The Ordway new era., 1919-03-28

Mark. unable to reply, pointed toward
the opening of the recess. Kellerman
turned and strobe toward 1t. Then he
turned.
There's one thing more to say" he
said. "Your action in dismissing me,
Miss Howard, savors of the romantic
drama. Your life has been a romantic
one, with a certain high-strung ideal
ism in 1t. due to the circumstances of
your upbringing. 1t was that, I be-
lieve, which made you think 1t your
duty to follow your adopted fathers
| unit to the front. think you ought to
know who you are. Your father died
on the battlefield Of Santiago. he was
a fugitive from justice. He was the
notorious Hampton"
Mark uttered a cry. He sprang to-
ward Kellerman, but Kellerman dealt
him a blow that sent him stumbling
among the bricks.
'That's q lie, Kellerman I" said Colo
mel Howard quietly.
The old Colonel's eyes were wide
open. He laid his hands laboriously
upon the edge Of the brick wall and.
with a great effort, raised himself to
his feet.
'.That's a lie," he repeated
ut is no lie, Colonel Howard. You
told the whole story to Captain Wal
lace in the hospital tent. Never mind
how know. I know"
"You damned, dirty spyw said the
old Colonel.
"a confession" answered Kellerman
blandly. ''Your words were strong
ones, Colonel Howard. Deny them if
you can. You said, "A thousand years
of hell wouldn't atone for that crime
You said 1T was calculated, cold
blooded deliberation.' You said, The
case against Hampton was absolutely
proven. He was to have been hanged
as soon as We captured Santiago. He
was born rotten. He sold his country
to pay his gambling debts And you
called him by the worst name one man
can call another. That was why you
tried to persuade Mark Wallace not to
adopt Hampton's child. Like father,
like daughter"
He swung round upon Eleanor. and
for the first time seemed to lose his
self-control.
"That's who you are" he cried. 'sThe
child of a wretched traitor, who worked
in the war department with Colonel
Howard and me, a man without honor,
entangled with a wretched woman spy,
who sold our secrets. And that man
your adopted father, whom you love
and revere spied on him In turn,
watched him, read his letters, went
through his. pockets, shared him.
trapped him, brought him to his de-
serts-and adopted you"
Eleanor staggered toward the Colo
mel. her arms raised imploringly. and
cried in choking voice:
"Say it's untruei Only say that it's
untrue!"
''It's damned lie," said the Colonel; !;
but there was not the least conviction
in his voice.
Tell me the TRUTH"
| 'Its true, then-it's more or less
true" said Howard wearily.
TITS not trueT shouted Mark. Ere
member, Colonel. the mans face had
been practically blown away. How do
we know that 1t was Hampton who
was with the child? II might have
|
and we can't know. I've never believed
1t. wouldn't ever dare to let myself
believe it."
you found his papers," said Keller
man.
Nobody answered him. Eleanor went
up to Mark and raised her white face
to his. Tell me what you think, Cap
tain Mark" she pleaded.
And once more Mark was mute. She
read his face as If by inches. She
turned toward Kellerman. snow will
you go?" she asked.
Kellerman saluted her with mock
formality. "Fll CO." he said, "but he's
spent his chance. A spy's daughter
and a spy's-"
The ambulance bearers appeared at
the entrance to the recess. They bore
a stretcher. Propped up in 1t, swathed
in bloody clout of bandages, was
Hartley.
''There he is ~ he cried, pointing his
hand in triumph. II knew he'd come
this way. He's here, sir |" he cried to
some one outside the orifice.
The stretcher bearers set down their
burden on ledge Of the wall. Into
the little place strobe the General.
His appearance there exercised a
paralyzing effect upon them all. Kel-
lerman was the first to recover his self
possession. He saluted stifly.
"This man." he said, pointing to
Mark, ais the prisoner who was to have
been executed this morning"
The General, without word, strobe
toward Mark and clasped him by the
hand.
Kellerman gulped and moved toward
the entrance for the last time. The
General turned.