The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1918-11-20

Sent Him Keeling Backward.
him and struck him a blow In the face
that sent him Keeling backward.
Ada Henson turned and ran toward
Mark with a scream. She did not rec
ognize him, Mark could see that.
The discipline of a lifetime held
Mark steady. He stood confronting
Kellerman, but did not raise a hand
even to guard himself. Kellerman
glared at him in speechless fury. And
even then it seemed a little singular
to Mark that Hartley disappeared, so
swiftly and silently that neither the
man nor the woman knew he had been
there.
Then Kellerman burst into hysterical
laughter.
"It's the spy from the war depart
ment," he cried. "The fellow we
pitched out of the army for treachery,
masquerading here in uniform. A
blank wall and firing squad for you
tomorrow, my manw
Ada Henson sprang between them.
'He doesn't mean thatr she cried,
peering into Marks face obviously
She recognized Mark now, but Mark
could see that the recognition meant
little to her; probably he had been only
trivial incident in her career. Ills
ten to mel" she whispered In Marks
ear. HE has been drinking. 1t will
be all right. Just go back and keep
this to yourself. You'll get a fifty
dollar bill by the next post, and ten
every month afterward, so long as you
don't see anything. Understand? He
isn't responsible"
Mark turned away in disgust, but he
imagined the warped mind that caught
at this hope of secrecy.
He went back into the kitchen. The
soldiers were still there, one or two
hailed him; the incident had occupied
only ten minutes. Annette made a
little mouth at him from the doorway
But Mark was searching in the room
for Hartley.
"Your friend went home, I think
monsieur lie soldat," said Annette In
banter.
Mark strobe out of the inn without
word. Hartley's disappearance did
not disturb him. Hartley was strange
but he felt that he had relied too much
on Hartley. 1t was for him to act. He
would go to the Major In charge of tine
hospital, tell his story, and do the only
thing possible. He had no doubt any
longer that Kellerman and the Henson
woman were partners In far-reaching
conspiracy against his country, though
he had never before allowed himself
to accept the obvious deductions from
the Washington episode. His mind
moved slowly. His purpose had been
to redeem himself, he had thought
Hartley 6bsessed; now he meant to re
zeal ayaxGthiaS
And suddenly, out of the mist of
years, he recalled Colonel Howard's
story of Hampton. Kellerman had
been the chief agent in Hampton's
tragic fall. Suppose Hampton had
been innocent! Suppose that Flea
nor's father had been brave and loyal
man, whose hideous ruin and abom-
Unable death might be posthumOusly
indicated?
the blood rushed to his head at the
thought of it. The burden of the
knowledge of her fathers shame, and
Of its probable effect on her if ever
she learned had weighed heavily upon
Marks heart since that night in the
tent In Cuba.
Then the blood receded, leaving him
as cold as stone. For he recalled
Ada Kenson's words to Kellerman. So
the hunter was hard upon the quarry
perhaps he had already shared her.
Eleanor had liked Kellerman. He
forced back his thoughts, strobe
straight to barracks and turned in.