Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-07-02

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had him virtually prisoner. He
could only stir abroad at night, and
then in company with his jailers.
There was . man, he wrote, who had
. grudge against him, man dis
charged from the ranch, who followed
him to Denver and enlisted In the
same party, man who he was most
anxious to get rid of. and the first
thing he knew that fellow. whom he
supposed had gone on to Manila,
turned up in disguise and joined forces
with his tormentors. That drove him
20 desperation, nerved him to one
sublime effort. and one night he broke
away and ran. He was fleet of foot.
they were heavy with drink. and he
lodged them among the whArves and
piers, took refuge on q coast steamer.
and found himself two days later at
Portland.
Here he bethought him of an old
friend and succeeded in finding man
he well knew he could trust, despite
his mothers old dislike for him. man
who knew his whole past, of his de-
sertion. of his dauger-a man who
WAS himself about enlisting for serv-
ice in the Philippines, and who per-
suaded him that his surest way to
win exemption from punishment was
to hasten after the detachment, beat
il il possible, to Manila, and join It
there at his own expense.
He still had some hundreds left.
Tknxv x,v~nA ~ Cav Ero xUhoPA
Walter took steamer at once for
Honolulu to await there the coming
Of the recruit detachment. The in
fantry finally came, his friend with
them, but no sign of more cavalry.
To Walters dismay he had seen
among the passengers landed from
the Doric the disguised rough whom,
as Sackett, he had so unfavorably
known before, who as Murray had fol
never do to fall into his clutches
again; the man would betray him in
stantly. Walter kept in hiding until
he heard that Sackett was accused of
stabbing staff officer of Gen. Vinton
and had fed the island.
Later, when the next troop ship
came, bringing his friend with it, he
again took counsel. As the lad had
fully admitted, his friend was the
same old chum of Freiburg days-the
friend to whom his parents had so
much objected. The fortunes of war
had thrown them together, Willard as
impecunious as ever, and the Damon
and Pythias, the Orestes and Pylades,
the two Ajaxes of the old days were in
close and intimate touch once more,
Damon, as of old, the banker for the
twain. The troop ships were to pro-
coed as soon as coaled. There were
reasons now why Walter wished to
stay in Honolulu, but Willard urged
his moving at once on to Hong-Kong
and there awaiting the result of his
negotiations at Manila. At Hong
Kong it was his hope to receive the
word "Come over. All is WELL" and,
finally, as his funds would soon run
out, he closed his letter with the re-
quest that his mother cable him $500
through the Hong Kong and Shang-
hal bank.
The money she cabled at once, then
in dread she had wired Col. Martin
dale. who was gadding about with old
army chums when most she needed
him at home, and that gentleman,
with sigh, again went sisterward,
saying he knew the boy was sure to
turn up to torment him, and Won
dering what on earth young Hope
full had done now. He looked grave
enough when he read the letter,
asked for time to communicate con-
4 fdentially with chum at Washing
ton, and was awaiting reply when all
on sudden the papers came out
with the startling dispatch telling OF
the murder of Private Walter Foster
while on his post as sentry at Manila
II and then came weeks of woe.
!. Despite Drayton's cable from Ma
Mia that the identification of the re-
mains was not conclusive to him, at
i least, Mrs. Foster was convinced that
the murdered lad was her only boy
. and all because of that heartless
flirt, that designing-that demoniac
army girl who had bewitched him
; and then brought his blood upon her
: own head.
"If it wasn't Walter who lies there
slain by assassin rival, the innocent
victim of that creatures hideous van
!. ity, would / not have heard from
him? Do you suppose my blessed
boy would not instantly have cableG
) to tell me he was alive if he wasn't
dead2" And, indeed, that was hare
!, question to answer.
And to the remains of Private Wi!
lard Benton, that had been viewed BY
many genuinely sorrowing comradt
2 and slowed away with solemn mill
tary honors in vault at Pace Gene
!. terry, were sealed up as best they
could do it at Manila, and, though un
1 convinced as to their identity despite
2 the convictions of others in author
J, ity, the commanding general yielded
/, to cables from the war department
!. and ordered their shipment to Sal
3 Francisco. They we're out of sigh
$ Of all signals from Corregidor whel
A Martindale's cable came suggesting
: search for Private Benton Willard.
: Zenobia Perkins shifted contemptu
, ously and scoffed Indignantly whe1
: told that the doubling Thomase.
i were gaining ground and numbers
. that though Mr.. Stuyvesant might b'
). brought to trial for killing man, i
e would not be for killing Foster unit
: more was ascertained regarding TIL,
S actual victim. Private Connolly, re
:, covered from his fever. was forever