hav,
= believed YOU! 1t was her free conf
, dence to me. That WAS what madt
the affair so difficult to handle. Fo
+ even her bringing your dispatch to tn
division commander looked bad 70
7 you-and you know he even doubted
. its authenticity"
= Does she-does Miss Faulkner
know the spy was my Wife?' hesitate
+ Brant.
The President twisted himself in hi
,. chair, 50 as to regard Brant NOR
graveIy with his deepest eyes, an
then thoughfully rubbed his leg
= Don't let US travel out of the recorG
general" he said after a pause. Blu
! as the color surged into Brant's cheek
Q he raised his eyes to the ceiling an
Y said in a half humorous recollection:
mo, think that fact was frs
a gathered from your other friend, MI
n Hooker"
p 'Hookerr' said Brant Indignantly
>. ''did he come here?"
v pray don't destroy my faith in Nj
: Hooker, general said the Presiden
= in thalf-weary, half-humorous depreca