The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-02-20
Copyright. By w. q. Chapman)
CHAPTER TX.

you stand7 Come with mew
Mark opened his eyes and groaned.
1t was pitch dark. and he could see
nothing, but he knew the voice for |
Hafuey's.
"where am II" ne muttered, trying
to rise and sinking back again.
''In the Kenson house. Be quick
Therei Listenw
Outside there was the confused mur-
mur Of voices, above which came the
sound Of a crisp command. Then
some implement fell heavily against
the door Of the house. splintering It.
Again the cries broke out.
"Try againl" muttered Hartley in
desperation. ''There's door into the
empty house next door. through the
cellar. The police don't know Of 1t.
You must get away. You must get
awayw
Mark tried again, and this time man
aged to rise.
Hartley caught Mark by the arm and
guided his unsteady footsteps to the
door. They gained the passage.
and Hartley guided Mark toward the
head Of the basement steps. which they
reached just rs the front door fell In
under the hatchets Of the raiders.
They scuttled down the stairs as the
hall became filled with the shouting Do
licemen.
Before the first of the raiders Set his
foot upon the stone stairs Hartley had
found a door in the darkness. opened
1t, and pushed Mark through. following
Immediately. He shut the door softly
behind him. They were In the base
ment of the adjoining house.
"We're safe now." said Hartley In a
whisper. "You'd better rest. Captain
Wallace"
"You're Hartley" muttered Mark,
sitting down and trying In vain to dis
Germ something Of the others face
through the gloom. "What happened.
and how did you come on the scene"
"Good God forgive mel" moaned
Hartley. suddenly breaking into hys-
terical sobbIng. as on the former night.
'Tve ruined you. Captain Wallace.
What else could dot"
$50 you were in that plot, ehT asked
Mark. wondering that ne felt so little
anger. "Well, II was clear enough, but
1t doesn't matter now."
ut matters everything" answered
Hartley. in a vehement whisper. "They
tricked me into 1t. didn't know what
their scheme was when I agreed to get
you out Of the room. But I found out
later. And i had suspected. God. Cap
tain Wallace, to think I found that
dOori"
"Never mind" said Mark soothlngly.
listening to the stamping Of the raiders
In the next house overhead. "What
more do you know?"
II knew that they wouldn't be salts
fed with that, sir. They"
"One moment. Who is they Hart
leyr
"They.'" repeated Hartley vim
dictively. "Those devils that make
pawns Of men. They meant to clInch
their dirty work one way or another.
They meant to buy you. after running
you, and fashion you to their dirty
work. II they couldn't do that they
were going to-"
"Murder mef"
"No. sir. Discredit you 80 that moth
ing you could say would be listened to.
"That's what they meant to do. It
was who was told to give the tip to
the police that there was gambling
here. They thought the place was
closed-and It was. But they wanted
the police to find you here, and arrest
you. so that the story might get Int
the newspapers. and finish you-fnish
you with the war department. and with
Miss Howard"
"And what did you expect to get out
Of II, Hartley?" asked Mark.
He heard the man catch Mt his
breath.
"She wasn't your wife. Hart,eyi"
"No. Captain Wallace. mol"
"But she has a hold on you strorg
enough to compel you to do such work
rs she requires. And yet you have
tried to save me d, shonor-if any more
could come to me-"
"You saved me. Captain WailaceI"
Mark made sound of incredulity.
sand hnve been a gentleman. You
don't know how man falls. Captain
Wallace"
Hartley, you haven't answered my
question. Now here's another. Why
were you watching Colonel Howard's
house the other night"
"You know thatf"
II followed you here. Tell me the
whole truth about this business. and
I'll stand by you to the end"
"Ill trust you-to the limit-but I
won't tell you. Captain Wallace. Some
day, perhaps, but not now. I'll stand
by you. and TIL fight at your side, sir.
But won't tell you. And thnts the
only condition on which l can agree to
what you propose"
"And II we succeed-r
'Not IT, but when" cried Hartley,
with n ouddau Outhurcf flf convtcfton