The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-06-15
aarchlng ewes. faced me sternlY.

searching eyes, faced me sternly.
| What are you doing here, sir2
Come, speak up. What does all this
! iaean?" and he swept his hand about
In gesture.
| Il came along about thirty minutes
ago." explained. beginning to appre-
ciate my situation from the suspicious
glances cast at me, and recalling how
disreputable my appearance must be.
round things just as they are now,
sir. There's been a fight and rob-
berry"
That's plain to be seen: are these
all the bodies?"
| Yes. sir, but the house is upside
down from end to end"
You saw no one? No British SOL
diers?"
shook my head. conscious OF the
| fierce grip with which | was being
held. A couple of the men dragged
out the body from behind the stairs.
and as the face came into the light.
the colonel's eyes saw It. heard the
sharp breath expelled through his lips.
as he stared down into those CHASTITY
features.
Good Lord! Mikel What In the
name Of heaven does this mean? He
was supposed to be with Claire!"
| There must be some mistake.
| Colonel Mortimer" insisted the other
officer gravely. Perhaps We can get
the truth out Of this pumpkin, If we
take the lash to him"
understood In fash, and as swift
! ly chose q course Of action. This
| gray-headed colonel was her father,
and would serve her In this emergen-
cy without thought Of my own danger.
| No threat Of a whip would open my
| lips, but memory would.
| Come, you dog!" burst out the
colonel flercely. you know more than
you have told. Speak up, or We'll skin
you alive"
II will, Colonel Mortimer" I said,
looking him straight in the eyes. Not
because of your threats. but because
wish to serve you. Now know who
you are and will tell you all know
| about this whole affair"
"Was-was my daughter here?" he
interrupted.
yes, STR"
| my God! And Eric?"
| Not to my neutrality-suspicious. was a
man called Peter, this fellow, and a
black slave or two. They were all
| saw" '''
But why should Claire have been
here" he asked as though dazed, "un.
less she came to meet her brother!
supposed her safe In the city,"
| II do not pretend to understand the
cause OF her presence. But If you
listen to my story perhaps you may
know what to do paused An instant
to get grip on my thoughts. / need
not tell all, confess my identity, or
mention my personal relations with
the daughter. Il am soldier, Colonel
Mortimer, In Maxwell's brigade OF
Washington's army. What brought me
here has nothing to do with the pres.
ent story. was II. the fight over yon-f
der near Mount Laurel night before
last when we captured Delavan's for
age train
What" burst In the dragon OFF,
GER. "Was pelavan defeated. thens
Hadn't Grant Joined him?''
yes TO both questions, six Della.
van was killed. and Grant surrendered
FIe and his men were paroled, and
started for Philadelphia last evening
from here"
Prom herep incredulously. "ThatI
must be lie. colonel, for Mount Lau-
rel is between here and the city,"
Nevertheless, 1t Is no lie," / re-
torted promptly, looking the young
fool In the eyes. II was hiding here
for reasons Of my own when they
came trarnping in along that road
about the middle of the forenoon yes
terday There was near a hundred
Hessians and Rangers. with two Ger
man officers, and Grant. heard them
tell Mistress Mortimer this was the
nearest place where they were sure
OF finding provisions, and that they in-l
tended to remain until night ! don't
know what happened after that, ex-
cept that the officers went inside, and
the men marched around to the back
to eat their breakfast"
"What became of your"
"0h, had other business, and never
got back along here until Just at day
light this morning. Then found
things this way"
"You don't know what occurredI
Them"
mo more than you do. But I've got
my opinion. It's this--Grant and his
fellows must have left as soon as IT.
was dark, taking the west road, which
was the cause of your missing them.
1t Is likely from this man Mixes body,
that your daughter andsher party were
4 still In the house, 1t couldn't have
been much later when these others
| got here and made the attack. Mike
must have fought, them at the front
door. but that was all the fight made;
there's no Sign Of any struggle inside"
Then they never got Claire" de-
clared Mortimer positively. That's a
certainty. Seldom" 4