The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-09-22
CHAPTER XIV, : ;. =
90
Disnrace.

Of grief that no one had ever seen on
his strong face. II trusted you; you
know how you have been trusted,
how we treated you like boy Of our
own. And now this-this scandal, I
can't speak Of it! l feel as II the
shame were my own!" s. 3
Winstanley stood before him, white
and furious. -.
1T any one but yourself said such
words to me, sir. I should know how
to answer them. never expected TO-
have to}hsten to them from you. You,
have treated me like your son, as you
say-you and Mrs. Kenyon-and yet:
now you can hint at such an iniquity.
as am ashamed to put into words"
1T is not limiting, unfortunately. 1t
IS plain speaking. II you have an ex-
planation to offer, heaven knows how
gladly will hear it. I would give my
right hand to get back the opinion OF
you nad 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
of1ce weeks ago. But even so they
mean a 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 start forward and
flung his head back. The general met
his indignant gaze steadily and sor-
rowfully. Yes; there is no other
right word for It. They have been
stolen as frankly as II my pocket, had
been picked. II an angel from heaven
had told me, I 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.
tion, that should have been spared me
by my superior of1cer-even if he had
not been my fathers friend!"
But, good gracious, manzwhat 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
upon her word?"
=. miss Hamilton!" His tone was so
genuinely astonished and dfsmayed
that the general shot a sharp glance
at him. II the facts were not SO be-
yond 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.
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
she must have dreamed it,"
II wish We all had dreamed!'' said
General Kenyon in 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
Il had call to make, sir, upon
Countess Ilka Zulafski.'' i. g.
".Ah, those confounded foreigners!
1 never knew any good come of one
| Of them. Countess I1ka acknowledges
that you went to her house that even.
ing, but only for 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. -
Il swear to you, sir, that + did moth.
ing Of the kind. Invent home to my
rooms and to bed.'' ~ =.s ~S@.>.
"At what timer" The general look
ed at him sharply; he already knew
from the landlady what time 1t was
! Winstanley> colored: 1T must have
been nearly morning ,<sir. It was toe
late then to go to Admiralty House
and I felt unwell."' - f. =. ~.
+. And where had you been during
the time that it Isl declared by; three
witnesses you spent in this house?'
a.s Il don't know; that isswhat I cannot
| say. | went to Countess .uka Zulaf