Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-12-27

away
Yes. this time, for my sake as we'll
as your own If could have completed
my confession you would realize the
necessity. However, the fact that you
are the bearer of dispatches should
be sufficient; your duty to the Colo
mics is more important than any pri-
vate quarrel. You will go?"
'Yes-but you? Are you safe with
him?"
Perfectly. l wish / might be
clothed IN my own proper dress. but
with Peter and Tonepah on guard,
Captain Grant alone is not danger
GUS. Besides. wish to learn his pur-
pose in seeking to join us She hes
itated. You must not fear for me,
but-but / wish to tell you all, and
and am sure shall need your help"
You mean am to join you again
at Elmhurst?"
rs that asking too much?'
claire, | whispered, bending to-
ward her, so Peter could not overhear,
nothing shall keep me from coming,
dear. iwill ride back the moment my
dispatches are in Arnold's hands. But
tell me, first, If you are not afraid Of
Grant himself. what Is 1t you need me
for?"
Eric" she answered swiftly. HE
has disappeared, dead or deserted. Oh,
| cannot believe the last is true 1t
was to save his reputation that |
dressed in this uniform, performed the
work assigned him. feel sure Grant
knows where he is, what has become
of him. went to him in Philadel-
phia, but he only sneered, and said the
boy had doubtless run away. l know
better; that is not like a Mortimer
But | cannot search for him; | must
stay with my father But If can only
be assured you will come
You can be assured
Mistress Claire broke in Peter.
some one is riding up the road
Yes. Peter, yes. Major. wait here!
Don't move We viii go back and
meet him."
! held my horse steady, although he
made an effort to follow. Voices came
back to me through the darkness
Grants loud enough to be clearly
heard.
What, is this you, Claire?" he
laughed grufly by all the gods,
thought it must be Eric. / never ex-
pected to find you logged out in this
style. BY Jove, wish it was day
light"
Whatever she replied must have
sobered the fellow
Everything | say you take wrongly
OF course it's all right, for the coun-
try is full of stragglers out of both
armies. Lord, don't care what you
wear, as long as II suits you My
business? oh, explained all that to
your putty-faced servant-Saint Anne!
that fellow! But I'll review the mat
ter again. I'm drumming up Clinton's
ldeserters, but now I've met you I'm
tempted to go along with you as far as
Elmhurst."
Become deserter yourseif?"
-Oh. no, or at least only Temporal
riIy. There will be plenty of fighting
yet In the Jerseys. Clinton's whipped
all right, and is going to have time
getting away to the ships. In my
judgment there will be richer picking
for Jerseyman right here at home.
than with the army in New York"
There was a moments silence; then
the girl asked. a shade of horror in
her voice:
Surely. you cannot mean to ally
yourself with guerillas. Captain Grant?
With-with Fagin?"
The man laughed, but mirthlessly.
That would be horrible, wouldn't
IL? Well, personally fail to see why
Fagin is any more of a scoundrel than
some of these other fellows in gilt
epaulets However, I've not come to
that point yet. The fact is nave
private affair to attend to before /
leave this neighborhood Can you
guess what it is?"
Il? Certainly not"
We'll, you will know shortly 1.-The
ambulance is coming
rode my horse slowly forward,
keeping at the edge of the road, until
assured suihelent distance separated
us. Then | gave the FESTIVE animal
sharp touch of the spur. sending him
swiftly forward. My escort would have
mile or two the start. yet that was
nothing. My thoughts were not with
them, or with my military duty, but
reverted to the little company around
the wounded man. The bearing of
the dispatch to Arnold was mere rou-
tine, involving only steady riding, but
the relations existing between Claire,
Grant and Eric Mortimer were full
of mystery. There were connecting
links could not understand; no doubt
had the girl been permitted to con
clude her story | might fit it tos tn
er, but as il was | was left cropping in
the darkness. Yet my mind tena-
ciously held to its original theory as
/ to Eric's strange disannsaranea- he