Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-04-26

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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 blessing to him
| all day long, but Canker caught sight
| of the damsels as they walked away
| 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" they
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 tanta-
| 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 confess
| sion, but Gordon's words had ''stif-
| fened" the little fellow TO the extent
him he had said all he proposed to say
| when the colonel called him up the
| previous day. The result of that was
| 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 divllge the con-
tents of that note and to say why you
were so eager to go on guard out of
! your turn?" said Canker, oracularly.
That in itself is sufficient to convince
| any fairminded 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 well go toward convincing
court of the guilt of Lieut.. Gray, and
poor Billy contemplated them with
sinking heart. Taking prompt adj
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 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
uneasily at sentry who followed close
and was lowering suspiciously about.
II cannot talk about-the affair-with
that fellow spying" he said, with an
eager plea in his tone and a sign of the
hand that Gray well 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 a 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 a stove-heated guard room
into the cold sea wind of the Pacific
into the floating wisps of yapor 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, pityingly.
| Have you no overcoat?"
Its at my tent never expected to
| spend this night here. I've been be-
fore the summary court, fined for abb
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 desertcrs 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 smoothtongued
| 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. TN 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"
ut would be-" vehemently inter
rupted Morton, then breaking off short
as though at 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 hell" he burst in
again, hoarse and quivering: "It twould
ruin everything! Can't the gen
eral 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
/ II l.,