Eastern Colorado times., 1913-06-27
CHAPTER XXI.
A Deepening Mystery.

A Deepening Mystery.
Startled and bewildered as Hamlin
was by this sudden revealment, he at
once comprehended the embarrass-
ment of his own position. He could
not confess all he knew, certainly not
the fact that the girl had met him Sc
cretly and had vanished while he was
endeavoring to turn aside Mrs. Du-
pont He must protect her at all haz-
ards. To gain time. and self-control,
he replied with a question: -.
Did not Connors drive them down,
sir?"
Yes. the four of them"
And Major Mcdonald knew then
that he was ordered East?"
NO, the order came by telegram
later. An orderly was sent down about
ten O'Clock. But, see here, Sergeant, l
am no Bureau of Information. II you
have anything to report, make it
brief"
Hamlin glanced at the face OF the
other. He knew little about him, ex-
cept that he had the reputation of be-
ing capable officer.
Il will. SIR" he responded quickly;
you may never have heard of the af-
| fair, but l was with Miss Mcdonald
during little Indian trouble out on
the trail few months ago."
The officer nodded.
81 heard about that; Gaskins brought
her in."
We'll, ever since she has seemed
grateful and friendly. You know how
some women are; well, she Is that
| kind. Tonight she came to me, be-
cause she didn't seem to know whom
else to 60 to. and told me of some trou-
| BILE she was having. I realize, Captain
| Kane, that it may seem a bit strange
to you that young lady like Miss Nc
| Donald, an officers daughter, would
turn for help to an enlisted man, but
l am telling You only the truth, sir
You see, she got it into her head
somehow that was square, and-and
we'll, that cared enough to help her."
"Wait minute. Sergeant" broke in
Kane, kindly, realizing the others en-
barrassment. and resting one hand on
his sleeve. You do not need to apollo
gize for Miss Mcdonald. l know some
thing OF what is going on at this post,
although, damn me IL I've ever got on
to the straight facts. You mean that
Dupont woman?"
| "Yes, she's concerned in the matter,
but there are others Also"
why couldn't the girl tell her fa-
ther?"
That is where the main trouble lies,
Captain. Major Mcdonald seems to
| No nj al ho 30
Mrs. Dupont. He Is apparently afraid
of her for some reason. That is what
Miss Molly spoke to me about We
were on the side porch at the hotel
talking while the dancers were at sup
pert was the only opportunity the
girl had to get away-and Mrs. Dupont
and her husband came into the par
lor-"
Her husband? Good Lord, l thought
her husband was dead"
He isn't. He's a tin-horn gambler,
known in the saloons as 'Reb,' a big
duffer, wearing black beard"
"All right, go on; don't know him. "
"Well, l stepped into the room to
keep the two apart, leaving the girl
alone outside. We had a bit of talk
| before l got the room cleared, and
when I went back to the porch, Miss
Molly had gone"
Dropped over the railing to the
ground
That's what thought at the time,
sir, but what happened to her after
| that? She didn't return to the hotel;
she was not at the dance hall, and
| hasn't come back to the post"
"The hell you say! Are you sure?"
81 am; l searched for her high and
! low before left, and she could not get
| in here without passing the guard
| house."
Kane stared into the Sergeant's face
moment, and then out across the pa
rade ground. A yellow light winked
in the Colonel's Office, occasionally
blotted out by the passing figure of a
sentry. The officer came to a prompt
decision.
"The old man is over there yet,
grubbing at some papers. Come on
over, and tell him what you have told
me. I believe the lass will turn up all
right, but it does look rather queer"