The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-11-21

~
over now. Even this wretched bullet
had not struck him fairly. and culmi-
mated his fate as IL might. For m in
slant he recalled his wife's last offer
to fly with him beyond the seas-be-
yond this cruel injustice-but even
as he recalled il he knew that fight
meant the worst of ALA half confess
sion. But she had escaped. Thank
| God for that Again and again. in his
hopeless perplexity, this comfort re-
turned to him. He had saved her. He
had done his duty. And harping upon
| this in his strange fatalism, it at last
seemed TO him that this was for what
he had lived, for what he had suffered.
for what he had fifty ended his career.
Perhaps it was left for him now TO pass
his remaining years in forgotten exile,
even as his father had, his father-his
breath came quickly at the thought
God knows, perhaps as wrongfully
accused. II may have been a proyf-
dence that she had borne no child, to
whom this dreadful heritage could be
transmitted.
There was something of this strange
4
few hours later, when he was able 10
be helped again into the saddle. But
lie could see in the eyes OF the few com
rades who commiseratingly took leave
of him vague, half-repressed awe of
some indefinite weakness in the man
that mingled with their heartfelt devo-
ton 10 q gallant soldier. Yet even this
touched him no longer. He cast a
glance at the house and at the room
where he had parted Srom her, at the
slope from which she had passed, and
rode away.
And then, rs his figure disappeared
down the road, the restrained common
tary of wonder, surmise and criticism
broke out:
at must have been something highly
bad, for the old man, who swears by
him, looked rather troubled. And II
was deuced queer, you know, this chang
ing clothes with somebody-just before
the surprised"
Nonsense! It's something away
back of that! Didn't you hear the old
man say that the orders for him TO re-
port himself came from Washington
last night? No." the speaker lowered
his voice, ''Strangeways says that he
had regularly sold himself out to orc
of them id secesh woman spies! It's
the old Marc Antony business over
again."
"Now think Of it, said the younger
subaltern, 'he did seem nightly taken
with one OF those quadroons or mulat-
toes he issued orders against sup
pose that was blind for us! Ircmem-
Der the first day he saw her; he was
regularly keen TO know all about her"
Mai. Curtis gave short laugh. "rhat
mulatto, Martin, was white woman,
burnt-corkedl She was trying TO get
through the lines last night and fell of
n wall, or got a knock on the head from
q scntry's carbine. When she was
brought in DR.. Simmons set TO wash
ing the blood Off her face the cork came
off, and the whole thing came out.
Brant hushed it up-and the woman.
too-in his own quarters It's supposed
now that she got away somehow in the
rushl"
1T goes back further than that, gen
tlcmen," said the adjutant, authori-
tatively. "They say his wife was a
bowling seoessionist four years ago In
California, was mixed up in a conspir-
ncy, aud he had to leave on account of
It. Look how thick he and that Miss
Faulkner became before he helped her
Off"
That's your jealousy, Tommy; she
knew he was, by all odds, the biggest
man here, and good deal more, too
and you had no showl"
In the laugh that followed il would
seem that Brant's eulogy had been
spoken and forgotten. But as Lieut..
Martin was turning away lingering
corporal touched his cap.
"You were speaking of those prowl-
ing mulattoes, sir. You know the gem
cral passed one out this morning."
$50 / have heard"
IL reckon she didn't get very far. II
was just Mt the time that we were driven
in by their first fire. and think she got
her share OF IL, too. Do you mind walk
ing this way. sir?"
Tho lieutenant did not mind, although
he rather languidly followed. When
they had reached the top OF tho gully
the corporal pointed to what seemed TO
be bit Of striped calico hanging on a
thorn bush in the rayine.
That's her," said the corporal. 81
know the dress. l was on guard when
she was passed. The searchers, who
were picking up our men, haven't got
10 her yet--but abe amt moved or
stirred these two hours. Would you
like 20 60 down and sec her?"
The lieutenant hcsitated. Tie was
young and slightly fastidious rs TO un-
necessary unpleasantncss. lie believed
he would wait until the scarchers
brought her up-when the corporal
might call him.
The mist came up gloriously from the
swamp like a golden halo. And as Clnr-
cncc Rrant. already forgotten, rode