The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-03-24
CHAPTER XIV.
TiItinn At MIndmiIIs

capital were chill and Sieety. But con-
gress was now in session, and Wash
ington was bright and gay with the
activities of oficiaIdom and official so
ciety.
One of the first events Of the season
had been a ball in honor OF the superb
French beauty and heiress. Miss Du-
pont. She had arrived with a matron-
~ French lady well known in Partisan
society; a. tall, olive-tinted maid, who
was said to be of Spanish or Hindu
origin; and a male relative. Monsieur
Jacques Dupont, who spoke French
with French Canadian idioms and Eng
lish with quaint sDrinkling of west
ern Americanisms. By those who saw
him before they had the pleasure and
privilege Of meeting Miss Dupont, he
was said to be quite impossible" But
after meeting her, they usually agreed
with the general verdict that he was
decidedly amusing and picturesque"
Letters to the wives of three or four
ambassadors opened to the heiress the
doors of the most exclusive official
society, and her wonderful beauty and
charm carried all before her by storm.
Men raved over her eyes; women oyer
her French gowns. She soon had
suite of devoted admirers and suitors,
among whom, despite his engagement
to the daughter of his eminent uncle,
Mr.. Reginald Vandervyn was one of
the most ardent.
All this had come to Hardy through
society reports in the newspapers and
from the chance remarks OF acQuaint-
ances. The remarks very seldom were
made by persons fortunate enough to
have attended functions graced by the
presence of Miss Dupont. Hardy's
neatly kept clothes were somewhat out
of style, and his lodgings, in an old
warren down on NJ street, were cheap
and shabby.
There were still better reasons for
the worldly wise to shun the company
of the officer so lately distinguished
for his services in the Philippines. 1t
was whispered that the interests for
which he had been diligently lobbying
since midsummer were opposed TO the
| interests Of the experimentation
group of which the eminent Senator
| Clemmer was the leader More openly
the fact was bruited about that he
was to be subjected to trial by court
martial on grave charges.
For he was still in the service.
Upon his return from the hard-won
race for the mine, he had filed his
Hclaim with the commissioners, and
journeyed on as soon as possible to
the railroad. There he had sold his
mare at a low price, but with the OPP
/ Ia-
He had then started east, too intent
upon his purpose to delay even for a
telegram from Vancouver barracks,
and never doubling that his command
ing officer had granted him the Gus
tomary leave of absence pending the
acceptance of his unconditional and
immediate resignation.
Great had been his CONSERVATION
when, the day OF his arrival in Wash
ington, he had reported himself at the
war department. Not only had leave
of absence been denied him and all
action on his resignation been suspend
ed; he had been posted for desertion.
However, his record on the one hand
and the indecent haste OF the attack
on the other, had brought about sufh.
!
general staff to cause several months
delay in the plan of his enemies to
crush him. Action on the charges fled
against him by the Indian commission.
ers and by his commanding officer had
been postponed from month to month
Meantime he had been placed under
the nominal arrest of confinement tC
the limits of the District of Columbia
which left him free to pursue the ends
for which he had come east. To bis
surprise, no contest had been filed
against his mineral claim. On the con
trary, he had soon found himself lie
gaIly entitled to assign the mine tC
Marie His carefully drawn and duly
witnessed conveyance had started west
in the next mail. Marie's note of &C
acknowledgement stated the esteem and
gratitude of the writer in the mos
correct and conventional Of terms.
His progress toward the accomplish
ment OF his second purpose had beer
far less smooth. In fact, after month:
of persistent endeavor, he could no
be sure that he had made any prog
ress whatever. He had not been bar
red from an inspection OF the docU
ments relating to the new treaty witt
the tribe, and among them he haC
found Vandervyn's alleged contract I
purported to appoint the young maj
attorney and tribal representative anC
to fix his compensation at twenty Pc
cent OF any moneys appropriated T.
the tribe in payment for the cede'
mineral lands.
Hardy had at first considered tn
signatures forged But examination
} with a microscope had shown him tina
{ the thumb prints were identical witt
: those on the memorandum OF the pro
= eeedings OF the tribal council. Il
: had been quick to perceive that hi
only chance OF defeating the outrage
GUS contract was TO bring about eithe
: an executive or q congressional inves
tigation There had been no difficult
5 in divining the manner in which Van
: dervyn had obtained the signatures q
4 the tribal council
|. Yet so far his every move had bee
a blocked He had interested one ma
Z OF cflcial position or influence afte
another, only to be met later with eva
n sion or urocrasf5nsf5on or even on