Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-11-08
CHAPTER XXI.

mary leave.
Leave meant Etaples, with it's COM
Portable little inn, the chatty landlady
and her pretty daughter.
Mark strobe toward Etaples. He
had an intense longing for the lights
and comfort of the little inn. But he
had not gone more than O hundred
PAGES when Hartley hailed him.
"Going into Etaples?" he asked. do
you mind my going with your
'Frankly, yes, Hartley" answered
Mark. "You won't mind my saying
so? I want to be alone after
81 know, old man." said Hartley,
drawing back. "sorry if ! bothered
you" !.
But Mark swung round On him.
s'Hartley, answer me one question: he
said. "What has Miss Howard ever
had to do with you? Why have you
been watching her for six or seven
years?'
Hartley began to walk along the
road at Marks side. He made Curl
Gus gulping sound before he answered.
sHas it occurred to you, Mark, that
the Henson woman has been operating
in Washington for good time now?'
he asked.
81 suppose so," Mark answered.
ssYou know everything was prepared
for years before the war began. The
system had qualifications in every de-
partment of the government. You know
Colonel Howard was in touch with it
as far back ais the Cuban warp
"Good Lord, yes, but"
"And a man is only pawn in such
game. Good God, don't question me,
Mark! I've been tool of hers, but
I'll swear that I never worked against
the government. / learned little by
little of the whole accursed nest of
spies. / obeyed their orders because
well, / can't tell you now-but worked
against them too. I've done them more
harm than good. / had my motives
selfish ones, despicable, perhaps but
was never traitor. Good God, Mark,
haven't you seen how your faith in me
has begun to make man of me?"
Mark took Hartley's hand and
gripped it. It was the best and the
only possible answer. In their tacit
understanding they went on toward
the inn together.
Outside the inn they saw an auto,
with a soldier chauffeur in charge.
Hartley gripped Marks arm.
do you know whose that isl" he
whispered. "Kellerman's
The landlady came to- the door.
"Bonsoir, messieurs," she said smil-
ing. s"rhis way tonight, if you please"
She led them round by the side, into
the kitchen, where they found half a
dozen privates drinking light wine and
teasing the landlady's daughter as she
served them.
There was nothing in this to the
men; they were often turned out of
the dining room-parlor when officers
put in an appearance. But-this was
Kellerman! Mark looked at Hartley
and saw intense excitement on his face,
which he was trying most evidently to
restrain.
lowed her toward the clubhouse in
which the liquor was stored. The girl
was a friend of his, perhaps because,
more serious than the rest, he treated
her with less badinage than was GUS
tomary among the soldiers. AS she
moved out of the lighted room into the
shadows outside the merriment fell
like mask from her face.
'What is it, Annette?" asked Mark.
"Ah, monsieur, it is tragic!' said the
girl, pausing at the clubhouse door.
"She is one of my countrywomen. The
accent is of the south, or some out
! landish part, but she is French-and
she has come a long way to meet him,
and he will not have anything to Go
with her. How did she get through
the linesY'
'Who. Annette?"
'The lady with the American officer.
Listen, monsieur! Listen, then!"
They were standing in front of the
clubhouse, which was set near an angle
Of the old-fashioned building between
| the parlor and the kitchen. They
could hear the imploring voice of the
woman, and the subdued answers of
Kellerman.
Then, elusive against the dark angle
| of the building, Mark perceived Hart
| ley. He was standing under the high
sill of the window, in such way that
Mark thought he could see through the
| chink between the sill and the lower
edge of the blind. Eavesdropping as
he evidently was, Mark felt that some
| thing justified his presence there.
| Annette perceived him at the same
moment. She started, and then
shrugged her shoulders.
"Eh bien, monsieur, it is their af-
fair!' she said lightly, and went into
| the clubhouse. She was too wise to in
| terfere with her customers. Mark
hardly noticed her departure. He was
watching Hartley.