Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 97: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~. Wentsel. The White Dawn + “T’ve been forgetting Osmond. Almost sorry we’re going out to your place tonight. Maybe my last chance to see the saucy baggage “Lucky with women unlucky at cards,” I reminded him. “Gad! That’s so. But I’ll stick to the cards tonight.” Our aside was interrupted by the men facing the door rising. We followed the example and turned to find it was Colonel He had none of the convivial air. Saleby was glaring feebly, vaguely remembering the colonel might have been responsible for the reprimand. To prevent a scene I said— “You’ve changed your mind, I hope, Colonel, and are going with us.” . “T must disappoint you all,” he said, re- fusing a chair. “No passes for the Outward tonight.” “No passes! That means no passing!” cried Saleby in dismay. “Oné might arrive at that conclusion,” he sardonically replied. “Then we must be taking to boat at once!”’ excitedly observed the artillery officer. Colonel Wentsel eyed him balefully and said: “T don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t think you know, sir. The city is sealed up as the result of certain information received at headquarters.” The group was puzzled and vastly dis- appointed. Colonel Wentsel continued, and explained— “There is a spy in the city.” His voice was harsh and therefore more guttural. “T thought we always had spies with us,” said Maugem. “This one is very dangerous. General Howe will have him at the end of a rope: ; however.” “Then confusion to him for spoiling our night as well as for being a spy,” I said. And the glasses were raised and emptied. ~ “That aged Baff person certainly must hate rebels,’”’ Saleby gloomily remarked. “She bragged to the town major that she saw Hale hung and would see many another preity fellow swing off,” grimly growled the colonel. ee artillery officer shivered and mum- bled— “Awfully pleasant creature!’ “His Majesty’s officers must use such tools as are at hand,” was the colonel’s sententious rejoinder. “Regret to have- spoiled sport. Now I must be going. Hope to see you again, Mr. Kerry.” I replied in a similar vein, but there was something in his level stare which made me apprehensive. I had the feeling he was 225 n A ws ‘ iy, be Ae val iS \ : Ly Hit ® _ 7 { Hele © uly . a“ : wer ri is tO J - - 4 a , oy Ag AP tS hostile to me, although I could imagine no — : reason why -he should suspect me. Of course there was Mother Baff, who had seen me call at the Berce store, but that __ was before I adorned the splendor of my borrowed wardrobe. Again, Mother Baff had seen me when I went to the rescue of _ Bowen. It was possible she had had some of her creatures follow me to the Betworth house. Even so, there was nothing in that little adventure which would link me up to the patriots’ cause. But if she had recognized me in my new réle as the man seeking entrance to the Berce store then most promptly would she accuse me. If she had done so, then her evidence had proven in- sufficient to proceeed upon and I would be let alone, but closely watched, until I estab-_ lished my innocence or betrayed my guilt. Yet I did not believe I was involved. My -- state of nerves made it natural for me to be overapprehensive, to misconstrue every glance, to detect a double meaning in the simplest of statements. ‘It was with distinct_relief, however, that I saw Colonel Wentsel turn to leave us. Then he wheeled about and came back to the table and said to me: a s(SColnaliicele boo 5 bbs CUP