Meade County news., 1917-05-03

tion Of buying her back within year.
He bad 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 suffi-
cient Intervention by members of the
general staff to cause several months
delay in the plan of his enemies to
crush him. Action on the charges filed
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 to
the limits of the District of Columbia,
which left him free to pursue the ends
for which he had come east. To his
surprise, no contest had been filed
against his mineral claim. On the con-
trary, he had soon found himself lea
gally entitled to assign the mine to
Marie. His carefully drawn and duly
witnessed conveyance had started west
in the next mail. Maries note of ac-
acknowledgement stated the esteem and
gratitude of the writer in the most
correct and conventional OF terms.
His progress toward the accomplish
ment of his second purpose had been
far less smooth. In fact, after months
of persistent endeavor, he could not
be sure that he had made any prog
ress whatever. He had not been barr
red from an inspection of the docu~
mentS relating to the new treaty with
the tribe, and among them he had
found Vandervyn's alleged contract. 1t
purported to appoint the young man
attorney and tribal representative and
to fix his compensation at twenty per,
cent of any moneys appropriated to-
the tribe in payment for the ceded
mineral lands. .4tu
. Hardy had at first considered the
signatures forged. But examination
with microscope had shown him that
the ithumbl prints were identical with
those on the memorandum of the pro-
ceedings of the tribal council: I. He
had, been quick tosperceive that his
only chance of defeating the outrage
GUS contract was to bring about either
an executive or a congressional inves-
tigation. There had been no difficulty
in divining the manner in which Van-
dervyn had obtained the signatures at
the tribal council.
Yet so far his every move had been
blocked. He had interested one man.
of official position or influence after
another, only to be met later with eva
sion or procrastination or even out
right rebuffs. One door after another
liuu bCCh SliuL III 1uCc. AZ luSJ AO'
had found himself regarded as q,
crank, than which, in Washington, mo-
more opprobrious term can be applied
to man.
With the opening of congress the in.
fluences opposed to him had at last.
been able to overcome the opposition,
that had delayed trial of the charges,
against him. The afternoon that he
came back to his shabby lodgings after
final attempt to obtain an interview
with the chief of the Indian bureau,
he was officially notified to appear the,
following morning for trial by court-,r
martial.
he already knew the charges against
him. They INCLUDED desertiQn, failure
to report at Vancouver barracks and.
under the, head Of conduct unbecom-,
ing, Ian. officer and gentleman, his con.
ceafment Of the developed mine.
The ,nearness bf the trial brought
'mattets to a'ddsperate pass with him.
He must act quickly.
1t was the nigtfsof the first bali at
the White House. AS usual, there was
a great crush. Hardy, in conventional