The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-02-08

or as nearly as possible so, by
q roof of heavy beams, sandbags
and corrugated steel, bore the Red
Cross upon the door. Inside num-
Der Of stretcher bearers were lounging.
The sergeant halted his men and
stepped into ao smaller dugQut beside
1t. In q minute he came out and beck
Oned to Mark to follow him. Mark
entered, to find himself in the pres
ence Of the captain commanding the
stretcher bearers company, and-Kel-
herman. He saluted and stood to at
tention, watching Kellerman's eyes
wande, over him appraisingly.
"OrLcrly, where's the man who came
with your" inquired the Captain
briskly.
HE disappeared on the way up, sir"
answered Mark.
"What do you mean by disappeared?
Did you see him 60 back? Or was he
with you one minute and gone the
next?"
II thought he was behind me, sir. I
didn't see him go, or know anything
about it,"
| The Captain, who had been holding
! the receiver Of his telephone, and evil
IDENTIFY waiting for his connection, got
it. Mark heard him sending out q gen.
eral notice of the absent man. He
gave his number, and the name liar
| ley"
No doubt he had mistaken it as he
received it by telephone from the hos
pital that morning
you'll parade before me tomorrow
morning." said Captain Reyes to the
sergeant. 9TH then you are under
open arrest"
The sergeant saluted. "Right turn!"
he said to Mark.
"Wait minute" interposed Keller
man. I'D like to have a few words
with this man, Captain Reyes"
by oil means, sir" replied the Cap
tain, rising.
He strolled, humming, to the door
Of the dugout, leaving Kellerman and
Mark together.
$50 you've enlisted under the name
Weston" Inquired Kellerman.
THAT Is my name, SIR
1T was a shock to me yesterday,
Wallace. never expected it. Your
disappearaI fe stirred Washington a
good deal. The war office would have
exonerated ,Sou."
In spite of his loathing Of the man,
Mark felt his heart begin to hammer
with hope. He looked at Kellerman
with pathos in his eyes; he could not
hide his feelings; he was cropping amid |
the ruins of his world and trying to
reconstruct them.
1--WE no doubt you misunderstood
me-" said Kellerman. my association
with the Henson woman was q part Of |
my official duties-the most distasteful |
part, but one that had to be carried !
out. You and were the victims Of an
acute piece Of trickery. That fan was
wired"
"From your room, SIR" said Mark.
"From my room," answered Keller
man. "And, no doubt, by the Henson
woman's agent, that spy who called to
see you at the war Office the same
morning. Colonel Howard knows all
about 1t. He means to stand by you.
He heard you had enlisted, but he did
not know you were in the medical
corps, nor under an alias. He is at
the base now, Wallace. When he comes
up next week shall make it my bust
ness to see him about you"
mo. sir" gasped Mark. ut doesn't
matter now"
ut matters to me, If not to yourself.
Wallace. / cannot rid myself Of the
sense Of partial responsibility. And
as for what happened last night, you
took me off my guard. I'll be frank
with you. 1t was my duty to interest
the Henson woman. succeeded too
we'll. She followed me here. I couldn't
bring myself to denounce her. For
that l have placed my own position
n jeopardy. When you appeared l
did not know what to do or say"
"You found a course Of action" an
swered Mark, torn between the desire
% return blow for blow and to do JUS
ice to Kellerman, whose story left
him doubtful and wondering.
"Will you accept my frank apol-
'gy?" asked Kellerman, extending his
land.
Mark took 1t. II will, Major Keller
man," he answered.
And he made his way to the door of .
he dugout, with feeling Of warmth ,
n his heart such as he had not known
or many q month. He believed Kel. ,
yet but he fought :
Town his instinct and still believed
lin.
CHAPTER Kill.