The Washington herald., 1922-10-01

menss negress VINO was Walking,
candle In hand. along the hail.
where's my wife he cried
wildly.
she gone to bed
Up the stairs three at = time,
down the creaking passage. The
room was dark and silent. and with
trembling fingers he struck q
match. Two wide eyes looked Up
at him from q wretchsd ball OF
clothes on the bed.
"Ah, / knew you'd come" she
murmured brokenly.
Anthony grew cold with anger.
so II was just q plan 20 get me
down here. get me In troubler he
said. God damn IL. you've shouted
wolf once too often"
She regarded him pitifully.
81 had to see you. couldn't have
lived. oh, had to see you
He sat down on the side Of the
bed and slowly shook his head.
You're no good" he said decis-
lively, talking unconsciously as Gloria
might have talked to him. This
sort of thing isn't fair TO me. you
know"
Come closer" Whatever he
might say Dot was happy now. He
cared for her. She had brought him
to her side.
"oh, God" said Anthony hope
lessly. As WEAKNESS rolled along its
Inevitable wave his anger subsided.
receded. vanished. He collapsed sud
denly, fell sobbing beside her on the
bed.
"oh. my darling" she begged him.
don't cry! Oh. don't cry"
She took his head upon her breast
and soothed him. mingled her happy
tears with the bitterness Of his. Her
hand played gently with his dark
hair.
I'm such a little fool" she mur-
INJURED brokenly, but / love you. and
when you're cold to me IL seems as
/ il IL isn't worth while to go on
| Twin"
After all. this was peace-the quiet
room with the mingled scent OF wom-
ems powder and perfume. Dots hand
soft as a warm wind upon his hair,
the rise and fall of her bosom as
she took breath-for a moment II
was as though IT were Gloria there.
as though he were at rest in some
sweetdr and safer home than he had
ever known.
An hour passed. A clock began to
chime in the hall. He jumped to his
/ feet and looked at the phosphores-
cent hands of his wrist watch. II
was Il O'Clock.
He had trouble in finding a taxi
| that would take him out at that
hour. As he urged the driver faster
along the road he speculated on the
| best method OF entering camp. He
1 had been late several times recently
and he knew that were he caught
again his name probably would be
stricken from the list Of oficer can
didates. He wondered IL he had not
better dismiss the taxi and take a
chance on passing the sentry in the
dark. Still, officers often rode past
the sentries after midnight. .
Halt" The monosyllable came
from the yellow glare that the head
lights dropped upon the changing
road. The taxi driver threw out his
clutch and a sentry walked up carry
ing his rifle at the port. With him
by an i'll chance, was the officer Of
the guard.
out late. sergeant"
Yes, sir. Got delayed"
Too bad. Have TO take your
name"
As the officer waited, notebook in
pencil in hand. something not fully
intended crowded to Anthony's lirs.
something born of panic. OF muddle,
Of despair.
sergeant r. A. Foley" he an
swered breathlessly.
And the outft?'
Company Q. Eighty-third Infan-
try"
"Al right. You'll have to walk
| from here. sergeant"
Anthony saluted. quickly paid his
taxi driver and set of for a run to-
ward the regiment he had named.
When he was out of sight he
/ changed his course, and with his
heart beating wildly. hurried to HIS
company. feeling that he had made
/ a fatal error of judgment
Two days later the officer who
/ had been in command Of the guard
[ recognized him in a barber shop
/ downtown. In charge Of a mill
tary policeman he was taken back
( to the camp. where he was reduced
+ to the ranks without trial and con-
/ fined for a month 10 the limits OF
{ his company street.
/ With this blow a spell OF utter
! depression overlook him. and w.'h-
/ m weeE he was again cauSht
I downtown. wandering around in =
drunken daze. with a pint OF boot
leg whisky in his hip pocket. II
was because of a sort Of craziness
in his behavior at the trial that his
sentence to the Cuardhouse was <o-
only three weeks
Early in his confinement the CON
viction took root in him that he
WAS going mad. IT was as though
there were quantity Of dark yet
vivid personalities in his mini
some Of them familiar. some ~
them strange and terrible. held in