Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-10-04

Stared at the Other in Amusement.
there were some papers-not the ones
we wanted, but enough to identify
him. 1t was Hampton all right"
He went to the tent door and looked
.out. "Here, Johnson !' he called.
The negro servant, appeared almost
instantaneously within the opening
and stood to attention.
could you use three gold pieces,
Johnson?" inquired Major Howard.
"Well, sub, I don't know as I'd OBJ
ject," replied the negro, grinning.
cts part of sum that was paid
to an American soldier for betraying
his country"
ooh, Lord, no, MAORI" answered
Johnson.
''Then do what you think best with
these"
The negro looked at the gold coins
in his hand, stepped outside the tent
and swung his arm. The pieces fell
in the jungle grass far beyond the en-
campment. Major Howard SHE'D the
purse after them and went back to
where Wallace still sat upright on the
bed. He noticed, with certain grim
ness of spirit, that one of the lieuten-
ants hands rested on the child's fair
hair
"Well, Wallace" he asked.
sIt's damnable."
eve can't exactly make his child
the regimental pet, can we?'
Wallace was silent, and the Major
sat down on the edge of the bed be-
side him.
81 had orders to watch for him." he
said. "He was to have been hanged
as soon as we captured Santiago.
That's why he was making for the
jungle. He was detected and allowed
to escape with his life, but he had
been working as Spanish agent since
he was drummed out of America. His
career ended at the luckiest moment
for him. He seems to have had the
one redeeming quality of affection for
the child, though if he had had a par
ticle of unselfishness in him he would
have left her behind him. l suppose
she was the only thing he had in his
wretched life.'
"Of course there's no palliatiOn,"
suggested Wallace. 'But the man
may have been born good and-gone
downhill."
'He was born rotten" answered the
Major. "He sold his country to pay
his gambling debts. Cuba was about
the only place that would hold him, |
imagine. And to think that swine was
once in our regiment! Sorry I had to
tell you, Wallace!"
He-hesitated while; Wallace had
not moved; but the child at his side
stirred and brea thc1 heavily. The
majors fists clenched
'sI'm trying to be just to the dead"
he said. 'But / feel that thousand
years of hell wouldn't atone for that
crime, Wallace"
Mark Wallace looked up. "Im not
sure that / know all the facts about
IliC Stt0S, MAUI, hC od1u.
'sThe facts are that it was no sudden
act of fear or temptation, but calculat-
ed, cold-blooded elaboration. We
knew at the war office that there was
a leakage. 1t had been traced to the
mobilization division, where Kellerman
and / were working. Even we were
under suspicion for time. Then it
narrowed down to Hampton and an
other.
wallace, those months were the
worst time I've ever spens Hampton
was my best friend, and Kellerman's,
too. We spied on hiIn-had to.
swell, you know what happened,
more or less. There was woman go
between, as there generally is-a fine
looking young woman little more than
a girl, named Hilda Morsheim. One
of those French-German Alsatians,
Wallace. Kellerman got some hold on
her, and she confessed. The case
against Hampton was absolutely
proven.
"There wasn't any trial. The fellow
could have been shut up for a good
many years; he had cost his country
millions; he ought to have been
hanged. But he was quietly cashiered
and allowed to. disappear. Maybe it
was foolish move, but we felt the
shame pretty badly and wanted to for
get it. Hampton was let go, on the
understanding that he leave the cOun-