Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1906-01-31

thief, for young Larry O'Toole, he that
used to sweep out and sprinkle the
store and had enlisted as a drummer
in the Montgomerys after PauPs ban
ishment, had strayed in search of for
hidden Injuries just before Chancellors-
vile. and Stuart's men had nabbed
him and run him off to Richmond
where Ladue was favored with
O'Toole's account of McKinnon's brib-
ing him to purloin those ST. Louis
letters. With this confirmation of his
theories burning within him, Paul had
sone to Charlottesville, spending one
day with the Chiltons and hearing
from the doctor strange story Of
Mckinnon's generosity to them and
kindness to the imperiled son. Rosalie
had listened in silent acquiescence un-
til Paul burst in with vehement de-
nunciation of the whole story-told
them of McKinnon's treachery to him
and his hatred of the Bentons,-told
them of Fred's devoted friendship, and
then came strange part Of the letter.
ElinOr copied it VERBATIM
Miss Chiffon grew more and more
excited as l talked, and finally whirled
on me with How can you speak of
devoted friendship on the part of a
man who planned to capture you both
and was only baked by-by Jacks
going back for your old note book!'
Then she rushed out of the room, and
l had to go right on to Gordonsville
and could only write to her that, that
too, was probably one of McKinnon's
ISLANDERS, and there wasn't a word of
truth in it-that no one was more
amazed than Fred when they brought
me in. I've not yet heard from her,
but | shall, and Jack shall know the
moment | can find him.
Was it not strange that that same
old notebook, which she risked so
much to send to me that night Fred
caught her at the stone house, should
later have been the means of saving
Jack? She found it in the breast pock-
ct OF my new uniform coat at Henry's,
and glancing through the pages saw
the sketches and memoranda I had
even then been making; supposed it
was of vast importance,-so
that We ought to have and, fearing it
would fall into the hands of the enemy,
bethought her of Jennings and Judge
Armistead; slipped into my uniform,
and Fred has probably told you the
rest"
So there it was at last:-the story of
her daring and devotion and Benton,
had he but opened his heart to Paul
in the few days that they were to-
gether at the Chiltons, might have
known it all! There then was McKin-
non, Furthermore, unmasked, and even
more of a BLACKBOARD than they had
deemed him. Now, at least, must Ros-
allie know how utterly she had wronged
the man whose devotion to her she
surely could not fail to realize, yet not
a line from her had found it's way to
Elinor. There was some comfort in
the belief that now she knew, but
how he longed to get at McKinnon for
further comfort!
And now that queer customer, Jen-
nings, was also under the ban, was
he? And they needed Benton's evil
dence-Benton whose brevet hung fire
for reasons he could not understand
Benton who didn't love the war Office
and who well knew he had found no
favor in the grim, deep-set eyes be-
hind those comprehensive spectacles.
There was little he could really tell
OF Jennings, though he had never for
gotten that story about the Indiana
sergeant seeing Rosalie toss the packet
to him in the rush and excitement
at the stone house. If that story were
true she must have thought him faith
full at the time at least. That fateful
notebook, filled with Paul's clever topo-
graphical sketches and his daily mem
oranda-what had not Rosalie dared
in her effort to send it to safe hands.
What sacrifice had not Chiffon made
in recrossing the Potomac that wintry
night in hopes of recovering it! Where
was it now? thought Benton, as once
again he caught sight of the unfinished
dome of the great white capitol. A
very suitable bit of property the little
volume might be to a southern chief
tain again invading Maryland with an
army at his back-and a very danger
GUS one for southern officer to be
caught with-if alone!
CHHAPTER XyVII