The sun., 1910-02-06

room where the President finds what hi
Graves for most Of all, a home.
They were all there, surely enough
in the kindly presence Of that great ano
good man, Mr.. Gizer, Mr.. Darr and Laurs
with her arms around a distinguished
looking woman in tears. So like wal
this stranger to Mr.. Darr that knew she
must be Mrs. Francis. who had managed
to elude the spies and arrive ahead oi
when they expected and whom Laura
with her quick intelligence must have
recognized as she was entering the Nell
brant House and have persuaded to come
at once to the White House.
But hush; the President was speaking
with that all comprising Judgment which
all Presidents seem to acquire from their
office.
IL believe, madam. implicitly what you
have told me in a confidence which shall
| be sacred he was saying ~Your hus-
band was impulsive and rash, but natur-
ally so. pardonably so, in the circum-
stances.
Il shall disapprove the findings Of the
court-martial; I shall order that no fur
| ther proceedings be had against him.
But there seems to be no adequate reason
why the orderly course Of business should
not be pursued.
at such high tension, you should fancy
you were being watched; that is bit Of
the Eaet, familiar to you, which has never
been and never will bc annexed to this
free country. think that out of courtesy
| to old Gen. Muckenhaupt, whom we can't
blame for taking his brothers part, /
will advise hip Of my decision before
act upon it,"
But he's the man that shut up Mr.
Buffum in the dark. interrupted Miss
Laphoon, and she breathlessly related
how and where she had found me and
what had said in explanation OF my
plight.
but our good Buffum says himself that
the General warned him not to shut the
door or to go asleep. The burden OF proof
might be on him TO show that he hadn't
done both"
cit would be like him, I admit" snapped
Miss Laphoon viciously.
| Whereat l felt myself constrained in
defence Of my own alertness to detail
had said, as he thought, to Glawstick
| the clerk, over the telephone in the outer
Office of the foreign scrutiny bureau.
| The telephone cord caught in my
sleeve. sir, as l sprang up l explained.
Il think the General must have noticed
it wabbling; he is keen beyond descrip-
| ton"
The President took one or two turns
| up and down the room in a troubled way.
Then he banged the desk with his fist.
My orders will be cabled tonight at
once" he said crisply. -Muckenhaupt
shall be informed after. not before the
event He is an old man who deserves
well OF his country in many respects.
He Is about to be retired; his absolute
ness shall be retired with him.
His brother. the Colonel, shall be sent
home on waiting orders; that will serve
TO keep him quiet. There must be reform,
but for the good of the service IL must
be quiet reform. Therefore one and all
OF you keep to yourselves the Illegal acts
which 1t seems likely may have been done
in this case.
Mrs. Francis, l congratulate YOU on
your courage and devotion. Perhaps
you will pardon one old enough to be your
father for advising you and your hus-
in the future. Airs well that ends well.
no doubt. but all's better that continues
well. Good night, my friends
We left Mrs. Francis at her hotel and
then we took up our homeward way on
foot down the moonlit avenue, Mr.. Gizer
with Laura. Mr.. Durr with Miss LaphOon
and l. alasi with myself. Blithe were
the four as they strolied along. the men
complimenting the girls on the clever
ness they had displayed. while Jagged
behind, q rank outsider with a memory,
as forgotten as some old book ON mne-
monies tossed back on a top shelf. Nor was
| it anv comfort for me to know that Laura
was having her way nor that shs knew
that / knew that she knew it.