The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1918-11-20

passion that he had ever felt, and yet, |
strangely for man of his years, 1t had
In 1t much more of the paternal ele-
ment than Of the lover. All his life
he had been almost kinless. his only
sister was dead. he wanted Eleanor's
presence, Eleanor with him, to see
her every day. whether as wife or
daughter. Yet he was brave enough
ito acknowledge that this love, selfiess
in measure. threatened to become
consuming passion If he did not hold
himself rigidly in check.
He, the middle-aged captain, and
Eleanor, with her station, her pros
poets and her beauty-it was an i'm
possible dream, or one that would ruin
the girls life II, in some wild moment,
she made 1t truth.
He had his reward In EleanOr's In
creasing restraint, her quite visible In
dignation. They had fallen apart again,
after that single meeting. 1t was
poor reward, but the sort that Mark
had received all his life from fortune.
But there were lonely nights when
life seemed unbearable, and he had to
exert all his will power to keep him
self in check. Mark had rented lit
tie furnished apartment in the North
west section, of Pennsylvania avenue,
and he had found the desert more COM
paniOnable.
One night he felt at the end Of his
powers. That was after grilling day
In the war office, one Of those days
that sometimes come In Washington
toward the middle Of September. when
everything is as sticky as the asphalt
sidewalks.
It had been day Of evil portent be-
sides. Colonel Howard, who had
seemed of late to reflect Eleanor's
GOODNESS In some measure, had greeted
him with wry face when he came in.
| 'sThe DEVILS to pay, Mark" he said.
"Draw up your chair. There's leak
age In the department"
/ s'What?" cried Mark.
Things are getting known-for in
stance, our dealings with the shipping
people. They've found the exact num-
Der Of ships we've reQuisitioned. You
know whom mean by they"
Mark nodded. The cosmopolitan in
!: fluences In Washington, whose ramif-
cations extended to the ends of the
J earth. or. at least, across the Atlantic,
J were busy in every drawing room ex-
! tracing news. the tiniest and least re-
liable Of which was not despised, since
many such single items make up q co
herent story.
: "The Brigadier's wild about It," con,
tinued the Colonel. pulling at his mus
. tache. "And It seems impossible ia
detect how the leakage occurred. II
must have been through the shipping
companies. Of course yet they couldn't
have pieced the thing together without
concerted action. which Is out Of the
:. question. Let's 60 through the pa
. pers"
They opened the safe and went
1 through them one by one. but nothing
!. was missing.
Damn 1t I" growled Colonel Howard
. 1--WE been through this before, Mari
. You know that. In that case there
was traitor at work. We found him
{ In this case there can be none, at least
Q In the war department. And I've toll
the Brigadier I'll answer with my plac'
; for discovering where the leak lies"
J. He closed the safe and strobe OF in
to Kellerman's room, to return witt
= Kellerman, looking angrier than be
D fore.
= "What are we going to do. Kellei
mani" he asked.
Kellerman pursed out his lips. "Wel
: Colonel. you know as much about It a
: any Of u.s." he answered. there's al
: ways been two Of US present night an
: morning when the papers were tram
\, ferred. I'll vouch for you. Wallac
!. will, presume. vouch for me, and yol
presume. will vouch for Wallace"
The sinister look on his face affec
ed Mark more disagreeably than eve
Mark felt nettled. though the word
). had been fair. Id.
"a III there's been . leak" he said :.
a seems to me it's up to the Brigade
=. to discover It. It's outside: It Ism
q our business to locate It. We're doiI
a our part-what more can we dor
Come along and tell the Brigade
IT. that suggested Howard.
he Mark. nothing loath. accompanit
st him IT. the Generals room. But Il