The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-12-11
$50 be it," she said. gravely. Then,
''but have not spied on

you"
Yet the next moment she bit her lips
as if the expression had unwittingly es-
capped her; and with a reckless shrug of
her shoulders she lay back ON her pill
low.
1T matters not" said Brant, coldly.
''You have used this house. and those
within it to forward your designs. 1t
is not your fault that you found moth
ing in the dispatch box you opened.
She stared at him quickly: then
shrugged her shoulder again. Il might
have known she was false to me-" she
said bitterly, land that you would vince
die her soul away as you have others.
Well-shc betrayed me! For what?"
A flush passed over Brant's face. But
with an effort he contained himself.
III, was the flower that betrayed you!
The flower whose red dust fell in the
box when you opened it on the desk
by the window in youder room. The
flower that stood in the window as
signal. The flower l myself removed
and so spoiled the miserable plot your
friends had concocted."
a look of mingled terror and awe
came into her face. You changed the
signal she repeated, dazedly; then in
Il lower voice: THAT accounts for 1T
ALL" But the next moment she turned
again fercely upon him: And you
mean to tell me that she didn't help
you-that she didn't sell me-your wife
to you for-for what was it?-a look
"a kiss?"
II mean to say that she did not know
the signal was changed and that she
herself restored it to it's place. 1t is no
fault of hers nor of yours that am not
now a prisoner"
She passed her thin hand dazedly
across her forehead. II see," she NUT
tered. Then again bursting out pas
sionately, she said: Fool. you never
would have been touched! Do you
think that Lee would have gone for you
commander? No! Those supports were
q feint to draw him to your assistance
while our main column broke his CEN
ter. Yes, you may stare at me, Clarence
Brant. You arc good lawyer-they say
a dashing fighter, too. Inever thought
you n coward, even in your irresolu
ton, but you are fighting with men
drilled in the art of war and strategy
when you were a boy outcast on the
plains" She stopped, closed her eyes,
and then added YEARLY: But that as
yesterday-to-day,w who knows? All may
be changed. The supports may still at
tack you. That was why stopped to
write you that note an hour ago-when
1 believed I should be leaving here for
ever. Yes! did it, she went on, with
half-wearied. half-dogged determine
ton. you may as well know all. had
arranged to fly, your pickets were to
be drawn by friends of mine, who were
waiting for me beyond the lines. Well!
I fingered when 1 saw you arrive
fingered to write you that note. And
I was too late!"
But Brant had been watching her
varying expression, her Eindling eye,
her strangs masculine grasp of military
knowledge, her soldierly phraseology,
all so new to her, that he scarcely
needed the feminine ending of her
speech. 1t seemed to him no longer the
Diana of his youthful fancy, but some
Pallas Athene who now looked up at
him from the pillow. He had never be-
fore fully believed in her unselfish de-
votion to the cause, until now, when it
seemed to have almost unseXed her. In
lis widest comprehension of her he had
never dreamed her Joan of Arc, and
vet that was the face which might
have confronted him. exalted and in
spired. on the battlefield itself. He re-
called himself with AN effort.
Il thank you for your wouldbe warn
ing" he said. more gently, if not ten
derby, land God knows | wish your
flight had been successful. But even
your warning is unnecessary. For the
supports had already come up; they
had followed only the second signal and
diverged to engage our division on the
left, leaving me alone. And their ruse
of drawing our commander to assist me
would not have been successful. as I
had suspected it and sent Il message to
Kim that I wanted no help"
1t was the truth-it was the sole pur-
port of the note he had sent through
Miss Faulkner. He might not have dis
closed it, but so great was the strange
domination of this woman still over him |
that he felt compelled to assert his SUI
periority. She fixed her eyes upon him.
"'And Miss Faulkner took your mes
sage she said, slowly. Don't deny it!
No one else could have passed through |
our lines, and you gave her safe con-
duct through yours. Yes! 1 might |
have known it. And this is the crea-
ture they sent me for an ally and con-
fidant!"
For an instant Brant felt the sting Of |
this enforced contrast between the two |
women. But he only said: "You forget |
that 1 did not know you were the spy,
nor do believe that she suspected YOU |
were my wife"
"Why should she?" she said, almost |
fercely. 81 am known among these |
people only by the name of Benham-
my maiden name. Yes! you can take |
me out and shoot me under that name,
without disgracing yours. Nobody will |
know that the southern spy was the
wife of the northern general. You zee I |
have thought even of that"
"And thinking that" said Brant, slow
ly. you have put YOURSELF will not
say in my power-for you are in the
power of any man in this camp, who
may know you, or even hear you speak.
Well-let us understand each other
plainly. I do not know how great