Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-14

dier pillow. Shannon had been to &C"
troops quarters in search of Trooper
Stern and had wrung from him all that he
could tell Of Carmody's last fight on earth
of his last words to Lieutenant Blakely.
Meantime sorely troubled man was Maj.
Plume. That his wife would have to return
to Sandy he had learned from the lips of
Col. Byrne himself Her own good name
had been involved and could only be COM
pleteIy cleared when Wren and Blakely
were sufficiently recovered to testify, and
when Mullins should be so thoroughly re-
stored as to be fit for close cross-examina-
ton. Plume could in no wise connect his
beloved wife with either the murderous as
-sault on Mullins or the mysterious firing of
Blakely's quarters, but he knew that Sandy
could not SO readily acquit her. even though
1t might saddle the actual deed upon her
fnstrument-Elise. He had ordered that
Blakely should be brought to his own quar-
ters because there he could not be reached
by any who were unacceptable to himself,
the post commander. There were many
things he wished to know about and from
Blakely's lips alone He could not stoop to
talk with other men about the foibles Of his
wife. He knew that iron box in Truman's
care contained papers. letters or something
of deep interest to her. He knew full well
now that. at some time in the not far dis
tant past, Blakely himself had been of deep
interest to her and she to Blakely. He had
Blakely's last letter to himself. written just
before the lonely start in quest of Angela,
contents of the box or to anything con-
corning their past. He had heard that
Wales Arnold had been intrusted with let
tiers for Biakely to Clarice. his wife. and
to Capt. or Miss Janet, Wren. Arnold had
not been entirely silent on the subject. He
did not too much like the major, and rather
rejoiced in this opportunity to show his In
dependence of him. Plume had gone SO far
as to ask Arnold whether such letters had
been Entrusted to him, and Wales said
yes: but, now that Blakely was safely back
and probably going to pull through, he
should return the letters to the writer as
soon as the writer was well enough to APP
preciate what was being done. Last, but
not least, Plume had picked up near the
door in Blakelys room the circular, nearly
fat leather-covered case which had drop
ped, apparently, from Natzie's gown. and.
as 1t had neither lock- nor latch, Plume
had opened 1t to examine its contents.
To his surprise It contained beautifully
executed miniature, likeness of a fair
young girl, with soft blue eyes and heavy,
arching brows a delicately nodded face and
mouth and chin, all framed in a tumbling
mass of tawny hair. It was the face OF q
child of twelve or thirteen one that he had
never seen and of whom he knew nothing.
Neither cover, backing nor case of the
miniature gave the faintest clew as to its
original or as to it's ownership. What was
Natzie doing with this, and to whom did 1t
belong? A little study satisfied him there
was something familiar In the face, yet
he could not place 1t.
The very night Of her coming, therefore,
he told his wife the story and handed her
the portrait One glance was enough. IT
know 1t, yes" said Mrs. Plume, though
I, too. have never seen her. She died the
winter after 1t was taken. It Is Mr.. Blake
lys sister, Ethel" and Mrs. Plume sat
gazing at the sweet girl features. with
strange emotion in her ageing face. There
was something-some story-behind all this
that Plume could not fath0m, and 1t net
tied him PArhnua he too. Was yi0IdfUU fey
q At OF nerves. Elise, the maid. had been
'remanded to her room and could be heard
moving about with heavy. yet uncertain
tread. "She II right over Biakely," Quoth