Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-10-18


mental head. You remember Keller
man?'
Mark nodded, trying to piece to-
gether the pictures of the past.
s'We are working out the mobiliza-
ton plans for the first contingent, af-
tinued. cts bigger scheme than
anything we knew in the past You'll
act as my subordinate and have an in
innate knowledge of the details-a sort
of understudy, in fact, but with good
deal of initiative as well. And if war
comes, as it is sure to come, we'll be
sent over on the first transport, to pre-
pare things for the troops. All, Kel-
herman, here's Wallace, newly arrived
to take over his Duties"
Mark saw not the slightest change in
Kellerman since the days of the Cuban
war. Kellerman was just as f1orid as
ever, just as burly, with the same rath-
er sinister way of glancing; his black
hair was unthinned and untouched
with gray. He had borne the years
much better than Mark.
Ii Kellerman reciprocated Marks
feelings, he showed no sign of it in his
cordial handgrip.
"We were glad to get you, Wallace"
ne said. you'll 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 it
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. "To 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
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-
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
pers 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
Guiding 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 is why I insisted
on our getting you, Mark. / knew you,
and I don't know the hundred of other
officers of impeccable character whom
we could have secured. We can't run
risks-we simply can't. That's why
it has to be just you and Kellerman
and I. 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?
Eat the Congressional"
"Well, / want you to come and stay
with us as soon as we're settled. We've
rented Il 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 pleasantest remem-
branceS, of course. And now I'm going
to take you to the Brigadier."
The short interview with the head
ST the department confirmed Marks
Impressions as to the businesslike ma
ture OF the plans of the war office.
Mark went home. He was resolved, al
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 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 went down to the
dining room of the Congressional. Al
most the first face he saw was that of
man of his class; within few min
utes Mark Wallace was seated at the
dinner table with a 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, it was with the sense
that he was no longer stranger.
Washington was ready to extend her
welcome to him. At the Army club.