Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-24

tremor shook the lad from head to foot.
"Here-get inside!" said Gray impul-
sively. It'll see the adjutant at once and
return to you in a few minutes. If you
have to remain until the matter can be in
vestigated by the general it might be-"
st would be-" vehemently interrupted
Morton, then breaking off short as though
at a loss for descriptiveness OF sufficient
strength. He seemed to swell with passion
as he clinched his fists and fairly stood
upon his toes an instant, his strong white
teeth grinding together. ut would be
simply HE'LL" he burst in again, hoarse and
quivering. ut would ruin-everything!
Can't the general give the order tonight?"
he asked with intense eagerness, while the
young officer, taking him by the arm, had
led him again to the light of the guard
house lamps at the front. The sergeant
and a group of soldiers Strengthened up and
faced them, listening curiously.
at may be even impossible to see the
general" answered Gray doubtfully. Take
Morton into the guardroom until / get back,
sergeant, and let him warm himself thor
oughly. Don't put him with the prisoners
till l return" and so saying he had has
tened away. Gordon, his friend and adj
wiser, had left and gone visiting over in the
other division. The lights at general head
quarters were turned low. Even now,
after having heard proofs OF the innocence Of
the accused soldier, Gray knew that it was
useless to appeal to the colonel. He could
not understand, however, the feverish-al-
most insane impotence Of the lad for imme-
date release. Another day ought not to
make so great a difference. What could
be the reason-if 1t were not that, though
innocent of the robbery OF the storehouse,
or OF cmplicity In the sale OF stolen goods,
some other crime lay at his door which
the morrow might disclose? All the 10y
atty of a Delta Sig was stretched to the
swapping point as Gray paused irresolute in
front of the a%djutant's tent, his quest there
unsuccessful. The sergeant-major and a
sorely badgered clerk were working late
over some regimental ~papers-things that
| Morton wrote out easily and accurately.
81 suppose, sir, it's no use asking to have
| the prisoner sent up here under guard"
said that jewel OF a noncommissioned officer.
"Yet the colonel will be savage II these
papers amt ready. 1t will take us all as
things are going"
Gray shook his curly head. go ask, If
| you like, but-Morton's in no shape TO help
you"
HAS he been drinking, sir?" said the
sergeant major, in surprise. ~ never knew
him"
/ 'Ol, IL 1SnL IHdl, Saul GTdy, hastily,
"only he's-he's got-other matters on his
mind! Bring me his overcoat. He said 1t
was in his tent" and the young officer jerked
his head at the patch OF little "a" tents
lined up in the rear of those OF the officers.
Get Morton's overcoat and take 1t to him
at the guardhouse," snapped the staff SER
| geant to the clerk. "Be spry, now and
no stopping on the way back" he added
we'll aware how much in need his assistant
stood OF creature comfort of some surrepti-
tious and forbidden kind. The mar was
back in a moment. the coat rolled on his
arm.
'I1l take it," said Gray, simply. "You
needn't come"
go on with it," ordered the sergeant as
the soldier hesitated. "D'ye think the
service has gone to the devil and officers
are runnin errands for enlisted men? An
get back inside of two minutes, too" he
added with portent in his tone. The sub
altern of hardly two months service felt
the implied rebuke OF the soldier OF over
twenty years and meekly accepted the
amendment, but-a thought occurred to him
He had promised Morton paper, envelopes
and stamps and the days newspapers-the
lad seemed strangely. eager to get all the
latter and vaguely Billy remembered having
heard that Canker considered giving papers
10 prisoners as equivalent to aid and com
fort to the enemy.
Take II by way Of my tent" said he a.