The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-02-06


strang .ly for man Of his years, It had
In 1t much more Of the paternal ele-
ment than of the lover. All his life
he had been almost kinless, his only
sister was dead. he wanted Eleanor's
presence, Eleanor with him. to see
her every day, whether as wife or
daughter. Yet he was brave enough
to acknowledge that this love. selfless
In a measure. threatened to become a
consuming passion II he did not hold
himself rigidly in check.
He. the middle-aged captain, and
Eleanor. with her station, her pros
poets and her beauty-it was an i'm
possible dream, or one that would ruin
the girls life II. In some wild moment.
she made 1t truth.
He had his reward in Eleanor's in
creasing restraint, her quite visible in
dignation. They had fallen apart again.
after that single meeting. It was a
poor reward, but the sort that Mark
had received all his life from fortune.
But there were lonely nights when
life seemed unbearable. and he had to
exert all his will power to keep him.
self in check. Mark had rented q lit
tie furnished apartment In the North
west section, of Pennsylvania avenue,
and he had found the desert more com.
panionable.
One night he felt at the end Of hii
powers. That was after grilling day
In the war office, one Of those days
that sometimes come In Washington
toward the middle Of September, when
everything is as sticky as the asphalt
sidewalks.
II had been day Of evil portent be
sides. Colonel Howard. who had
seemed of late to reflect Eleanor's
GOODNESS In some measure. had greeted
him with wry face when he came In
"The devils to pay, Mark" he said
Draw up your chair. There's leak
age In the department"
"What?" cried Mark.
"Things are getting known-for In
stance. our dealings with the shipping
people. They've found the exact mum
Der Of ships we've requisitIoned. Yoy
know whom ! mean by they"
Mark nodded. The cosmopolitan In
fuences In Washington, whose ramifi
cations extended to the ends Of thu
earth. or. at least, across the Atlantic
were busy In every drawing room ex
tracing news. the tiniest and least re
liable Of which was not despised. sine
many such single items make up ca
herent story.
"The BrigadIer's wild about It," con
tinued the Colonel. pulling at his mus
tache. "And It seems impossible 4
detect how the leakage occurred. ]
must have been through the shippin
companies. Of course yet they couldn'
have pleced the thing together withou
concerted action, which Is out Of tn
question. Let's 80 through the pa
pers."
They opened the safe and wen
through them one by one, but nothin
was missing.
"Damn It'll" growled Colonel Howart
"rve been through this before, Mar
i-you know that. In that case ther
was traitor at work. We found hin
In this case there can be none, at leas
In the war department. And I've t0l
the Brigadier Ill answer with my plac
for discovering where the leak lies"
He closed the safe and strode of Il
to Kellerman's room, to return wit
Kellerman, looking angrier than b
fore.
"whnt are we going to do. Kelle
manY he asked.
l Kellerman pursed out his lips. "Wel
Colonel. you know as much about 1t {
any Of u.s." he answered. "There's q
|, ways been two Of us present night ar
morning when the papers were tran
ferred. III vouch for you. Wallas
,, will. I presume. vouch for me. and 20
! presume. will vouch for Wallace"
The sinister look on his face affe<
ed Mark more disagreeably than eve
Mark felt nettled. though the wor'
had been fair.
II III there's been leak" he said .
] seems to me it's up to the Brigadi
: to discover It It's outside; It isr
|, our business to locate It. We're doiI
/ l'our part-what more can we DOR
"Come along and tell the Brigadi
!. that" suggested Howard.
, MARI. nothing loath. accompani'
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