The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-04-18

well, you see-there was something
else, but" stammered Hartley.
"Out with it, then %
Il wanted to thank you for what
you did for me. and"
The man seemed to be trying to spin
out the interview for some indefinite
purpose. Mark turned on his heel.
His temper was not Of the best Just
then, and Hartley was the last man
in the world whom he wanted to see.
Gall right" he answered. "Steer
clear of that woman-of Mrs. Kenson,
Hartley. It's evident that she doesn't
reciprocate your feelings, or whatever
they are, and she seems to have some
dangerous friends about her."
He relented suddenly, and, going
forward, clapped the man on the shoul-
der.
II guess you've had your troubles,
Hartley" he said. "But pull yourself
together, man."
The sheepish, unmanly mask
dropped from Hartley's face. He
caught Marks hand impulsively.
''Tm cur, Captain Wallace!" he
cried. I'll"
That's all right, Hartley. But, by
the way, who told You my manner"
Captain Wallace, don't ask me that |!
Go back! Never mind me-! Go back
into your Office at once!" cried Hart
ley.
He broke past Mark with a sudden,
spasmodic movement, gained the door,
and ran down the corridor. Mark
looked after him in stupefacdon. Hart
ley had not been drunk, and his pres
ence there had seemed purposeless.
Suddenly, with an intuition of danger,
he hurried through the clerks office,
unlocked his door, and entered.
The room was filed with a furious
gust of wind. The mobilization papers
| were whirling on his desk in front of
| the open window.
The circular fan, which had been
distributing a gentle breeze impair
TALLY from side to side, now poured
| it's current Of air Immediately upon
Marks desk. The rotary movement
had been stopped, and it had been set
| to maximum speed.
And this was not the small fan Gus
tomarily in use in the little office, but
q large one from the clerks room.
When Mark had left to interview
Hartley, he had seen Ke1lerman al
work through the glass door that con
nected their two offices. Now Keller
mans desk was vacant.
| Mark slammed down the window
there were two locks, and Mark and
Kellerman had each a key. Nobody
could have entered
But Mark was positive that Keller
man had set the fan. 1t stood on 6
shelf against the partition. Looking
up, Mark saw that there was a tiny
hole Immediately behind it, large
enough to permit an inserted wire tt
push back the lever that controlled the
rotary apparatus. Yet this might have
been nothing but wormhole in the
wood framework of the door.
With a gasp of rage Mark hastil!
stopped the fan and ran back to hi!
desk. He began collecting the papers
They had blown hither' and thither
some had fallen behind the desk, som,
on the radiator The floor was Uttered
with them.
Had any gone out of the window?
There should have been two hundred
and nine. There was nothing to d.
but count them. Mark began, but hi
fingers trembled so that he could hard
ly turn the pages.
In the very middle Of this task tn
door clicked; the Brigadier and Colone
Howard entered.
"Well, Wallace, finished, I hope?
asked the Brigadier with the cordialit
of one who has been refreshed by
good dinner "Let me see!"
Mark turned the leaves nervelessly
while the Brigadier and Howard stoo
silently beside him.
He reached the end. He had count
: ed exactly two hundred. That Nigh
have been an error. But the pape
was not there.
He looked up to see the Brigade
peering into his face with an extraol
!. binary expression. He heard himsel
stammering, fumbling for words; h
stopped.
Colonel Howard sprang forward an
caught him by the shoulder. "Wallact
my dear fellow, pull yourself togetf
!" he was pleading. whats tha
you're saying? Blown out of the viii
dow? IT'S the heat, sir. He's bee
OVERRIDING it!'
Every possibly" said the Brigade