Omaha daily bee., 1899-09-24

and matrons, all ready and eager to comfort
and revive the inner man of his mighty
regiment with coffee and good cheer illimi-
table, and the colonel swore a mighty oath
and bounced on his luckless officer OF the
guard. He had served as a subaltern many
a year In the old army, and knew how 1t
was DONE.
orders not to let anything or anybody oc-
cwpy this space after the baggage was got
aboard, sir? ?" he demanded.
'You did, SIR" said the unabashed lieu
tenant, pulling a folded paper from his belt.
"and the Red Cross got word to the general
and what the Red Cross says-goes. Look
at that"
The colonel looked, read. looked dazed,
scratched his head and said: well, I'm
DID," Then he turned to his adjutant.
''You were with me when l saw the general
last night and he told me to put this guard
on and keep this space clear. Now, what
d'you say to that?"
The adjutant glanced over the penciled
lines. "Well, said he, 'if you s'pose any
order that dhscriminates against the Red
Cross is going to hold good, once they find
1t out, you're bound to get left. They're
feasting the first company now, sir; shall
have 1t stopped 2" and there was a grin un-
ueT uuc yOulS NJ . luuoldSuS. Colo-
mel paused one moment. shook his head and
concluded he, too, would better grin and
bear 1t. Taking the paper in his hand again
he heard his name called and saw smiling
faces and reckoning hands in an open car
riage near him, but the sight of Stanley
| Armstrong, signalling to him from another
farther away, had something dominant about
1t. With You in a minute" he called to
those who first had summoned him. "What
is 1t, Armstrong;"
81 wish to present you to some friends Of
mine-Miss Lawrence-Miss Prime-Mr
Prime-my old associate, Colonel Stewart
Pardon me, Mrs. Garrison. / did not see
you had returned" She had, and was once
more perched upon the step. Mrs. Gar
rison-Colonel Stewart. What we need &c
know. Stewart, is this: VIII all your mer
board the ship by this stage, OF will SOM
go aft?"
"All by this ~stage-why?"
But the colonel felt a somewhat massive
hand crushing down on his own and forebore
to press the question. Armstrong let nc
pause ensue. He spoke, rapidly for him
bending forward, too, and speaking low
but even as he chatted and laughed, the lit,
tie woman on the carriage step saw, ever
though she did not seem to look; heard
even though she did not seem to listen:
IAN awkward thing has happened. The
generals tent was robbed of important pa,
pers perhaps two days ago, and the guart
house rid OF a most important prisoner las
night. Canker has put the officer OF the
guard In arrest. Remember good old Billy
Gray who commanded us at Apache? Thi!
is Billy, jr., and In awfully sorry Her,
the soft gray eyes glanced quickly at the
anxious face OF Miss Lawrence, who sai
| SILENTLY faipninU interest I'm tha chat he
tween the others. The anxious look in hel
eyes increased at Armstrong; next words
The prisoner must have had friends. H,
is now said to be among your men, dis
guised, and those two fellows at the stag,
are detectives. l thought all that space wa
to be kept clear"
1T was" answered Stewart, yet the chie
must have beeen overpersuaded. Look here!'
and the colonel held forth a scrap OF papel
Amy Lawrence, hearing something like tn
gasp OF a sufferer In sudden pain, turne
quickly and saw. that every yestige Of colo
had left Mrs. Garrison's face-that she wa
almost Keeling on the step. Before sh
could call attention to 1t, Armstrong, VIII
had taken and glanced curiously at tn
scrap, whirled suddenly. and his eyes, |
stern menace, swept the spot where the lit
tie lady chung but an instant before.
As suddenly Mrs. Garrison had sprun
from the step and vanished.
CHAPTER VII.
Billy Gray was indeed In close arrest an