The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-01-16

shame pretty badly and wanted to for
get It. Hampton was let 60, on the
understanding that he leave the coun-
try forever. Oh. yes, he assumed the
Innocent air quite dramatically. Some
Of the war Office people believed in him
until the damning documents were laid
before them.
"And he was still somehow In touch
with things, Wallace. and the leakages
went on afterward. That's why we
had orders to hang him as soor rs
Santiago was taken. He did the kind
est thing he could have done to him.
self when he got In the way of that
sniper's bullet.
"Ill tell you who the child's mother
was, Wallace, because was unfortu-
nate enough to know her. She wns a
Miss Rennie. Miss Marjorie Rennie,
Of q Baltimore family--fine people.
and, Of course, with q tradition like
that, she believed in the scoundrel alb
solutely. She came to me twice. The
first time was before the Informal trial
held by the department. She begged
me to believe he was innocent and the
victim Of trap. wouldn't even lis
ten. You know. when a man has to
run down his friend he has to harden
his heart.
"She came to me again. after Hamp-
ton was broken. She told me had
played false to my best friend and
that I'd suffer for It to the last day Of
nay life. I've never forgotten that In
terview. and you can guess how 1t
made me mad to hang Hampton when
We learned that he was still keeping
up the game from his exile In Cuba.
He must have got quite number Of
confidential papers out Of the war Of
fice. That's about ALL"
"It's enough" said Wallace. '.rhe
girl married him. thens"
$50 much we learned. And also th' /
she died later. You see. we've been
pretty close ON the fellows track the
last couple Of years-ever since the
war became q probability. In fact
Most Of the officers In the regiment
are since that time. but I guess they
all knew something. and kept It quiet
like you"
Wallace nodded. II fancy there's q
good deal Of feeling" he said.
"Quite q good DEAL" said the major
dryly. "And guess you'll agree with
me that this makes it--leti say. Q lit
tie difncult to adopt his child ON
ciallyf"
"You mean the remembrance woult
be too bitter1"
II mean that that position is thu
one and only position that she In dis
qualified from holding. BY reason o.
BIRTH"
"still." urged Wallace. ut isn't il
the blood. The mother was decent
Why should that baby be tarnishet
with her fathers treachery"
Its written In the Good Book
began the major.
"And there's something else abou
Goals Of nre, too. Major. which CAM
as sort Of revision OF the old law
It's just what We ought to do. becaus
it's the only way to adjust the mat
ter"
adjust IT. Adjust whatr' crse'
the Major, with sudden passion.
'.The whole Of that hellish business
Major. The man was once an Office
of the Seventieth. He's dead and hi
crimes have died with him. We wan
to forget that such a thing could hav
happened, and the only way Is to leav
him to Gods judgment and to cas
out all bitterness from our heartl
You quoted Scripture to Newell.
gave you the answer from the sam
Book. Let death bring oblivion to tn
mans memory. He's left US the chill,
Start here. Start fresh. l have tn
right to the kid. but what you hav
told me makes me feel strongly this
there's Providence In this affai
and I'll lend her to you-mark ths
word. Major lon that condition q
none."
Major Howard pulled at his mu
tache In agitation. "You don't reall
mean 1t. Wallace?'' he asked.
II do. II you want me to let 20
take her till the war's over"
1T means iorglving that blacl
guard"
| ut means forgetting him and lettin
the Judge judge"
ut goes against every instinct 7
bring her up away from the regiment
life. Besides. there are the Others"
"Who else knowsf"
swell. of course. nobody else know
who the dead man was. The colon
will have to know. But he needn
know we've adopted the chi.t, He
going South after the war. Hcvsve
I'm afraid Kellerman knows. He r,
ognized what was left Of the face,
suspected somehow. ! could tell fro
his manner"
II don't see any overwhelming al
ficulty in that. You can trust Kelle
, mani"
The major nodded. and It occurrs
- vUalla that Ao ss,<xsslA IN thnr tess