Mower County transcript., 1900-03-21

Mr.. Gray said Amy Lawrence. ..h,,t
it was dark when we got back from see
ing the fleet OFF. and uncle was too tired
in the evening. Indeed, we are all very.
very sorry" And poor Billy never
heard CT cared what the others said, so
absorbed was he in drinking in her GEN
! tie words and gazing into her soft. dark
eyes. No wonder he found it difficult
to release her hand. That brief visit,
filled with sweetness and sunshine.
ought to have been a blessing to him
! all day long, but Canker caught sight
! of the damsels as they walked awav
on the arms of the attendant cavaliers
Miss Lawrence more than once smiling
back at the incarcerated Billy-and
| Canker demanded to be informed who
they were and where they had been. and
Gordon answered they were Miss Law
! renee, of Santa Anita, and Miss Prime.
| of New York-and he "reckoned'' thev
must have been in to condole with Mr..
Gray-whereat Canker snarled that
people ought to know better than to
visit officers in arrest-it was tantas
mount to disrespect to the commander.
1t was marvellous how many things in
Canker's eyes were disrespectful.
So he heard these stories with eager
ears and sent for Gray, and thought to
bully him into an admission or confes-
| sion, but Gordon's words had "stif-
fened" the little fellow to the extent
of braving Canker's anger and telling
him he had said Ill he proposed to say
when the colonel called him up the
previous day. The result of that was
j his being placed in close arrest and in
formed that he should be tried by gen
eral court-martial at once. So he had
taken counsel, as was his right, and
Counsel forbade his committing him.
self in any way.
"Then you refuse to divulge the con-
tents of that note and to say why you
were so eager to 60 on guard out of
your turn?'' said Canker, oracularly.
| THAT in itself is sufficient to convince
any fair-minded court of your guilt,
sir" Whereat Gordon winked at Billy
and put his tongue in his cheek-and
Billy stood mute until ordered, with
much asperity, to go back to his tent.
But there were other things that
might we'll go toward convincing q
court of the guilt of Lieut.. Gray, and
poor Billy contemplated them with
sinking heart. Taking prompt ad-
vantage of his position as officer Of the
guard, he had caused the young pris-
oner to be brought outside the guard
house, and as a heavy, dripping fog had
come on the wings of the night wind,
sailing in from the sea, he had led the
way to the sheltered side, which hap
pened to be the darkest one, of the rude
little building, and had there hidden
him tell his story. But Morton glanced
| lneasily alta sentry who followed close
and was lowering suspiciously about.
II cannot talk about-thc affair-with
that fellow spy;ng," he. said, with an
eager plea in his tone and sign of the
hand that Gray we'll knew and quickly
recognized. Keep around in front.
I'll be responsible for this prisoner"
were his orders, and, almost reluctant
ly, the man left. He was veteran SOL
der, and his manner impressed the
lieutenant with q vague sense of
trouble. Twice the sentry glanced
back and hesitated, as though some
thing were on his mind that he must
tell, but finally he disappeared and kept
out of the way during the brief inter-
view that immediately followed. The
prisoner eagerly, excitedly began his
explanation-swiftly banishing any lin
gering doubts Gray might have enter
tanned as to his innocence. But he had
come from stove-heated guard room
into the cold sea wind of the Pacific
into the floating wisps of vapor that
sent chill to the marrow. He was far
too lightly clad for that climate, and
presently he began to shiver.
"You are cold," said Gray, pitying}y.
Have you no overcoat?"
TITS at my tent-I never expected to
spend this night here. I've, been be-
fore the summary court, fined for alb
sence, and thought that would end it.,
but instead of that I'm prisoner and
the man who should be here is stalking
about camp, planning more robberies.
Yet I'd rather associate with the very
worst of deserters or dead beats in
side there" and the dark eyes glanced
almost in horror-the slender figure
shook with unmingled repulsion and
chill-"than with that smooth-tongued
sneak and liar. There's no crime too
mean for him to commit, Mr.. Gray.
| and the men are beginning to know it,
though the colonel won't. For Gods
sake get me out of this before morn
ing" And again the violent tremor
shok the lad from head to foot.
"Here-get inside!" said Gray, i'm
pulsively. ''1'll see the adjutant at once
and return to you in a few minutes. If
you have to remain until the matter can
be investigated by the general it might
be" \
1T would be" vehemently inter-
rupted Morton, then breaking of short
as though at loss for descriptivenesso of
, sufficient strength. He seemed to swell
with passion as he clinched his fists and
fairly stood upon his toes an instant, his