Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-02-07

stretched forth her arms as he bent 90
kiss her.
Dear old daddyi All the worry
seems to come to you now. and Con-
MES forbidden to get up and help you.
Is there any further news-of the rob
berry, I mean?"
YES" Then he paused a moment.
Constance. dear, the civil authorities
claim that they know the robbers
that they are of our regiment and that
we are shielding them. The general
orders me to aid in the search. They
say Mrs. Hinke1 had a box which be-
longed to Schramm and contains now
some of the stolen money. What box
did she bring you last night?''
''Schramm's box, father, and begged
me not to let it go. It contains no
stolen money. 1t holds papers and
PERSONAL" But he interrupted her.
''No matter what it may hold, we
cannot hold it now. do not blame Mrs.
Hinkel for fetching it to you, but
must have it and the key
1.-The box is in the lower drawer of
the bureau, father. / have no key at
all; Schramm has that. did not tell
you, because we knew if You were
questioned about it you would have to
tell the truth, and then poor Schramm's
letters would be no longer sacred"
''They shall touch none of his letters
if I can help it," said Morgan, "but
they must be allowed to examine for
themselves"
A quarter of an hour later, in the
Office of the commanding officer were
Graves and his clerk, the sheriff and a
deputy, Morgan and the post surgeon,
the latter officer having been sum-
moned at Morgan's request. On the table
was a stout sole-leather case about two
feet long and six inches deep, shaped
| something like dispatch box, some
thing like a valise. 1t was evidently
of foreign make, strong, durable, yet
| showing signs of service and wear.
Such name as had originally been
! painted on its end was long since care
fully scraped and painted out. In ad-
dition to it's straps, a strong brass clasp
and paddock secured it.
sit seems a pity to burst such a lock
and spoil such a case, said the doctor,
grave1y. 81 suppose you gentlemen
feel that it must be done?"
''Oh, never had straighter tip in
my life said the sheriff. 81 am bet
ting on finding important evidence right
| here, if not the swag itself"
A soldier entered with some tools.
zone moment now, gentlemen" said
Morgan. This box is the property OF
a comparatively new soldier OF ours. l
believe he occupied higher station
abroad than here. If money be found
herein, well and good, I've nothing to
say; but I protest against any prying
into his personal secrets. This isn't
| Russia"
But the very first thing lifted out of
the 1eathern box, as, its clasp shat
tered, it lay open before their eyes, was
long, official envelope. The sheriff
tore it open, and therein lay ten fifty
dollar bills, national currency, crisp
and new.
'My Godp' exclaimed Lacy, pale with
excitement. 81 believe 1 could almost
swear that those are some Of the very
bills we drew from the First national
DO you ordinarily pay enlisted men
in fifty-dollar bills, Mr.. Lacy?" asked
Morgan.
Certainly not" was the prompt re-
ply. ''There were over twenty officers
with Col. Winthrop's battalion; SO we
brought a thousand in one-hundreds
and two thousand in ffties." And
Lacy counted the bills over again with
trembling fingers. The sheriffs big
red hands were dragging out other
packets now, bundle after bundle OF
letters, old, faded and stained, several
little books in German, three or four
parcels wrapped in silk, each of which,
when unrolled, proved to contain por'
traits One of soldierly, gray-mus
tached man Of fifty-fve or Whereabouts
in the conventional broad-breasted IN
dress uniform Of the German army
Another-on ivory, this, and in costly
frame-a painting of lovely face with
deep blue eyes and a fond, tender
smile about the 1ips-a mother face
which appeared again, with more OF
silver and less of gold in the curling
hair that framed it, in two or three