Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-04-18

q
sonal nature. That letter you must
the truth of all he says has since been
proved
She glanced up at him quickly. by
Murphy"
Yes, by Murphy, who is now. lying
in the hospital at Bethune, slowly re-
covering. his sworn deposition has
been forwarded to the department at
Washington, and will undoubtedly re-
suit in the honorable replacing of
your fathers name on the army list
l will tell you briefly the mans con-
fession, together with the few addi-
tional facts necessary to make it
clear.
Your father and mine were for
many years friends and army com
rades- They saw service together dur
ing the great war, and afterward upon
the plains in Indian campaigning. I'm
fortunately a slight misunderstood
ing arose between them One night
they openly quarre1ed when heated
by wine, and exchanged blows. The
following evening your father chanc
Ing to be officer of the guard and OF
duty, my father, whose wife had Their
been dead year, was thoughtless
enough to accompany Mrs. Nolan
home at a late hour from a post ball
1t was merely an act of ordinary cour
tesy; but gossips magnified the tale
and bore it to Nolan. Still smartins
from the former quarrel, in which
fear my father was in the wrong, he
left the guard house with the openly
avowed intention of seeking imme
date satisfaction. In the meanwhile
Slav1n, Murphy, and a trooper named
Flynn, who had been to town without
passes, and were half-drunk, stole
through the guard lines and decided
to make midnight raid on the colo
nePs private Office. Dodging along
behind the powder house, they ran
suddenly upon my father, then on the
way to his own quarters. Whether
they were recognized by him, or
whether drink made them reckless of
consequences, is unknown, but one of
the men instantly fired Then they
ran, and succeeded in gaining the bar
racks unsupported"
She sat as if fascinated by his re-
cital
Your father heard the shot, and
sprang toward the sound, only to fall
headlong across my fathers lifeless
body. AS he came heavily down, his
revolver was Jared out of its holster
and dropped unnoticed in the grass.
An instant later the guard came run
ming up, and by morning Capt Nolan
was under arrest charged with MUIR
der. The circumstantial evidence was
strengths quarrel with the MUIR
dered man, his heated language
few moments previous, the revolver
lying beside the body, having two
chambers discharged, and his being
found there alone with the man he had
gone forth to seek. Slavin and Flynn
both strengthened the case by posi-
tive testimony. AS a result, a court
martial dismissed the prisoner in dis
grace from the army, and a civil court
sentenced him to ten years impris-
onment"
And my mother?" The question
was trembling whisper from culver
rng lips.
your mother he said regretfully
was an exceedingly proud woman, be-
longing to a family of social promi-
nence in the east. She felt deeply
the causeless gossip connecting her
name with the case, as well as the
open disgrace of her husbands con-
viction. She refused to receive her
former friends, and even failed in
loyalty to your father in his time of
trial. 1t is impossible now to fix
the fault clearly, or to account for her
actions. Capt. Nolan turned over all his
property to her, and the moment she
could do so she disappeared from the
fort, taking you with her. From that
hour none of her old acquaintances
could learn anything regarding her
whereabouts. She did not return to
her family in the east, nor correspond
with anyone in the army. Probably, ut
terly broken-hearted, she sought Sc
clusion in some city. How ellis OBJ
tanned possession of you remains a
mystery
rs that all?"
Everything
They kept silent for long time, the
slow tears dropping from her eyes,
her hands clasped in her lap. His
heart, heavy with sympathy, would
not permit him to break in upon her
deep sorrow with words of comfort
Nadia he whispered at last, this
may not be the time for me to speak
such words, but you are all alone
now. Will you go back to Bethune
as my wife?"
A moment she bowed her head be-
fore him; then lifted it and held out
her hands. 81 will
Say to me again what you once
said.'
Donald. love you"