The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1913-07-17

Il S BH0itteu INC nv
OPPORTUNITY 10 explain. I thought II
Just - veil to remain quiet. and let
the AFFAIR straightcS itself out"
Yet your action threw us complete
" OF the tfail." bsoke ia Mcdonald
inpafentiy. 1T peraitted the really
guilty parties . sseaSs- Did you see
any one!"
BLACK snsAses merely. Major, ap
pafentiy running toward the ravine.
ny eyes we're blisAsA. lsaping from q
lighted roon."
Mcdonald IesnsA forward eagerly.
one hand tapping tie table.
Was one of tAs0 woman" he
questioned sharply.
Hamlin's heart leaDsa into his
throat. but he hela hinsaaf motionless.
They vsrs isAistiagsishable. sir:
mere shadova Have you reason to
suspect there may have been a woman
involved!''
The Major leaned hoek in his chair,
out the commandant, after q glance at
his onicer. answered:
The pistol use1 vas q small one.
such a. . woman niGht carry, and
there are marks OF . vonAn's shoe
plainly visible at the edge of the ra-
vine. Lieutenant Gaskins was alone
when he left the o6icers' club Ave min
otes before the airing began. You are
sure you have never had any contro-
versy with this ohlcer?"
Perfectly sure. sir. We have never
met except on the one occasion al.
ready referred to. and then scarcely
dozen words were exchanged"
How then. Sergeant" and the Col
onel spoke very soberly, do you ac-
count for his denouncinR you as his
assassin"
i presumed he was Influenced by
my arrest. sir; that the shock had af.
fected his BRAIN"
THAT supposition will hardly an
swer. The Lieutenant il not severely
wounded. and this morning appears to
be perfectly rational. Yet he insists
you committed the assault: even re-
fers to you by name"
The accused man pressed one hand
to his forehead in bewilderment.
AAo WILL AAoAot1 j BuOL MIN
Yes: to be frank. he's rather bitter
about II. and no facts we have brought
to bear have any apparent weight. He
swears he recognized your face in the
flare Of the first discharge"
The Sergeant stood silent, motion
less. his gaze on the Colonels face.
Il do not know what to say, SIR" he
answered finally. Il was not there,
and you all know 1t from the men of
my troop. There has been no trouble
between Lieutenant Gaskins and my.
self. and l can conceive of no reason
why he should desire to involve me In
this affair-unless." he paused doubt.
fully; unless. sir, he really know,
who shot him. and is anxious to shift
the blame elsewhere to divert sus-
picion."
you mean he may be seeking to
shield the real culprit!"
That is the only explanation that
occurs to me, SIR"
The Colonel stroked his beard nerv-
ously. his glance wandering to the
faces Of the other officers.
That might be possible" he &C.
knowledged regretfully, although III
should dislike to believe any officer
of my command would be deliberately
guilty OF SO despicable an act. How
ever, all we can do now is endeavor
to uncover the truth. You are dis
charged from arrest. Sergeant Ham.
lin, and will return to your troop"
Hamlin passed out the door into
the sunshine. dimly conscious that his
guarded answers had not been entire.
ly satisfactory to those left behind. |
Yet he had said all he could say. all
he dared say. More and more firmly
there has been implanted in his mind
belief that Molly Mcdonald was
somehow involved in this unfortunate
affair, and that her name must be
protected at all hazard This theory
alone would seem to account for Gas.
kins' efforts to turn suspicion, and
when this was connected with the al |
ready known presence of a woman on
the scene, and the smallness of the
weapon used, the evidence seemed
conclusive. .'
As far as his own duty was con-
cerned. the Sergeant felt no ,doubt.
Whatever might be the cause. there
was no question in his mind but that
she was fully justified in her action
Disliking the Lieutenant from the
first, and as strongly attracted by the
girl. his sympathies were now entire
ly with her. If she had shot him.
then it was for some insult, some ont
rage, and he was ready to protect her
with his life. He stopped, glancing
back at the closed door. tempted to
return and ask permission to inter
view Gaskins personally. Then the
uselessness of such procedure re.
CURED to him; the fact that nothing
could result from their meeting but
disappointment and recrimnation The
man evidently disliked him, and would
resent any interference: he had soma.
thing to conceal, something at St,ko