The Glenwood post., 1912-11-30

bAl&y-tuo0u uu8v304- A0D3
~ fellow! But I'm rsviev tAs ~
- again In drumming ~ Ciistss's
oDserters, but nov I've net you In
ssnpted to 80 along with you as far n
Elnhurst."
Become q deserter yourself!"
"Oh. no. or at least oeI teapses
ny. There viii - pleaty Of fighting
yet In the Jerseys. ClintOo's whipped
~ right. and is going TO have . time
ostting away TO the ships. In my
yaAgment there will be richer picking
- Jerseyman right here at home.
ehAn with the army in New York"
There was a moments silence; then
ths girl asked, shade Of horror In
har voice:
surely, you cannot mean to ally
yourself with guerillas, Captain Grant?
With-with Fagin?"
HE man laughed, but mirthlessly.
That would be horrible, wouldn't
Ut Vel, personally l fail to see why
frgln is any more of scoundrel than
s0ne of these other fellows in gilt
epaulets. However, I've not come to
ehat point yet The fact is l have q
private affair TO attend to before I
leave this neighborhood. Can you
CUES what it ISL"
Il? Certainly not"
We'll you will know shortly-Ae
ambulance is coming"
i rode my horse slowly forward,
keeping at the edge Of the road, until
assured sufficient distance separated
~ Then l gave the restivs animal
. sharp touch Of the spur, sending hin
swiftly forward. Ny escort would have
Q mile Of two the start, yet that Was
nothing. Ny thoughts were not With
them, or with my military duty, but
reverted to the little company arounA
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
q mystery. There were connecting
links could not understand: no doubt
had the girl been permitted to coa-
elude her story I might at It toe sth-
-. but as 1t was I was left cropping in
| - uoi AACoo. ICS kAl0O
e3ously held TO its original theory -
- Eric's strange disappearancs-
~ been betrayed By Grant. aHA vas
osing held prisonse. But WHARF? By
whom! And for vhat purpose?
] ponderel % tAis Droblsa - NJ
AoPss plougAel fervar1 throxGA tAs
11et. my eyes uncoascieasly scanning
l tAA Anrk - A>~
Known that Colonel Mortimer was ~
~ taken h1na His nsstins with tAs
ambulance party vas altogether a -
eS6ent Yet I had no faith the naa
was out seeking British straSgless. fol-
Aod he been dispatched on such . mis-
sion he would have had At least q
squad of soldiers with him. Thea what
TAe probability vas that be vas 9th
q riding to Elmhufst, o. to some rsa
Aezvous With FAgin. Some plan hal
been interrupted BY Clinton's suddeE
march. By the British defeat At Mon
mouth. and Grant was risking hi
commission. Drawing the charge of de
sertion, for some private purpose
This might be love Of Claire, revenge
| upOA VI ppSelbls Octh
The latter would seem most probable
He would use Eric in some way tc
threaten the sister, to compel her tc
sacrifice herself She was of a nature
to do this, as was already abundantly
proved by her assumption of male
attire to save Eric's reputation. MY
own responsibility loomed large as
! vaarhod
bered her appeal for help. She, also
must suspect the truth, and had turned
70 me as the only one capable of un
raveling the mystery. She trusted me
loved me, now believed-and, under
God, would prove worthy of her faith
1 With teeth clinched in sudden deter
nination l caught up with my little
quad of plodding horsemen, and, with
word of command, hurried them into
a sharp trot.
Riding ahead, boot to boot with
Conroy, thought Out a plan for ac
lion, and finally, in the gray of the
morning, told him enough of the story
to arouse his interest. Just before
sunrise we passed Elmhurst, the grea,
white mansion appearing silent and
deserted. There was no haltinS. al
though We turned in the saddle tC
look, and my eyes swept over the
troopers trotting behind US. They Were
a sturdy lot, their faces bronzed from
exposure, their uniforms stained and
Undiscovered.
-Resulars?" asked, nodding bach
across my shoulder.
Not man but has seen two years
SERVICE" he replied proudly. Ham
iltoa knows the troop, and he picked
Us out"
Il may need them for bit Of des
perate work"
They'll do it, sir, never fear"
Good, sergeant; we'll ride hard
an1 trust to getting fresh horses in
PAila1elphia. Ill tell Arnold the story
Whea We arrive there have your men
get IN tie sleep they can. I'll attend