Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-03
"Bride of Battle"
by VICTOR ROUSSEAU
ROMANCE OF THE AMERICAN ARMY
FIGHTING ON THE BATTLE
FIELDS OF FRANCE
Copyright W. G.. Chapman
by VICTOR ROUSSEAU
Copyright by W. G. Chapman.

cried. IL"
That's all right, Hartly. But, by
the way. who told you my name?"
Captain Wallace, don't ask me
that. Go back. Never mind me! Go
back into your office at once.' cried
Hartley.
He broke past Mark with sudden,
spasmudic movement, gained the door,
and ran down the corridor. Mark
looked after him in stupcfication. Hart
ley had not been drunk, and his pres
cnce there had seemed .purposeless.
Suddenly. with an intuition OF danger.
he hurried through the clerks office.
unlocked his door. and entered.
The room was filled with furious
gust of wind. The mobilization papers
were whirlng on his desk in front OF
the open window.
The circular fan, which had been
distributing "A gentle breeze impair
TALLY from side to side, now poured
its current of air Immediately upon
Marks desk. The rotary movement
had been stopped. and it had been set
to maximum speed.
And this was not the small ian Gus
tomarily in use in the little ofice, put
a large one from the clerks room.
When Mark had left to interview
Hartley, he had seen Kellerman at
work through the glass door that con-
ncctcd their two offices. Now Keller
mans desk was vacant.
Mark slammed down the window;
there were two locks. and Mark and
Kcllerman had each 4 key. NOBODY
could have entered.
But Mark was positive that Keller
man had set the fan. 1t stood on
shelf against the partition. Looking
ED. Mark saw that there was a tiny
hole Immediately behind 1t, large
enough to permit an inserted wire TO
rush back the lever that controlled the
rotary apparatus. Yet this might have
hcen nothing but a wormhole in the
wood framework Of the door.
With n gasp of rage Mark hastily
stopped the fan and ran back to his
desk. He began collecting the papers.
They had blown hither and thither;
some had fallen behind the desk. some
on the radiator. The floor was Uttered
with Them.
Had any gone out Of the window?
There should have been two hum
drcd and nine. There was nothing to
do but count them. Mark began. but
his ringers trembied 30 that ne coulu
hardly turn the pages.
In the very middle Of this task the
door clicked: the brigadier and Col
orel Howard entered.
Well, Wallace. finished. I hope?
asked the brigadier with the cordiality
of one who has been refreshed by a
good dinner. Let me see!"
Mark turned the leaves nervelessly,
while the brigadier and Howard stood
silently beside him. He felt the des-
peration of his mood communicating
itself to them He felt their looks OF
surprise.
He reached the end. He had count
ed exactly two hundred. That might
have been an error. But the paper
was not there.
He looked up to see the brigadier
pcering into his face with an extraor-
dinary expression. He heard himself
stammering, fumbling for words; he
stopped.
Colonel Howard sprang forward and
caught him by the shoulder. wallace,
my dear fellow, pull yourself togeth-
err" he was pleading. What's that
you're saying? Blown out Of the win
dow? IT'S the heat. sir. He's been
OVERRIDING it,
Very possibly" said the brigadier
caustically. Pray have a look. then,
Howard. Take your time"
Mark was searching again. He
stopped as they came to the last pa
per, which was now the two hundred
and third.
Its no use, Colonel Howard" he
cried. 1T has gone out Of the win
dow. was called out. When l came
back the fan was turned on my desk
and the papers were blowing about
the room. Somebody-perhaps the
mechanism slipped. don't know. I'm
tired-my God, how tired / am"
The colonel was pushing him into
a chair. He heard the storming voice
Of the brigadier Il long distance away.
Howard was expostulating. They were
going through the papers again. A
clerk had been called in. Mark heard
something about searching the streets.
Somebody was telephoning. And,
above all, he was conscious Of Keller
man in the next room, long before he
opened the glass door and entered.
He was alone, and struggling back
into the realization Of his situation.
Kellermans threat and his refusal to
consider it. the visit Of Hartley. be-
gan to link themselves into the chain
of the devilish conspiracy. He rose
unsteadily to his feet, wiped the sweat
from his forehead. Colonel Howard
was coming through the open doorway
from Kellerman's room.
sit down, Wallace" he said grave
". I've been talking to the brigadier.
or. rather. he has been talking to me.
You must consider yourself under ar
rest in your quarters Now. how did
this damned thing happen?"
Mark explained as lamely as one
who had heard excuses Of all kinds
from soldiers brought before him for
various offenses during his term OF
service. and waved them aside. Ex-
cuses were worse than useless he
tried simply to explain. And to men
ton his suspicion Of Kellerman would
have been damning. nor could he have