The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1919-01-22

A0O yours, Mr. WeStOQg asked |
Kellerman, looking at Mark.
Mark, unable to reply, pointed toward
the opening of the recess. Kellerman
turned and strobe toward it. Then he
turned.
there's one thing more to say" he
said. "YOur action in Diminishing 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. It was that, I be-
lieve, which made you think it 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
fugitive from justice. He was the
notorious Hampton"
Mark uttered cry. He sprang to-
ward Kellerman, but Kellerman dealt
him a blow that sent him stumbling
among the bricks.
"That's lie, Kellerman !" 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 great effort, raised himself to
his feet.
"That's lie," he repeated
1T is no lie, Colonel Howard. You
told the whole story to Captain Wal
lace in the hospital tent. Never mind
how know. know"
"You damned, dirty spy!" 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 wretched traitor, who worked
in the war department with Colonel
Howard and me, a man without honor
entangled with wretched woman spy
who sold our secrets. And that man
your adopted father, whom you low
and revere, spied on him in turn
watched him, read his letters, wen
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. ant
cried in a choking voice:
"Say it's untrue! Only say that it,
untruew
cts damned lie," said the Colonel
but there was not the least conviction
in his voice.
"Tell me the truthw
|
true" said Howard YEARLY.
'It's not true!" shouted Mark. ere
member, Colonel, the mans face ha,
been practically blown away. How d.
we know that it was Hampton VIII
i. was with the child? 1t might hav
been another. We don't know for sure
: and we can't know. I've never believes
, it. wouldn't ever dare to let mysel
believe it."
. ''You found his papers," said Keller
, man.
: Nobody answered him. Eleanor wen
up to Mark and raised her white fac
: to his. "Tell me what you think, Car
, tain Mark" she pleaded.
And once more Mark was mute. Sh
read his face as If by inches. Sh
turned toward Kellerman. SNOW Wi
you GOT" she asked.
: Kellerman saluted her with moe
formality. "I'll CO." he said. "but he
r spent his chance. A spy's daughte
r and spy's-"
;. The ambulance bearers appeared q
/ the entrance to the recess. They Dor
h a stretcher. Propped up in it, swathe
t in bloody clOut Of bandages, wa
5 Hartley.
e '"There he is !" he cried. pointing hi
i hand in triumph. 81 knew he'd com
e this way. He's here, sir! he cried I
|, some one outside the orifice.
+ The stretcher bearers set down the
i burden on a ledge of the wall. Int
1 the little place strobe the General.
His appearance there exercised
!, paralyzing effect upon them all. Ke
= herman was the first to recover his sci
o possession. He saluted stiffly.
y "This man." he said, pointing
|, Mark, "is the prisoner who was to ha,
Y been executed this morning."
d The General, without word, stroG
: toward Mark and clasped him by IL
hand.
s Kellerman gulped and moved towal
the entrance for the last time. II
r General turned.
"Halt, sir!" he commanded. "Colon
e Howard, will you have the goodness [