Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1919-01-16


"And yours, Mr- Weston 90 asked
FKe1lerman. looking at Mark.
Mark, unable to reply, pointed toward
the opening of the recess Kellerm:5n
turned and strobe toward it. Then he
turned
There's one thing more to say" he
said. .sYour action in Diminishing me-
Miss Howard, SavorS of the romantic
drama. Your life has been q romantic
one, with certain high-strung ideal
ism in it, due to the circumstances of
your upbrInging- 1t was that, 1 be-
duty to follow your adopted fathers
unit to the front. I 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 cry. He sprang to-
ward Ke1lerman, but Ke1Ierman dealt
among the bricks.
That's lie, Kellerman ~ said Colo
mel Howard quietly.
The old Co1oneFs eyes were wide
open. He laid his hands Iaboriously
upon the edge of the brick wall and,
his feet
CHATS Ie,' he repeated
"It is no lie, Colonel Howard. You
told the whole story to Captain Wal
Iace IN the nOSp1Ca1 tent Never MIND
how know. know"
t'You damned, dirty spy," said the
old Colonel.
ga confession answered Kellerman
b1andly- tsYour 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 it was calculated, cold
FLOODED deliberatfon.' 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
can call another. That was why you
| tried to persuade Mark Wallace not to
adopt Hampton's child. Like father,
like daughter
for the first time seemed to lose his
| Self-control.
t'That's who you arei'' he cried. 'sThe
child of wretched traitor, who worked
in the war department with Colonel
Howard and me, 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 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 a choking voice:
"Say it's untruei Only say that it's
untrue I"
Its damned 11e." said the Colonel ;
in his voice.
stTell me the truth i''
| 'tIt's true, then|it's more or less
true said Howard YEARLY.
| Its not truei'' shouted Mark. IRE
| member, Colonel, the mans face had
been practically blown away How do
| we know that it was Hampton who
| was with the child? II might have
| been another. We don't know for sure.
and we can't know. I've never believed
it. I 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 s'TeH me what you think, Cap
tain Mark she pleaded
And once more Mark was mute. She
read his face if by inches. She
turned toward Ke1lerman- Now will
you go?" she asked.
Ke11erman sa1uted her with mock
formaIity It'll co. he said, ssbut he's
and spy's'
The ambulance bearers appeared at
the entrance to the recess. They bore
stretcher- Propped up in it, swathed
in a bloody clout OF bandages. was
Hartley.
There I1e is 90 he cried. pointing his
hand in triumph 81 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 a ledge OF the wall Into
the little place strobe the General
His appearance there exercised a
paralyzing effect upon them all KEEL
herman was the first to recover his self
possession He saluted stifay.
This man., he said, pointing to
Mark, sis the prisoner who was to have
been executed this morning.
The General. without word, strobe
Ftoward Mark and clasped him by the
| hand