The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-12-06

feelings. he showed no sign of it in his
cordial handgrip.
we were glad TO get you Wallace"
he said. You'll excuse me for a 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 il
was all true.
n kellerman had gone the Colo
mel invited Mark to sit down, and
launched into business.
4 must tell o that it's a pretty
stiff job that we're tackling, Mark"
he said. TIC begin with, we're a sort
of nucleus of the whole organization.
We're in touch with every division.
We have to lave the whole thing at
u fingers ends-and it's mainly a
matter of ships, animals, and trans
port. And, to cap the climax, you can
imagine what a 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 n of some two hundred pa
pers there, Mark, would give q 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
Guiding every waste sheet and every
scrap of the days blotttng 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 hat Is why / insisted
on our getting you, Mark. I knew you,
and | dOn now the hundred of other
officers of ~impeccable character whom
we could nave secured. We can't run
risks-we simply can't. That's why
IL has to be 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 unspoken
question with another.
Where are you staying, Wallace?"
"At the Congressional"
well, L want you TO come and stay
with us as SoOn as were settled. We've
rented a house in Massachusetts circle,
and move in on the first of the month.
Eleanor and Mrs. Howard are still in
New York, but they're coming here In
about ten days time-just as soon as
I can get the house ready for them.
Eleanor is dying to see you, and Mrs.
Howard has the p~leasantest remem-
brances, Of course. And now I'm going
to take you to the Brigadier."
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 vas resolved, al
though he had not told h Colonel,
o TO become his guest-at least not
unless he found that he could take up
his life again where he had dropped it,
years before. And then-but what
was the use of specializing? 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 ven down to the
dining room of the Congressional. AL
most the first face he saw was hat of
a man of his class within a few min
uteS Mark Wallace was seated at the
dinner table with q merry party of old
friends and new acquaintances. And
the years had slipped away from him.
On the next morning, when he took
up his duties, 1t was with the sense
hat he was no longer a stranger.
Washington was ready TO extend her
welcome to him. At the Army club.
to which he was posted by Colonel
Howard, he found himself, much to his
surprise, often the center of a respect
full audience, eager to hear of the work
Of the army in the forlorn outposts of
the West. He discovered, too, with
surprise, that he was by no means as
unknown as he had imagined himself
to be.
Then there were invitations that had
to be accepted. receptions and dinners;
yet through 1t all Mark waited for the
charmed day when the house in Massa-
chusetts circle was to be opened, dis
the little child of the hillside, the
schoolgirl, grown into the image of his
dreams.
CHAPTER V,