Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-01-05
the guard 1:.ade prompt report.

'ue guard Etade prompt report. The
sentry was sent, but the sergeant's tent
was empty. The colonel's pet had flown.
This meant more trouble for the colonel.
Meantime Stanley Armstrong had
hicd him to Gen. Drayton's headquar-
tiers. Tho office tents were we'll filled
with clerks, orderlies, aides and other
officers who had come in on business.
but the meeting was by appointment,
and after brief delay the camp COM
mander excused himself to those pres
cnt and ushered Armstrong into his
own private tent, the scene of the mer-
~ festivities the evening of Mrs. Gar
rison's unexpected arrival. There the
general turned quickly on his visitor
with the low-toned questions:
"Well-what have you found?'
Enough to give me strong reason
for believing 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.
ut accounts for the letters reaching
me here" he said, "but-Fve known
that boy from babyhood, Armstrong,
and a more intense nature have never
heard of. What he starts in to do he
will carry out if it kills him" And
Drayton looked drearily about the tent
as though in search of something he
didn't quite know what. Then he set
tied back slowly into his favorite old
chair. do sit down, Armstrong. 1
want to speak with you moment"
Yet it was the colonel who was the first
to break the silence.
MAY l ask if you have had time to
look at any of the letters, sir?"
DO l look as though I had time to
do anything?" said the chief, dropping
his hands and uplifting lined and hag-
gard face, yet so refined. Anything
but work, work, morn, noon and night.
The mass of detail one has to meet here
is something appalling. 1t weighs on
me like nightmare, Armstrong. No,
was worn out the night after the
package reached me. When next I
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 soldiers brow. He pondered mo-
ment. ut must have been the next
| afternoon, think, but can't be sure.'
"And you had left them-?"
"In the inside pocket of that old over
coat of mine, hanging there on the rear
tent POLE" was the answer, as the gen
eral turned half round in his chair and
glanced wistfully, self-reproachfully
thither.
Armstrong arose and, going to the
back of the tent, made close examine
ton. The canvas home of the CHIEF
was what is known as the hospital tent
but instead of being pitched with the
ordinary ridge pole and upright, a sub
stantial wooden frame and floor hat
first been built and over this the stou
canvas was stretched, stanch and tau
as the head of a drum 1t was all intac
and sound. Whoever filched tina
packet made way with it through tn,
front, and that, as Armstrong wei
knew, was kept tightly laced, as a rule
from the time the general left it in thu
morning until his return. 1t was neve
unlaced except in his presence or b.
his order. Then the deft hands of tn
orderlies on duty would do the trick il
a twinlling. knowing all this, tn
colonel queried further:
"You went in town, as 1 remember
late that evening and called on tn