The Nevada County picayune., 1918-12-05

1 of understudS, in fact, but with good 1 deal of initiative as well. And If var 1 comes, as if is sure to come, we'll be sent over on the first transport. to pre- pare things for the troops. An. kel- herman, heres Wallace newly arrived to take over his duties."
 Mark saw not the slightest chang in kellerman since the days of the Cuban war. Kellerman was just as tlorid as ever, just as burly. with the same rath- CT sinister way of gIaneing; his black hair was unthnHed and untouched with gray. He had borne the years much better than Mark.
 If Kellerman reeiprocated Marks feelings. he showed no sign of it in his cordial handgrip.
 I've were glad to get you, Wallace" he said. "YouH excuse me for mo- ment, I'm sure"
 He drew Colonel Howard aside in conversation, while Mark twirled his fingers and looked out of the window into the busy hive of the capital, and tried to make himself believe that 1t was all true.
 When Kellerman had gone the Colo mel invited Mark to sit down, and launched into business.
 II must tell you that it's pretty stiff job that we're tackling. Mark" he said. ITO begin with, we're sort of nucleus of the whole organization. We're in touch with every division. We have to have the whole thing at our fingers ends-and it's mainly q matter of ships. animals, and trans port. And, to cap the climax, you can imagine what q nest of intrigue and | espionage Washington has become in these days. And, as neutrals-osten- sibly neutralS-we can do nothing to put an end to it."
 He stretched out his finger and pointed toward the big safe between the windows.
 Any one of some two hundred pa pcrs there, Mark, would give a valu- able clue" he said. Every night, when work is finished. your task will be to open the safe. take out the inner case containing these documents. add those on which you have been working. in- cluding every waste sheet and every scrap of the days plotting paper, and have the day porter convey them, under your personal supervision, to the strong room, where you and either the General. myself. or Kellerman. will place them in the safety vault. In the morning the same procedure is re verSed. And that k why l insisted on our getting You Mark I knew you. and I don't know the hundred of other officers of impeCcahle character whom We could have secured We can't run rfSks-wc simply can't. That's why i, has to he just you and Kellerman and L We had our lesson in the old days. you know"
 He froWned at the remembrance, and then answered Marks unSpokcn question with another.
 Where are you staying, Wallace?'
 At the Congressional
 Well, | want you 10 come and stay with Us as soon as were settled. We've rented house in Massachusetts circle. and move in on the first eff the month. Eleanor and Mrs. Howard are still in New York. hut they're coming here in about ten days time-just aS soon as l can get the house ready for them. Eleanor is dying to see you, and Mrs. Howard has the plcasantcst remem- braneeS. of course, And now I'm going to take you to the BriCadier."
 The short interview with the head of the department confirmed Marks Impressions as to the businesslike na- ture of the plans of the war office. Mark went home. He was resolved. sl- though he had not told the Colonel, not to become his gueSt-at least not unless he found that he could take up his life again where he had dropped 1t, years before. And then-but what was the use of speculating? He went home to his hotel.
 He was surprised to find how easily he seemed to fit into his environment when he donned his long,neglected evening clothes and went down to the dining room of the Congressional. All most the first face he saw was that of man of his class; within q few min utes Mark Wallace was seated at the dinner table with merry party of old | friends and new acqualntanceS. And the years had slipped away from him.
 On the next morning, when he took up his duties, 1t was with the sense that he was no longer a stranger. Washington was ready to extend her welcome to him. At the Army club.