Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-07

!
| innocent under the law
| Apparently you apply different rule
In case of officers, calmly responded the
are necessary. Oblige me by having that
sentry posted at once. Good morning.
| sir
But to canker's dsmay the officer of the
| guard made prompt report. The sentry
| was sent but the Sergeant's tent was
empty. The colonels pet had flown. This
| meant more trouble for the colonel
Meantime Stanley Armstrong had hied
| him to Gen. Drayton's headquarters. The
| office tents were well filled with clerks.
! orderlies. aids and other officers who had
| come in on business but this meeting was
/ by appointment and after brief delay the
| camp commander excused himself 10 those
present and ushered Armstrong into his
| own private tent. the scene of the merry
| festivities the evening of Mrs. Garrison's
unexpected arrival There the general
| turned quickly on his visitor with the low
| toned question:
.'Wel-what have you found?'
Enough to give me strong reason for be-
lieving that Morton. so-called, is young
Prime, and that your nephew is with him,
SIR"
The old soldiers sad eyes lighted with
sudden hope Yet as he passed his hand
| YEARLY over his forehead the look Of doubt
and uncertainty slowly returned. 1T ac.
counts for the letters reaching me here,
he said, "but-Tve known that boy from
babyhood, Armstrong and more intense
| nature 1 have never heard of. What ne
starts In to do he will carry out If 1t kills
him." And Drayton looked dreariiy about
the tent as though in search of something.
he didn't quite know what. Then he set
tied back slowly into his favori old chair.
with you a moment" Yet it was the colo
mel who the first to break the silence
May ask if you have had time to look
at any Of the letters. sir?'
"Do l look as though 1 had time to do
anything?" said the chief dropping his
hands and uplifting a lined and haggard
face, yet refined Anything but work.
work, morn. noon and night. The mass
of detail one has to meet here is some
thing appalling. 1t weighs on me like
nightmare. Armstrong. No. 1 was worn
out the night after the package reached
me. When next l sought it the letters were
gone"
How long was that, general?'
Again the weary hands, with their long,
tapering fingers came up to the Old sol
dier's brow. He pondered a moment. 1T
must have been the next afternoon, think.
but l can't be sure.
and you had left them
I'm the inside pocket of that old overcoat
of mine, hanging there on the rear tent
pole" was the answer, as the general
turned half-round in his chair and glanced
wistfully. self-reproachfully thither.
Armstrong arose, and going to the back
of the tent, made close examination. The
canvas home of the chief was what is
known the hospital tent, but instead of
being pitched with the ordinary ridge pole
and uprights, a substantial wooden frame
and floor had first been built and over this
the stout canvas was stretched, stanch and
taut the head of a drum. 1t was all
intact and sound. Whoever filched that
packet made way with 1t through the
front, and that, Armstrong well knew,
was kept tightly laced. as a rule, from the
time the general left it in the morning I'M
til his return 1t was never unlaced ex-
cept in his presence or by his order. Then
the deft hands of the orderlies on duty
would. do the trick in twinkling: Know
ing all this, the colonel queried further:
You went in town, 1 remember, late
that evening and called on the Primes and
other people at the palace. 1 think 1 saw
you in the supper room. There was much
merriment at your table. Mrs. Garrison
seemed to be the life of the party. Now.
you left your overcoat with the boy at the
cloak stand?"
mo, Armstrong, that's the odd part of
it. I only used the cape that evening. The
coat was hanging at its usual place when
l returned late. with a mass of new orders
and papers. No! no! But here. must get
back to the office and what l wished you
to was that poor boys letter. What
can you hope with nature like that to
deal WITH"
Armstrong took the missive held out to
him. and slowly read it, the general study
ing his face the while. The letter bore no
clue to the whereabouts of the writer.
1t read:
March i, 1898
TT is six weeks since l repaid all your
loving kindness, brought shame and sorrow
to you and ruin to myself, by deserving
from West Point when my commission
but few short months away. In an hour
of intense misery, caused by a girl who
had won my very soul, and whose words
and letters made me believe she would be-
come my wife the month of my graduation,
and who, as l believe, was then en-
gagged to the man she married in January,
/ threw myself away. My one thought was
to find her, and God knows what beyond.
ut can never be undone. My career is
ended, and / can never look you in the
face again. At first thought should show
the letters by one, to the man she
married, and ask him what he thought of
his wife but shat is too low. 1 hold them
because | have mad longing to see her
again and heap reproaches upon her, but
If l fail and should feel at any time that
my end is near, I'm going to send them to
YOU to read-to see how l was lured, and
then, if you can, to pity and forgive.
"ROLLIN"
Armstrong; firm lips twitched under his
mustache. The general. with moist eyes,
had risen from his chair and mechanically
held forth his hand. Poor lad!' sighed
Armstrong. "Of course, you know who
the girl was?'
"Oh, of course" and Drayton shrugged
his shoulders.
"Well, We'll have to CO." and led on to
the misty light without
CTo be continued)