Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-24

listen to those with which Mrs. Hay would
have favored her. She was thinking OF
something still more perplexing. The gen
eraI. as her husband finally told her, had
asked first thing to see Hay, and later de-
clared that he wished to talk with Mrs. Hay
and see Nanette. Was 1t possible ne knew
anything Of what she knew-that between
Hays household and Stabber's village there
had been communication of some kind-that
the first thing found in the Indian pouch
brought home by Captain Blake was let
ter addressed in Nanette Flowers hand,
and with it three card photographs, TWO
of them of unrnistakable Indians in civilized
garb, and two letters, addressed like hers,
to Mr.. Ralph Moreau-one care of the Rev.
Jasper Strong, Valentine, Nebraska, the
other to the general delivery, Omaha?
Yes, that pouch brought In by Captain
Blake had contained matter too weighty for
one woman, wise as she was, to keep TO
herself. Mrs. Blake, with her husband
full consent, had summoned Mrs Ray, soon
after his departure ON the trail of Webb.
and told her of the strange discovery. They
promptly decided that there was only one
thing to do with the letter-hand or send it..
unopened, to Miss Flower. Then, as Blake
cided to search the pouch. There might
be more letters In the same superscription.
But there were not. They found tobacco.
beeswax, an empty flask that had contained
whisky, vaseline, Ponds Extract, salve,
pigments, few sheets Of note paper, en-
velopes and pencil-odd things to find in the
possession Of a Sioux-a burning glass,
matches. some quinine pills, cigars, odds
and ends Of little consequence, and those
letters addressed to r. Moreau. The first
one they had already decided should go to
Miss Fowler. The others, they thought,
should be handed unopened to the COM
manding officer They might contain i'm
portant information, now that the Sioux
were at war and that Ralph Moreau had
turned out probably to be real parsonage
But first they would consult Mrs. Dade
They had done so the very evening Of
Blake's departure, even as he, long miles
away, was telling Kennedy his Irish heart
was safe from the designs of one blood
thirsty Sioux; and Mrs. Dade had agreed
with them that Nanette's letter should be
sent to her forthwith, and that as Captain
Blake had brought it in, the duty Of re-
turning the letter devolved upon his wife.
And so, after much thought and consulta-
ton, little note was written, saying moth
ing about the other contents or about the
pouch itself. Dear Miss Flower it read.
1.-THE inclosed was found by Captain Blake
some time this morning. He had no time to
deliver 1t in person. Yours sincerely. N.
B. Blake.
She would enter into no explanation and
would say nothing of the consultation. She
Gould not bring herself to sign her name as
usually she signed 1t, Mamie Bryan Blake
She had, as any man or woman would have
had, consuming desire to know what Miss
Flower could be writing to Mr.. Moreau
whose correspondence turned up in this re-
markable way, In the pouch Of a painted
Sioux. But she and they deemed 1t entirely
needless to assure Miss Flower no alien eye
had peered into the mysterious pages. 1T
might have resulted in marvellous develop