The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-12-26

came; half his company would know
he was in barracks when the firing be-
gan. There were women out on. the
walk, their skirts fluttering as they
waited anxiously to learn the news,
but he could not determine if she was
among them. Voices asked questions,
but the corporal hurried him along,
without making any reply. Then he
was thrust roughly into a stone-lined
cell, and left alone. Outside in the
corridor two guards were stationed.
Hamlin sat down on the iron bed,
dazed by the silence, endeavoring to
collect his thoughts. The nearest
guard, leaning on his gun, watched
carefully.
Voices reached him from outside,
echoing in through the high, iron
barred window, but they were distant,
the words indistinguishable. AS his
brain cleared he gave no further
thought to his own predicament, only
considering how he could best divert
suspicion from her. 1t was all con-
fused maze, into the mystery of which
he was unable to penetrate That It
was Molly Mcdonald shrinking there
in the dark corner of the barracks
wall he had no doubt. She might not
have recognized him, or imagined
that he saw her, but that spear of
lighs had certainly revealed face not
to be mistaken. White as it was, hag-
gard with terror. half concealed by
struggling hair, the Identification was
nevertheless complete. The very pit
eousncsS Of expression appealed to
him. She wss not a girl easily fright
ened: 20 mere prCmiscuous shooting,
hcNey:r sta rtling, would have brought
+""' - 49, T~oe. h had seen
her n danger before, had tested her
GOODNESS under fire. This meant some
thing altogether different. What?
Could it be that Gaskins had wronged
the girl, had insulted her, and that
she, in response, had shot him down?
In the darkness Of conjecture there
seemed no other adequate explanation.
The two were intimate; the rumor of
an engagement was already circulat-
ing about the garrison. And the strick-
en- man had endeavored to shift the
blame on him. Hamlin could not be-
lieve this was done through any de-
sire to injure; the Lieutenant had no
cause for personal dislike which
would account for such an accusation.
They had only met once, and then
briefly. There was no rivalry between
them, no animosity. To be sure, Cas-
kins had been domineering, threaten
ing to report small breach of discip-
line, but in this his words and actions
had been no more offensive than was
common among young officers Of his
quality. The Sergeant had passed all
memory Of that long ago. 1t never
occurred to him now as of the slight
est Importance. Far more probable
did it appear that Gaskins' only mo-
tive was to shield the girl from pos
sible suspicion When he had realized
that Hamlin was prisoner, that for
some reason he had been seized for
the crime, he had grasped the oppor-
tunity to point him out as the assas-
sin, and thus delay pursuit. The
chances were the wounded man did
not even recognize who the victim
was-ha had blindly grasped at the
first straw.
But suppose he had been mistaken?
Suppose that woman hiding there was
some one else? Suppose he had mag
ined a resemblance in that sudden
flash of revealment? What then?
e1,1 r1 f0 RI
him when she learned of the arrest?
He laughed at the thought, yet it was
a bitter laugh, for it brought back a
new realization of the chasm between
them. Major McDonald's daughter in.
teresting herself in guard-house
prisoner! More than likely she would
promptly forget that she had ever be-
fore heard his name. He must be
growing crazy to presume that she
permitted him to remain on her list OF 4,
friendship. !
He got up and paced the cell, not
ing as he did so how closely he was
watched by the guard
"Have you heard how badly the
Lieutenant was hurt?" he asked, ap-
preaching the door.
The sentry glanced down the CORR.
dor. !
Hell pull out, all right" he re-
piled confldentially, his lips close to
the door, "Nothin' vital punctured.
You better go to bed, an forget it till
mornin'."
Call right, pardner," and Hamlin
returned to the cot. "Turn the light
down little, will you? There, that's
better. My conscience won't trouble
me, but that glare did, !
With his face to the stone wall he
fell asleep. H
CHAPTER XIV.