The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1918-12-28


as soon as we captured Santiago.
| That's why he was making for the
jungle He was detected and allowed
to escape with his life, but he had
/ been working as Spanish agent since
he was drummed out of America. His
career ended at the luckiest moment
Tor Rlm. He seems to have had the
one redeemlng quality of affection for
the child, though IL he had had u par
tlcle of unselfishness In him he would
have left her behind him. l suppose
/ she was the only thing he had In his
| wretched llfe."
"Of course there's no paIllatlon,"
suggested Wallace. "But the man
may have been born good and--gone
downhlll."
He was born rotten" answered the
Major. "He sold his country to pay
his gambling debts. Cuba was about
the only place that would hold him.
imagine. And TO think that swine was
once in our regimenti Sorry had to
tell you, Wallacel''
He hesitated a while; Wallace had
stirred and breathed heavily. The
majors fists clenched.
''Tm trying to be just to the dead"
he said. "But feel that thousand
years of he'll wouldn't atone for that
crime. Wallace"
Mark Wallace looked up. "rm not
sure that l know all the facts about
the case, Major he said.
, "rhe facts are that It was no sudden
act of fear or temptation, but calculate
ed, cold-blooded dellberatlon. We
knew at the war Office that there was
a leakage. II had been traced to the
mobilization division, where Kellcrman
and were working. Even we were
under suspicion for time. Then 1t
narrowed down to Hampton and an
/ other.
"Wallnce, those months we're the
worst time I've ever spent. Hampton
| was my best friend, and Kellernan's,
too. We spied on him-had TO.
"Well, you know what happened,
more or less. There was woman go
between, as there generally is--a fine
looking young woman, little more than
girl, named Hilda Morsheim. One
of those French-German Alsatlans,
Wallace. Kellerman got some hold on
her, and she confessed. The case
against Hampton was absolutely
proven.
"There wasn't any trial. The fellow
could have been shut up for a good
many years; he had cost his country
millions; he ought to have been
hanged. But he was quietly cashiered
and allowed to disappear. Maybe it
was n foolish move, but we fclt The
shame pretty badly and wanted TO for
get it. Hampton was let go, On the
understanding that he leave the cQgn-
try forever. Oh. yes, he assumed the
innocent air quite dramatically. Some
of the war office people believed In MIN
until the damning documents were laid
before them.
sAnd ne was still somehow In touch
with things, Wallace, and the Ieakages
went on afterward. That's why we
had orders to hang him as soon as
Santiago was taken. He did the kind
est thing he could have done to him
self when he got In the way OF that
sniper's bullet.
an tell you who the child's mother
was, Wallace, because was unfortu-
nate enough to know her. She was a
Miss Rennie. Miss Marjorie Rennie,
of a Baltimore famlly-fne people,
and, OF course. with a tradition like
that, she believed In the scOundrel abb
solutely. She came to me twice. The
first time was before the informal trial
held by the department. She begged
me to believe he was innocent and the
victim Of trap. ! wouldn't even u.s.
ten. You know, when man has to
run down his friend he has TO harden
his heart.
"She came to me again, after IIamp-
ton was broken. She told me l had
played false TO my best friend and
that I'd suffer for IL to the Inst day OF
my life. I've never forgotten that in
tervlew, and you can guess now IL
made me mad to hang Hampton when
we learned that he was still keeping
up the game from his exile In Cuba.
He must have got quite "a number OF
confidential papers out Of the war Of
flee. That's about all"
ITS enough" said Wallace. "The
girl married him. then"
$50 much we learned. And also that
she died later. You see. we've been
pretty close on the fellows track the
last couple OF years--ever since the
war became a probability. In fact.
Most Of the officers In the regiment
are since that tune. but ] guess they
all knew something, and kept II quiet.
like you"
Wallace nodded. II fancy there's d
good deal OF feeling" he said.
quite a good deal." said the major.
dryly. "And 1 guess you'll agree with
~ DAT this naktA ft-lePs say. Nh