The spectator., 1919-01-07
Copyright. by W. G. Chapman.)
CHAPTER TX.

l "Captain wallaceI Get upi Gan you stand1 Come with mew Mark opened his eyes and groaned. | It was pitch dark, and he could see nothing, but he knew the voice for Hartley's.
 "Where am IT. he muttered, trying to rise and sinking back again. 'Tn the Henson house. Be quick There! Listen !" Outside there was the confused mur- I mur of voices, above which came the sound of crisp command. Then some implement fell heavily against the door of the house, splintering 1t. Again the cries broke out.
 "Try againw muttered Hartley in desperation. "There's q door into the empty house next door, through the cellar. The police don't know of it. ! You must get away. You must get nway!"
 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 as the front door fell in under the hatchets of the raiders.
 They scuttled down the stairs as the | licemen.
 l Before the first of the raiders set his foot upon the stone stairs Hartley had found door in the darkness. opened 1 1t, and pushed Mark through, following immediately. He shut the door softly behind him. They were in the base ment of the adjoining house.
 "Were safe now." said Hartley in whisper. You'd better rest, Captain Wallace"
 You're Hartley" muttered Mark, sitting down and trying in vain to dis cern something of the others face through the gloom. "What happened, nnd how did you come on the scene?"
 Good God forgive mel" moaned Hartley, suddenly breaking into hys- tdrical sobbing. as on the former night i've ruined you, Captain Wallace. What else could do?"
 So you were in that plot, eh?" asked Mark, wondering that he felt so little anger. "Well, 1t was clear enough, but it doesn't matter now"
 "It 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 l found out later. And had suspected. God, Cap tain Wallace, to think I found that l door!"
 "Never mind" said Mark soothingly, listening to the stamping of the raiders in the next house overhead. "What more do you know"
 "T knew that they wouldn't be satis- fled with that, sir. They"
 "One moment. Who is they Hart leyT
 ""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 ruining you, and fashion you to their dirty work. If they couldn't do that they were going to-"
 Murder me?"
 "No, sir. Discredit you so that noth- ing you could say would be listened to-.
 That's what they meant to do. It was I who was told to give the tip to the police that there was gambling here. They thought .he place was cloSed-and 1t was. But they wanted the police to find you here, and arrest you, so that the story might get into the newspapers. and finish you-finish you with the war department, and with Miss Howard" ,
 And what did you expect to get out of it, Hartley?" asked Mark.
 He heard the man catch at his breath.
 "She wasn't your wife, Hartley?"
 "No, Captain Wallace, mol"
 But she has hold on you strong enough to compel you to do such work as she requires. And yet you have tried to save me dishonor-'if any more could come to me-"
 "You saved me. Captain Wallace"
 Mark made q sound of incredulity.
 And have been a gentleman. You don't know how a man falls. Captain Wallace"
 Hartley. you haven't answered my question. Now here's another. Why were you watching Colonel Towards house the other night?"
 You know thatf"
 'T followed you here. Tell me the whole truth about this business. and I'll stand by you to the end"
 'Tll trust you--to the limit-but I won't tell you, Captain Wallace. Some dny. perhops, but not now. I'll stand by you, and I'll fight at your side, sir. But I won't tell you. And that's the only condition on which can agree to