The log cabin Democrat., 1915-01-01
sion. The last time she had seen her swaatheart he had repulsed her.

sion. The last time she had seen her sweetheart he had repulsed her.
 Gibson entered quickly, halted ab- ruptly at sight of the woman he loved standing there, with the gentle love light in her eyes and the reproach of a maid offended in her form. Slowly. very slowly, he placed the little ivory box in her hands, the box which Hugo Loubeque had given to him. She look cd at him inquiringly and his lips parted:
 "From Hugo Loubeque with hopes for forgiveness and felicitation."
 With trembling fingers she pried open the delicate lid, then gave sharp cry of disappointment that was echoed bv one of mute admiration and amaze ment from the others as, turning the box upside down, the wonderful ruby necklace fell upon the floor, every blood red facet darting a thousand threats at them. But Lucille's eyes paid the necklace no heed. Instead they fasten- ed upon little slip of paper in the bottom of the box:
 Page from diary of Hugo Loubeque
 'In account with General Sumpter Love for dismissal from West Point and robbing me of Lucille
 Theft committed'-
 She read no farther, but, sobbing with the abandonment of a child placed the page from the diary in the hands of the secretary of war.
 "I see" he murmured quietly. You say, Mir. Gibson, Hugo Loubeque gave this to you to hand to Miss Love" "Yes sir"
 If you do not object, Miss Love-" he said to the girl, with a little knowing smile in the direction of her sweet heart, "I shall take this immediately before the board of inquiry. l think. with your story and the verifica I tions I have gathered of its details, it will not only clear your father. but also return to the army a young lieu | tenant who had been named captain at | the time this unfortunate incident oc- | cured
 l Evidently, important cabinet officer though he was, the secretary expected no answer, for he did not even glance | back at the couple. who were so for | getful of etiquette as to ignore him. But Lucille had her arms close, close l about the neck of Richard Gibson, and that young man was only mindful of his burden at the moment.
 
 At his desk General Sumpter Love smiled as the murmur of two voices | came to him. His eyes closed wearily l and his head sank forward upon his 1 chest, a victim of dreams-dreams of the long ago It had been hard giving up to another this daughter whom he had only just regained. And yet and yet-there was another Lucille
 "Lucille.'
 "You called, fatherY' | Lucille's arms were about his neck just as they had been about his neck that other time in Manila when she | coaxed his consent to her marriage to Gibson. And Gibson, with the straps of a captain. was standing once more | in the doorway
 His hand rose to pat the rose petal cheek of her. Then bis fingers en- countered the necklace about her ! throat. As though he had struck snake, his hand recoied.
 'Loubeque's necklace" he muttered
 The arms about his neck frightened. The cheek was pressed against his l own.
 Poor, poor Hugo" she murmured Poor poor man who did not know there was no room for hate in a world that might be filled with love. Poor, poor man"
 The three were silent There was no room for words Ghosts were all about-whispering, soothing ghosts that murmured over and over again
 Lucille-Lucille"-
 Ghosts that had an echo from the lips of a world weary man directly under the earth from them-Hugo Lou beque, alone with his ghosts that mur. mured always
 Lucille-Lucille"-