Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-04

! isn't fit to ride?"
Not when he rides the first half of the
! night and puts out nasty fire the last.
| Can't you. as post commander. tell him
| you forbid his going till you hear from
| Byrne and investigate the fire." If Ora
| ham had no patience with a frail woman.
| he had nothing but contempt for a weak
man. IF he's bound to be up and doing
something. though he added. send him
| out with squad of men and orders to
| hunt for Downs"
Cutler had never even Thought OF If
Downs was still missing. No one had seen
| him. His haunts had been searched to no
| purpose. His horse was still with the herd.
| One man. the sergeant of the guard the
! previous day. had marked the brief farewell
between the missing man and the parting
| maid-had seen the woman's gloved hand
stealthily put forth and the little folded
packet passed to the soldiers ready palm.
What that paper contained no man ven
| tured to conjecture. Cutler and Graham
notified by Sergeant Kenna of what he
had seen-puzzled over 1t In vain. Norah
Shaughnessy could perhaps unravel it,
thought the doctor, but he did not say.
| Cutler came forth from the shaded depths
| OF the broad hallway to face the dazzling
glare OF the morning sunshine. and the
pale, stern. reproachful features of the
homeless lieutenant. who simply raised his
hand in salute and said: I've been ready
| two hours, sir, and the runners are long
gone.
! TOO long and too far for you to catch
them now" said Cutler. catching at an
other straw. And there is far more i'm
portant matter here. Mr.. Blakely, l want
that man Downs followed found, and
brought back to this post, and you're the
only man to do it. Take a dozen troopers
| IL necessary. and set about 1t. sir. at once
A soldier was at the moment hurrying
past the front Of the hospital. a grimy-
! looking packet in his hand Hearing the
voice of Captain Cutler he turned. saw
Lieutenant Blakely standing there at at
tention, saw that, as the captain finished.
Blakely still remained moment as though
about to speak-saw that he seemed trife
dazed or stunned Cutler marked 1t, too.
This is imperative and Immediate Mr..
Blakely." said he, not unkindly. Pull
yourself together If you are fit to go at all.
and lose no more time With that he
started away. Graham had come to the
doorway, but Blakely never seemed to see
him. Instead he suddenly reused and, turn
ing sharp. sprang down the wooden steps
as though to overtake the captain. when
the soldier. saluting, held forth the diagy
packet
''It was warped out of all shape. sir said
he. THE blacksmith pried out the lid wild
a crowbar The books are singed and soak
ed and the packages charred-all but this.
1t fell apart as it passed from hand &c
hand. and a lot Of letters, smoke-stained
scorched at the edges, and some of them
soaking wet. also two three carte de
visite photographs. were scattered on the
81 nd. Both men bobbed in haste to gather
them up and Graham came hurriedly down
tc help. AS Blakaly Strengthened again he
swayed and staggered slightly, and the doc
tor grasped him by the arm, sudden
clutch that perhaps shook loose some of
the recovered papers from the long, slim
fingers. At all events. few went sud-
denly back to earth. and as Cutler turned,
wondering what was amiss. he saw Blakeiy.
with almost ashen face. supported by the
Doctors sturdy arm to seat on the edge
of the piazza: saw. as he quickly retraced
his steps, a sweet and smiling woman's face
looking up at him out of the trampled
sands and, even as he stopped to recover
the pretty photograph. though II looked far
younger, fairer and more winsome than
ever he had seen 1t, Cutler knew the face
at once. 1t was that OF Clarfce wife OF
Mai. Plume. Whose. then. were those scat
tered letters?
Go be continued topsSrrow.l