Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-02

east, Mrs. Foster was convinced that the mardered lad was her only boy, and all because of that heartless firt, that designing demoniac army girl who had bewitched him and then brought his blood upon her own head.
 eff it wasn't Walter who lies there slain by assassin rival, the innocent victim of that creatures hideous van ity, would I not have heard from him? Do you suppose my blessed boy would not instantly have cabled to tell me he was alive if he>wasn't dead?" And, indeed, that was a hard question to answer.
 And to the remains of Private Will lard Benton, that had been viewed by many genuinely sorrowing comrade and slowed away with solemn mlli- tary honers in a vault at Paco ceme- tery, were sealed up as best they could do it at Manila, and, though un- convinced as to their identity despite the convictions of others in author ity, the commanding general yielded to cables from the war department and ordered their shipment to San Francisco. They were out of sight of all signals from Corregidor when Martindale'S cable came suggesting search for Private Benton Willard. Zenobia Perkins sniffed contemptu- ously and scoffed indignantly when told thet the doubting Thomases were gaining ground and numbers, l. brought to trial for killing man, it would not be for killing Foster unti! more was ascertained regarding the actual victim. Private Connolly, re- covered from his fever. was forever hunting up Farnham, the brakeman, and devising schemes for the capture of that blackguard Murray. Day and night, he maintained that Murray was the man who had accosted Clarke and Hunter at the battery, that it was probably he who, with his pals, had waylaid and robbed the lone re- cruit returning from his quest in East Paco, that it was he who must have struggled with him before firing the fatal shot; but not a trace of Murray or his sailor mates could the secret service agents find, and mat ters were in this most unsatisfactory
 ate when at end of November
 the O Fleet, dis
 VI efore to fetch
 at Honolulu,
 B general and his chief surgeon were in cOnsults tion as to, what on earth to do with Zenobia PerlSins-the woman had be. come public nuisance.
 "You compel me to remain against nay will because I'm an indispensable witness" said she to the saturnina edjutant general, beyond whom she never now succeeded in passing. She was volubly berating him, to his grim amusement, when the lattice doors from the corridor swung open and two officers entered.
 For nearly two minutes they stood waiting for break in her tempestl- ous flow of words, but as none came, the senior impatiently stepped for. ward and the adjutant general, look ing up, sprang from his chair just as the chief himself came hurrying out from the sanctum sanctorum and greeted the newcomers with cordial ly clasping hands. The lady too had risen.
 "Well, shall have to interrupt you, gentlemen" said she, "for my busi. ness won't keep if you propose to keep me. want to know right here and now, Gen. Drayton, whether. I'm to get my pay or not; if not, I don't propose to wait another day in Ma. nil ri6 af 0f ho scrape the best way you know how. No one here but me could swear that young man Foster was dead, and you know it.''
 You've sworn to what isn't so, madame" interposed the new arrival, placidly. Here's that young man Foster!" and as he spoke the lattice doors again swung open, and, very pale, tall youth in civilian dress was ushered in, at sight of whom Maj. Farquhar fairly shouted.
 How'd I get him?' said the new conner five minutes later. Found him aboard the Coptic when she met us as we were pulling out from Honolulu. He was going back to the states. Left Hong-Kong before the story was published. Didn't want to come, of course, but had to- Wasn't there time to write his mother? They surely would have cabled, and the Coptic must have got into San Francisco week ago" Certainly. Letter was sent right on by the steamer, addressed to Gin cinnati."
 70 Lord!" said Drayton. And she was at Frisco all the time. Colonel, ' he added to his chief-of-staff, whats the first transport home?"
 "Zealandia, sir; to-morrow.'' Sorry for the Zealandia, but zenobia must go with hers CHAPTER xxx.