Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-06-07
"Bride of Battle"
By VICTOR ROUSSEAU
A ROMANCE OF THE AMERICAN ARMY
FIGHTING ON THE BATTLE
FIELDS OF FRANCE.
Copyright W. G Chapman
By VICTOR ROUSSEAU
Copyrisit by w. G. Chapman

Kellcrman, with the ghost Of smile.
rs 1t on such evidence that you pre-
sumG-?'
NO, sir. it is not" Numbered tn"
general. 1T Is on the evidence of the
woman Hilda MOrsiIcim. alias kcnson.
secured 10y Hampton under circum-
stances which"
Kcl!"rman uttered Il low cry: h" was
trembling now. and all his hrarado
seemed to have ooZcd away.
This woman. strangely enough.
loved her confederate" went ON the
general r"Inorsrlcssly. liking his eyes
fun on kcllcrmans now. whil" Keller
man Llinkcd like Il Isit in daylight, and
turned his head weakly from side I"
side, as IL under the intolcrabl" Slar"
of a scarchlighl. Her claims on him
we're strong enough. Cod Knows! Sh"
wanted him TO marry her. To take her
awdy IRON the old scenes that they
might have Il chance To redeem their
wrrtchcd lives together. III" had prom
iscd her that so many tiinrs-and tn"
worst OF women is aS WAX in the hands
of the man she loves.
"I:ut he had hccomc infatuated with
another. with Il girl as much ahor"
him as"
With q cry that seemed hardly hu-
man Colonel Howard spran.c toward
kcllcrrnan. his fingers twtchinG as IL
he sought to fastcn them about his
throat. Mark caught him and held him
while the old man Swaycd to and fro.
his OutstrCtchcd arm extended townrd
Ecllcrman as If in imprccation.
Eleanor. at IIartlry's side, did not
even look toward them.
"rhis woman, k"nson--
whatever you call her. came 10 France.
upon receipt OF q message which had
cut her to the heart, shown her the
hop,lcssncSs of her dreams and taught
her that the one man in whom she had
believed WAS worthless clay. TO do
her justice. let us suppose that. even
in her worst acts. she had been SuIS-
tanned 10y Il scnsr of duty 90 her coun-
try.
She met her confederate in an inn
nj village not far distant. Frantic
ut her appearance, no induced her to
let him drive her back through tn"
lines. and on the way renewed his ly-
ing promises. This time she "doub.ed
him. - -
1.-TWO men had overheard their con-
vcrSation. One was Captain Wallace,
whom the pair had broken rs they
broke poor Hampton. Him the traitor
had seen. and hc devised 4 scheme to
send him to the trenches and conirivc
To have him sent on q false and fatal
crrand. With that point ! shall not
now deal. The other man was lamp
ton, who had enlisted under nm alins.
i'm the belief that he would obtain q
clue that would unmask the traitor. He
found the woman. and Somchow-pcr-
haps by Gods wonderful m"rcy--oh-
tanned her signed contcssion-which |
have here. in full"
lie wheeled upon Ecllcrman. Ma
ior Kcllcrman." nc said in Il deep voic"
that vibratcd almost with pity. SO
charged with significance that its
meaning could not cscap" either How
ard or Mark. You are under arrest.
You will 60 toward your quarters.
first removing Your belt and arms"
krllc.man saluted weakly and STUN
hlrd out OF the cave. Th" general
looked at Mark.
"'rhc soldier Weston receives a free
and full pardon for his valor in the
field this day" nc 81 id. "llr is also
discharged honorahly from the service
of the United States government"
Mark looked at the general in as
tonishmcnt: this was the last thing
that he desired.
The general approached and clappcd
him on the shoulder. Captain Wal
lace" he said. your written rcsigna-
tion from the United States army can
not bc accepted, owing to the state of
war. After the war il will receive con-
sidcration. In the meantime you will
resume your duties on tho hcaduuar-
ters staff"
Tears rushed to Marks eyes. He
tried to speak. nc was conscious that
the general and Howard were shaking
Inn hy the hand: and then n quick
glance from Eleanor drew him to
" here she kncelcd hy Hartley.
\ single look showed him that tn"
man was dying. Tho unmistakahlc
change had come over his face within
the last few moments: il was rs IL.
having fulfilled the purpose Of his life.
he had resigned himself without n
pang to death.
Mark knccled on one side of him.
with Eleanor facing him over the
strctchcr. The hearers. who had fallen
hack. stood still as images behind. And
behind them Mark had the dim con-
seriousness in the background Of his
mind Of Kcllerman. broken as he had
broken so many, and fumhlinG. always
fumhling, now with his tunic. now
with the belt that he was trying TO
dctach with shaking fingers.
Hartley" whispered Mark. hold
ing the dying mans hand in his. THAT
was YOU today missed you, but |
believed in you. You saved me-"
There was n fiuttering pressure Of
Marks hand in turn. Hampton was
speaking: he was asking for the COL
onei
II am here. Hampton" said Colonel
Howard in choked voice, rs he
leaned over him.
"You believe in me now. sir?" NUT
tered the dying man. rolling his head
uneasily in the effort to see.
May God forgive me, Hampton!
May shc--your wife-forgive me. Tell
her that. and tell her her words came
true. l betrayed my best friend. and
I've suffered for It, and l shall suffer