Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-08-23

Is plain speaking. II you have IN OF.
PLANTATION to offer, heaven knows how
gladly | will hear It. I would give my
right hand to get back the opinion OF
YOU T mad yesterday. But the facts
are these. The papers are gone. You
are aware, as well as myself, that
they are only the rough draft, and that
the finished copies went up to the war
Office weeks ago. But even so they
mean q loss to the country that can
not be repaired. They mean more
shame and disgrace to the man who
had the safe charge of them, and by
whom they have been stolen" Win
stanley made a start forward and
flung his head back. The general met
his Indignant gaze steadily and sor-
rowfully. Eyes; there is no other
right word for it. They have been
stolen as frankly as If my pocket had
been picked. If an angel from heaven
had told me, should have laughed in
his face. Yet you took them from
my safe, which you never opened ex-
cept by my orders, and you refuse now
to acknowledge the fact"
Il can only repeat, sir, that you Of
fer me an insult by the very sugges-
ton, that should have been spared me
by my superior off1cer-even If he had
not been my fathers friend!"
But, good gracious, man-what do
you mean? You were seen to come
back to this house after we had left it
for that fool dance at Admiralty
House. You passed the orderly in the
hall going in and out-and the porter
at the lodge-they both recognized
you and saluted. Miss Hamilton saw
you; l suppose you don't cast doubt
upon her word?"
Miss Hamilton!" His tone was so
genuinely astonished and dismayed
that the general shot a sharp glance
at him. If the facts were not SO be-
You'd all contradiction, one would have
said he was speaking truth. The real
ization of the depths of duplicity in
his old friends son stung him to the
quick,
f Yes; she left the dance because
she was unwell, and came on here to
rest. She saw you in the Office. She
has told me that much. You must
know best why she refuses to say
more even to me-"
she saw me! Great Heavens! But
size must have dreamed it,"
Il wish we all had dreamed!" said
General Kenyon, in a grave voice.
"Winstanley, there is not the least
ground for a denial. Why preserve
the useless attempt? You refused to
accompany myself and my wife to
Admiralty House, and went out at an
hour that precluded your having
meant to go there at all"
I had a call. to make, sir, upon
Countess Ilka Zulafski."
+ All, those confounded foreigners!
never knew any good come of one
of them. Countess Ilka acknowledges
that you went to her house that even
ing, but only for a moment or two.
You left after quarter of an hour or
so, and her servants corrobrate the
statement. From there you returned
here, after some little delay"
II swear to you, sir, that did moth
ing of the kind. I went home to my
rooms and to he'd"
4 Eat what time?" The general look
ed at him sharply; he already knew
from the landlady what time it was.
5Winstanley colored. cit must have
been nearly morning sir. It was too
late then to go to Admiralty House,
and I felt unwell.''
t'And where had you been during
the time that it is declared by three
witnesses you spent in this house?''
Il don't know; that is what cannot
say. went to Countess Ilka Zulaf.
skis and sat down few minutes, as
/ supposed. Then I found myself in
the street, and it was near dawn. ]
could not have been drinking.
swear to you that had not touched
a drop of anything, and think you
know I don't do that sort of thing
But, as / stand here, have no recol
lection of what happened between
those two times. =
Ito BE continued.)