Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-06-27
The Invisible Clue
1Copyright. BY W. q. Chapman.5

that"
''Who?"
! you never met" was the laughing
reply. but as l said, the next after
noon found me in Fort Leavenworth,
addressing man in the blue of the
United States army.
Yours is the only regiment In from
the Philippines since when?' asked.
In year. was the answer.
ANY deserters?'
Gone
May see the pictures and any
letters that have been iptercepted?'
"Of course explained Miss Glenn
ent, my credentials had been shown.
The object-of my visit was, Of course,
as yet secret, with the exception Of
the fact that was looking for Grim
inal. The letters were shown me-
hurried away, and by the next day
was in Oklahoma City. A sample case
of books was under my arm. found
the house desired, and knocked at
the door.
rs Miss Sexton in?' / inquired of
the girl at the door,
81 am Miss Sexton came the an
swer.
Your name was given me as being
| interested In books said as edged
past her and into the hall. did not
stop talking then. but manufactured
the name of a publisher, a scheme Of
selling and everything else connected
with book agency. My aim was to get
the girl In room and alone. / sue
ceeded In my purpose. Then locked
the door and whirled.
"'I want that night letter!' I de-
manded.
"The girl blanched.
Night letter. sfe stammered.
From Tom Barton / snapped
back. / had played 'hunch and
saw that I had hit the mark. The
woman half rose.
81 don't know whom you are talk
Ing about, she answered.
"'You don't?' / questioned. back.
You know very well who am talking
about!' answered You know that
he has deserted the United States
army, that he now is a fugitive from
justice. and that he has wired you to
join him. Don't scream or try to get
out OF this ROOM warned her.
"'I have a revolver, and will shoot.
Until see otherwise, you are under
arrest / showed my badge. Now
give me that night letter.
"The girl, she was hardly more than
that, reeled half way across the par
lor and was leaning against the piano
for support. Her face was CHASTITY.
Her hands we're clasped until the
blood distended the wrist veins like
blue cords. Her breath came In
gasps.
sDeserted?' she asked vaguely, de
serted? He told me he was on fur
Tough Of month. We were going to
get married, and he got the furlough
| for our trip
1T will be much longer furlough
than that ! answered icily. You are
good girl, Miss Sexton. can see
that. My coming here will enable you
1 W COO0R0 q 6LGdI uOdAs w AOt OC0AA y
to cause you any more notoriety than
is necessary. But I must insist on
your remaining under guard few days
at a hotel. No one will know the
difference providing you give me
that night letter. Otherwise. it will
be plain jail--and the papers
ga long wait and then the girl, half
staggering, came toward me a few
steps and extended a yellow envelope.
placed it in my pocketbook and
wordlessly we left the house. In all
my life never had seen a girl so alb
| solltely crushed There were no
tears. Her grief and surprise were
too deep for that Only the bloodless
face, the trembling, blue lips, the eyes
which looked almost unseeingly at the
world, told Of the girls suffering. On
the way to the hotel, where detec-
| tive awaited me, learned her story
not much of one, that of a stenogra-
pher, lonely and young, who had met
man in uniform and been fascinated.
It wasn't much to hear, but the sin
cerity of it all, the deadened way in
which it was told, cut into my heart.
"'And you knew nothing Of him?'
asked.
"'I was lonely was her invariable,
dull answer; he told me lots of
things. believed them
IAN hour later / opened the tele-
gram, day message instead of the
night letter had determined upon
believing it to be. read:
Meet me Newark, N. j.. June 10.
Will be married then. Keep thing
secret until afterward Will tell rea-
son when see you. Tom"
There came pause in the MARIA
tive. Miss Clement spent moment
in watching the loveloyn actions of q
shop girl and fioorwalker near the
railing OF the boat. She smiled in
amused appreciation at the effort of