The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1908-01-24

He had enjoyed a bath and a shave.
and was yet lingering over his cof-
fee. when the two soldiers entered
with their report The sergeant step
ped aside, and the orderly. q tail. boy
ish looking fellow with pugnacious
chin. saluted stifhy
We'll, Bane," and tho dnicer eyed
his trim appearance with manifest APP
proval, what did you succesd IN learn
ing?"
The operator said this yere Muir.
ply had never bin thar himself. sir,
but there wus several messages come
fer him. One got here this mcSnin'."
What becomes OF them"
They're called fer by another fell
Ter. sir"
"Oh, they arel Who?"
Red Slavin wus the name he give
me of tibet other buck"
When the two had disappeared.
Brant sat back thinking rapidly. There
was a mystery here, and such actions
must have a cause. Something eth
er in or about Glencaid was COM
ptltlib W hctp Oub VI bABAb
but what? Who? Brant was I'M
able to get 1t out OF his head that
all this secrecy centered around Nadia.
Perhaps Hampton knew; at least he
might possess some additional scrap
Of information which would help to
solve the problem. He looked at his
watch, and ordered his horse 10 be
saddled.
Ii did not seem quite so simple now,
this projected interview with Hamp-
ton, as ii had appeared the night be-
fore. In the clear light Of day, he
began to realize the weakness Of his
position, the fact that he possessed
not the smallest right to speak on be-
half Of MAZDA ellis. Nevertheless, the
die was cast, and perhaps, provided an
open quarrel could be avoided, the
meeting might result in good to all
| concerned.
Hampton welcomed him with dis
tant but marked courtesy, having evil
GENTLY thought out his own imme-
date plan of action. and schooled him.
self accordingly. Standing there, the
bright light streaming over them from
the open windows, they presented two
widely contrasting personalities, yet
each exhibited in figure and face the
evidences of hard training and iron
discipline. Hampton was clothed in
black, standing straight as an arrow,
his shoulders squared, his head held
| proudly erect, while his cool gray
eyes studied the face OF the other as
| he had been accustomed to survey
| his opponents at the card table. Brant
| looked the picture OF a soldier on
| duty, trim, well built. erect, his reso-
lutte blue eyes never fiinching from
the steady gaze bent upon him, his
bronzed young face grave from the
seriousness of his mission In both
minds the same thought fingered
the vague wonder how much the 9TH
er knew The elder man. however, re-
tanned a better self-control and was
first to break the silence.
Miss ellis informed me Of your
kindness to her last evening"" he
said quietly, "and in her behalf
sincerely thank you. Permit me 70
offer you a chair"
Brant accepted 1t and sat down,
feeling the calm tone of proprietorship
in the words Of the other as II they
had been a blow His face flushed,
yet he spoke firmly. Possibly ! mis-
construe your meaning" he SAID, with
some bluntness, determined to reach
the gist of the matter at once. did
Miss ellis authorize you to thank me
for these courtesies?"
Hampton smiled with provoking
calmness, holding an unlighted cigar
between his fingers. Why, really
as to that do not remember
merely mentioned 1t as expressing the
natural gratitude OF us both"
"You speak as If you possessed full
authority to express her mind as well
as your own"
The other bowed gravely, his face
impassive. MY words quite naturally
bear some such construction"
The officer hesitated, feeling more
doubtful than ever regarding his own
position. Chagrined, disarmed he
felt like a prisoner standing bound
before his hooking captor Then
fear my mission here is useless"
Entirely so, If you come for the
purpose l suspect" said Hampton, sit
ting erect In his chair. and speaking
with more rapid utterance. ITO lee
ture me on morality, and demand my
yielding up all influence over this CIR
such a mission is assuredly a fail
ure. have listened with some de
gree Of calmness in this room already
to one such address. and surrendered
to its reasoning. But permit me &c
say quite plainly, Lieut. Brant, that
you are not the person from whom
will quietly listen to another"
Il had very little expectation thai