Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-11

MacDouga1 street. Not one whisper OF 1t
could he tell him now. for his chum's sinful
secret was as a sacred thing. There had
! been no betrayals in Sigma Chi. VIM, re-
Numbering Ingraham's explanation and his
own surprise that anything should take a
| man of lngraham's social standing to such
quarter, was puzzling over the message
and putting things together.
That was message No. /. The next came
few days later, and again to the care
OF Captain Winn, who meantime had re-
joined his regiment at a somewhat dista Mt
camp, SO that the message was nearly
three days older when it reached the hands
Of our college-bred recruit and found MIN
grooming out the dusty gangway of the
stables. He had sent the first to Burn
! ham, bidding him find Major Chalmers, If
still In New York, and If Chalmers denied
all knowledge of the dispatch, as Ingra-
ham believed he would. then to endeavO or
through the telegraph officials. and If need
be the chief of police, to detect the sender.
-Four times in two weeks Ingraham had
written full-hearted and affectionate let
tiers to his chum. Three times in those
partial reply, and over those letters Rex
had pondered long and painfully. Even as
he bore this second telegram from the
darkened depths Of the stables to the
MONDAY light without, he was thinking of
the first of those letters written four days
after their parting. 1t read:
Dear Rex: Yours from Wizards, with
Its strange Enclosure, came to the old den,
ever since l have been working and pllz-
zlfng. Chalmers left for the south the
night after you left for Washington there
was bad news of Frenier-reported dying at
Baton Rouge), but 1 have not yet been
able to find the office from which that re-
markable message was sent. Chalmers
was with the governor quite while the
evening of the discovery and expected to
be the bearer OF a good deal of that money
back to Mississippi and Louisiana. lie
had to go without dollar because Wat
son sealed up everything until uncle should
recover. Chalmers went away wrathful,
saying ugly things about uncle and his
minions,' and he was in a mood to send
you that dispatch and had time to do it..
Chalmers processes to believe the assault
and robbery of which you were victim
was all .plant'-that you hired somebody
to knock you down and run, after you
had carefully hidden the gold Then that
old fool of a Watson admitted to him that
you were several minutes alone at the
open safe while Editha saying adieu
to her captain down in the hall. Then,
but pshaw! Rex what should l be telling
you these idiotic stories for? OF course
there's always lot of amateur detectives
and fool-headed prattlers at such times
and you'd split your sides laughing, or
swearing, at the theories I've had to listen
to. Indeed, 1 almost had fistfcuff with
one fellow, Sigma Chi at that, but he took
water at once and others interposed. Rest
assured you shant suffer while I'm around.
1.-The governor steadily improves physi-
Cally, ana says ne ii soon De
sitting up and might recover entirely, only
he seems dreadfully cut up about these
and other-lcsSes. 1t is Editha who now
seems to need the Doctors attention. She
is keeping her room just now, with Mrs.
Fairbanks to comfort her, and hasn't been
downstairs for three days Nothing fur
Their from our importunate visitors. Brother
James seems to have meandered elsewhere,
If he is her brother, which l have doubted
these many moons. Thine, NED
The next arrived five days later.
Dear Rex:
II understand, of course, just how an
noyed you feel about this miserable bus,
ness, but l don't understand how YOU car
expect me to give you categorical det lis
1t isn't SO much the words people use, it's
the way people use them-the way they
look, and the tone, or expression or some
thinG-I can't describe it-that betrays the
suspicion lurking in their brains. Don't in
sist, dear boy. | assure you | am doing
everything in my power to get to the bot
tom of this outrage-that's what l call it,
and your coming back would only compli
cate matters. You are hot-headed and will
simply stir up fearful row and spoil
everything. Through a friend at court,
am promised a peep at the orign of that
dispatch this week. Then you shall hear
further.
'You seem to think ought to know mora
about the governor and Editha How C n
]? I'm enjoined not to talk or let him talk
of the money business. Old Watson is her
day and night, and prying into everyth ng,
one reason, l believe, why Editha keeps to
her room, so that l can't see her, and I've
been hoping for opportunity to deliver your
message. Such letters as have come from
you for her. 1 understand, have been de-
livered and she'll probably write when well
enough. The stacks of flowers that come
for that girl! Yours in base. N. B.
The third had reached him two days be-
fore his appearance with the guard detail
Dear Ingraham:
There is no use in prodding me as you
do T the telegraph COmOany. L
have no control over Edithas correspond
ence / can't see men who are no longer
north of Mason and Dixons line. The old
man is cranky and | don't know what's
the matter with Editha. She's up and
about, but-see here. The old woman,
Rosies mother, you know, has taken to
letters herself, setting forth what Jewel
of a man Is Misther Ingraham and, On
it. now that she's got my right name. how
she does wrong it! What does it all mean,
Master Rex Have you been doing little
of the speak-for-yourseii-Joh n business
consoling the fatherless and the widow and
incidentally cutting out your old-time chum!
Confess now, for something has happened
to relieve me of all Ought to be Obliged
or jealous? Yours BURNHAM
But that second telegram, received just
after the second letter and dated Just be
fore it, perplexed and disturbed him most
of adj He did not refer to 1t when ne
wrote to Burnham.
Reginald Ingraham.
"Willards Hotel, Washington, d. C.
..Maior Chalmers intruSted me with pa
ners and proposition Authorized act for
John Raynor Restore to him, not Wat
son. rAihbAA>n no
Rex had that dispatch in its worn enve-
lone. stored in the pocket Of the coarse
vet iaunty looking trooper jacket, when at
1910 that bilstering July morning the trig
voung officer commander of the guard,
came briskly down the walk 10 the door OF
the little basement room where the troop
ers were lounging. "A corporal ana TWO
men to ride at once with 'Col: Hunter
said he, and in five minutes 1ngraham found
himself silently bringing up the rear OF an
imnosing little cavalcade.
In advance, on a powerful, spirited pay
rode an officer, tall and slender, IN the
double-breasted frock of colonel OF
cavalry, his shoulders decked with the
old-barred strap and the silver spread
eagle. his waist encircled by the crimson
silker sash. half hidden by the plain black
sword belt Four staff officers rode in sim
Ole rank several yards behind him. Four
Orderies at a respectful distance, followed
these-rnembers, evidently. of the Dragons
and they had neither eye, hand nor tongue
for the light horsemen Unexpectedly caIleo
to reinforce the party. Yet 1t was the iat-
ter that were first to receive official rec
ignition Down past the massive treasury
building they moved at stately pace,
scores of people stopping on the side
walks to stare at a sight still almost
strange at Washington. Turning into Penn
sylyania avenue the leader looked about
and signaled staff officer spurred for
ward, then turned back.