Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-03

Where is it?" she asked steadily,
tossing off the whisky in a single gulp.
yelling OWNED she meant the letter,
and drew from his pocket a couple CT
sheets of paper, bearing the letter head
| Of law firm: Cutting, Mar Il Howe, =
with a Wall street address. The neat,
typed lines were blurred and wavery,
but she forced herself resolutely to de-
| cipher them.
I'VE regret to inform you that
among other papers of our client, Mr..
Blaine Howard, forwarded to lis, with
his effects, from France, we find COM
munication from you, evidently in re-
ply to one he had addressed you. Prior
to the receipt of your letter, Mr.. How
ard was reported missing in action dur
ing the first week of May last, we are
informed confidentially, on the Somme
front.
His body was not identified in the
sector occupied by the British troops,
and his name has not been included in
the lists of prisoners or enemy wounded
communicated by the imperial German
government An attempt by the Red
Cross and allied agencies to determine
his tate has so far been fruitless. 1t
appears probable that he is dead, all
though"
Dagger read no farther. The letter
fell into her lap. Her eyes were quite
dry, but somehow she was unable to
see.
where's your hand, Dick?" she said.
Thanks, L"
And for the first time in her life she
tainted.
Wavering back to consciousness, Dag
ger was aware of Dicks face close to
hers, and her uncle's voice reiterating
the refrain;
Damned if 1 ever reckoned to see
Dagger faint! Damned If I -"
Damned if I'll ever do it again. p"
she murmured. You know, Uncle
Jim. sort of made fool of myself
over-him."
"Nothin' of the sort" Marley retorted.
"Yew hush. Dick told me bout 1t.
Huh! Feel shot up, myself"
In the desperate hope Of finding a
trace Of Howard, old Jim wired some
Washington officials he knew and
yelling cabled relatives in London
who, he limited for the first time, were
influential. But these efforts produced
only sympathy and endeaYors which
were fruitleSs.
The one concrete result was the in
terest in yelling shown by his friends
at home, and Dagger was touched by
the combination of surprise and pleas
ure he experienced at the discovery
that he had not been forgotten during
his exile.
Fancy Bull Crichton being under
secretary of munitions" he exclaimed
And here's my cousin, Wenlock-poor
chap, he says two of his boys have
gone west" He hesitated. That leaves
only the little fellow, and it's an old
title"
rs your cousin lord" Dagger asked
idly
He nodded, and switched the con-
versation to the topic of their search
Slowly Dagger came to realize Howard
was gone, but unflagging physical eXer-
her unrest was accumulated by a cable
for yelling.
81 say, I say, Dagger" he was so
excited he could scarcely speak. Bull
Crichton's got job for me. Horse
buying. There's a commission over here,
purchasing for the army, and I'm to be
on it, Doing my bit, at last"
That's fine, Dickey," she answered,
curbing the disnay that flooded her
heart. 81 wish 1 could do mine"
She tried honestly to like iner job.
but the final straw, the ultimate aggra-
walton, came in letter from her aunt
Espy in San Antonio, announcing the
enlistment of her two cousins.
I'm feeling right lonesome, Aiix.s
her aunt concluded. Why don't you
come down, and visit me a spell? It's
about time Jim Marley understood
you aren't boy to spend your life
gadding around a ranch with a pack
of cowpunchers and peons.'
Uncle JIM" Dagger announced
calmly. I'm going to San Antonio"
Why, sho now, honeyl" He elected
his chaw into the fireplace across from
her. "Whatever'd yew want. to do that
for?"
I'm tired of the ranch"
THAT amt no way to talk. need
yew."
Get a foreman"
His cold blue eyes softened as he
scanned her features.
"Yew amt lookin' like yew should"
he conceded. Maybe a week or
two"
She kissed him. He had taken her
ultimatum better than she had antic-
ipated.
"It's not that I'm tired of you,
darling" she consoled him. You know
that, don't you?"
CONTINUED tomorrow