Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-23
"Bride of Battle"
Hy VICTOR ROUSSEAU
A ROMANCE OF THE AMERICAN ARMY
FIGHTING ON THE BATTLE
FIELDS OF FRANCE.
Copyright by W. &. Chapman.
by VICTOR ROUSSEAU
Copyright by ". G. Chapman

When Kcllcrman had gone the colo
mel invited Mark to sit down. and
launched into business.
81 must tell YOU that it's pretty
stiff Job that we're tackling, Mark
nc said. ITO begin with, we're a sort
of nucleus of the whole organization.
We're in touch with every division.
We have to have the whole thing at
our fingers cnds.-and it's mainly
matter OF ships. animals. and trans
port. And. TO cap the climax, you can
imagine what a nest Of intrigue ana.
espionage Washington has h"com" IN
these days. And. as ncutrals--oStcn-
sibly ncutrals-wr can do nothing to
put an end to it."
He stretched out his finger ana
lointcd toward the hig safe between
the windows.
ANY one Of some two hundred pa
pcrs there. Mark. would give ralu-
able clue" he said. Every night, when
work is finished. your task will he To
open the safe. take out the inner case
containing these documents. add those
ON which YOU have been working. in
Guiding every waste sheet and every
scrap Of the days blotting paper. and
have the day porter convey them.
under YOUR personal supervision. To
the strong room. where you and either
the general myself, or kcllcrman.
will place them in the safety vault. In
the morning the same procedure IL re-
versed. And that is why | insisted
on our getting you. Mark. | knew you.
and don't know the hundred OF other
officers Of impcccablc character whom
we could have secured. We can't run
risks.-.wc simply can't. That's why
il had to be just YOU and kcllcrman
anG |. We had our lesson in the old
days. you know"
He frowncd at the remembrance.
and then answered Marks unspokcn
question with another
Where are YOU staying, Wallace
AT the Congressional"
"Wcll. | want you to come and stay
with us as soon as we're settled. We've
rented II house in Massachusetts circle
and move i'm on the first of the month.
Eleanor and Mrs. Howard are still In
New York, but they're coming mere III
about ten days time-just as soon as
| can get the house ready FOR them.
Eleanor Is dying to see you, and Mrs.
Howard has the plcasantest rcmcm-
,.rY,uc.-S,- os ecursc. md irow I'm ssOirs
to take you to the brigadier."
The short interview with the head
OF the department confirmed Marks
impressions as to the busincssiike ma
ture of the plans of the war Office
Mark went home. He WAS resolved. al
though he had not told the colonel.
not 10 become his Gucst-at least not
uni, ~ he found that he couldn't take
up his life again where he had drop
pcd il, years before. And then-but
what was the use Of specializing: he
went home to the hotel.
He was surprised to find how easily
he seemed TO lit into his environment
when he donnrd his long neglected
evening clothes and went down tn the
dining room OF the Congressional. AL
most the first face he saw was that oi
"A man OF his class; within a few MN
utes Mark Wallace was seated ut TN"
dinner table with a merry party OF Old
friends and new acquaintanccs. And
the years had slipped away from nm.
On the next morning when he took
up his duties. it was with the sense
that he was no longer stranger.
Washington was ready to extend her
welcome to him. At the army cinb'
10 which he was posted by Colonel
Howard. he found himself. much tn his
surprise. often the center Of respect
ful audience. eager to hear OF the WORK
of the army In the forlorn outposts oi
the west. He discovered. too. win
surprise, that he WAS 10y no means as
unknown as he had imagined himself
10 bc.
Then there were invitations that had
to be accepted, receptions and dinners;
yet through it all Mark waited for tn"
charmed day when the house IN
Massachusetts circle was to he open
cd, displaying the princess OF his I'M
agination. the little child OF the hill
side. the schoolgirl, grown into the
IMAGE of his dreams.
ITO BE Continucd)