The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1907-11-21

D-AS AtNlAAuet HuO suOulu call On
him but Daphne darkly vciled. and
accompanied By her maid, who looked
modish duenna in her Frenchiled,
black garb.
Daphne had been talking to a mu.
tual friend, a brother officer Of Dare's.
and this conversation had led her to
look more lenienuy upon Dare's Of
fense. lie was brave. slngie.heart-
ed. hightoned fellow, the friend had
said; singularly inexperienced in the
ways Of the world. and. where photo
graphs were concerned, scarcely re-
sponsible for his actions In this
case, his error might be visited with
severe punishmeut-even his dismis-
sal from the service Daphne had
vainly endeavored to persuade her
papa to withdraw his charges And
now-would the captain give her the
unfortunate picture, that she might
az once destroy It?
Amyas sighed deeply. however. he
brought out the picture. beautifully
developed and incl0scd In an envelope
He gave 1t to Miss ST. Cyr who gave
II 10 her maid 10 carry. II did not
seem TO occur 10 her that another
any number Of others. could be print
ed from the film. Whether she de-
stroyed Il at once. or at al. who can
say?
The officers appointed to act upon
the case OF Capt Amyas Dare.
charged with conduct unbecomiug an
officer and a gentleman" had met, re-
ceived all the evidence collected. and
were about to make their final de.
cisiun
Bound to the strictest justice and
impartiality. they did not propose to
let any feeling Of sympathy for the
accused influence their verdict They
had the dignity OF the service to up
hold, with all its immortal traditions;
and Dare's conduct had been in the
last degree inconsistent with these.
An unfavorable verdict seemed immi-
nent; when. to the surprise OF all. the
captain, who had had very little to
say liz his own behalf, asked that
witness be summoned II was sup
posed that all available testimony had
been gathered But Dare explained
that the only real witness for the de-
fense was the ankle photographed on
the fatal occasion.
\ short discussion followed, which
ended in dispatching a messenger to
the St Cyr residence a few blocks
away
The messenger returned in haste,
and with grin handed Hon. Ever.
ards reply to the officer whose ad-
dress II bore. IL was a defiance, pure
and simple, Of military tribunals in
general and OF this one in particular.
IL contained an absolute refusal, in
language more forcible than polite. to
send Miss St Cyr's ankle
What was to be done? The officers
conferred together, and one OF them
undertook to call on Hon Everard,
and use his persuasions
He soon returned discounted; and
Amyas, feeling fate against him, was
obliged to waive the appearance Of
his witness.
lie had nearly given himself up TO
despair, when the door softly opened.
and a trim little veiled woman en-
tered II was Cessarine. Daphne's
maid. She held in her neatly eloyed
hands a dainty little box she looked
about her for an instant then laid It
10 the hands OF a gray-hai-ed colonel,
The oldest officer present
"Je viens de MdUe St Cyr Ellie
present ses compliments respectueux
q ces messicurs.
And she took her place at the
coloucTs elbow. as guardian OF the
treasure.
The colonel united the cord that Sc
cured the box, and removed the wrap
pings. one OF silver paper and one Of
tissue He reyergnt'y drew forth
The ankIe-and placed il on the table
before him Al came forward 20 in
rect it. No one spoke
II was a wonderful ankle. In a few
seconds it had cast a spell over the
entire company
Tho colonel was nearsighted RE
adjusted his glasses and bent a little
lower over the object of interest
The silence was broken by the voice
0r Capt Dare.
Gentlemen, | ask you-looking al
.Iis shoe. with Her foot in IT, was
b'ame?"
Colonel" said the youngest mem.
bcr OF the tribunal rising, have you
ever read 'Nincty.Three?' o.
Perhaps ! have" said the colonel
III so. / don't remember g. What OF
I it,"
Only this. ! am going TO emulate
scrsJ. Raduub If any man, with eyes
I in his head and a heart in his body
could preserve entire sanity while
/ looking at-That-courtm martial me,
I Dismiss me from the seryice!" And
/ re sat down.
Capt. Delgarde for acIuittal." said
the colonel And. one after another
the remaining officers gave the yer.
diet "Acquittal;" lastly The gray,
. f.s..4 ..-r.1.E himself