Show i i iI n I I Remnant of the 11 Miniature 11 T I I By PAUL A. A BARRY ll Copyright H HALT ALT 1 Who's there Crash 1 J A spurt of at flame leaped from the muzzle of the tile sentinels sentinel's sentinels sentinel's senti senti- nels nel's rifle and the shadowy form fonn that had committed i the capital military crime refusal crime refusal to halt at a sentry sentry's s challenge crumpled challenge crumpled Into a dark masson masson mass masson on the narrow footpath The sentinel snapped another cartridge cartrIdge cart cart- cartridge ridge into the chamber of his rifle and carefully watched the prostrate form fonn at which he had fired while he called d loudly for tor the corporal of the guard Uniting Halting the approaching men until he was satisfied of their identity he be belet let them advance and ond reported what had hud occurred to the the noncommissioned officer of the guard Cautiously advancing to the prostrate prostrate prostrate pros pros- figure holding his rifle 1 at the We ready the tile corporal convinced himself that the man lying there was deadA deadA dead deadA A good shot Jones he muttered to the sentinel as os he knelt beside the body If one does not shoot straight the first time in this country his chance for ever firing again Isn't much Striking a match against the stock of his rifle he stooped over the dead manHy man Hy My God If I he exclaimed exclaimed Its an ano o officer 1 I II I had bad to shoot I said the sentinel He wouldn't halt and ond you know our orders Its lilts Captain Orden Orion said the corporal corporal cor cor- corporal In a whisper You did your duty you duty you had to shoot But Orden He knew the orders Why Why Why- a a a S S 5 5 The captain of the guard l leaned hi his e elbows bows on the rough bo boards boards' of an ImprovIse Im Improvised table Intently reading f one n pf pt many letters that the monthly mall mail had brought him that day A candle stuck upright In Its own grease flared fi fitfully as a wandering breeze from Lake Lanao shaking the rain like dewdrops from the trees onto onto onto on on- to the damp canvas camus of the tent stole In through the open flaps Suddenly the captain found himself lf o on his feet teet listening iI Intently while his right hand loosened his pistol In its holster The Time slow show pacing steps steps ot oi the sentinel outside of the guard tent had stopped The sentinel In front of ot the tent caught a distant call cill Corporal of or orthe I the Guard Numb Number r Seven I 1 The tension tension ten ten- sion relaxed and In La an Instant a n detachment de detachment de- de of the guard was away at atthe atthe atthe the double to Post Number Seven With an unconscious sigh of ot relief relict the captain turned to the table and refolded his letters stuffing them In his pockets while he waited for a are report re report re- re port of or the cause of ot the time single shot he be had heard In the distance Soon the sound of the relief slowly returning was followed by a movement at the entrance of ot the tent The sergeant sergeant ser ser- geant of the time guard entered Captain Orden shot b by Number Seven sir he be reported He walked walked up on Number Seven and would not halt when challenged Where Is Captain Orden 1 asked ed edthe the captain of ot the tile guardIn guardIn guardIn guard In his tent Sir answered the sergeant t. t Take charge of ot the guard until I return ordered the captain Ha Have Hae e eyou you notified the surgeon Yes Sir the sergeant replied He Is there now flew A few minutes later Inter the captain of ot the guard met the regimental surgeon dropping the flaps of Orden's tent behInd behind be be- hind him as ns he emerged Into time the quiet company street I Good shot that sentinel said the surgeon as he ran his fingers thoughtfully thoughtfully thought thought- I fully through his grayish beard Poor Orden never felt it But he knew this camp like a book captain God knows weve we've been In the tile beastly place long enough for him to Why should he deliberately walk up on Number Seven Who knows answered the captaIn cap cap- tam tain as he opened the flaps and entered entered entered en en- the tent Orden's body was on his field bed By the light of a flickering candle on the time camp table the captain noticed the tiny blue mark on the tile forehead where the sentinels sentinel's s 's bullet had found Its Us target I In warfare soldiers soon become In In- different to death even ven accept It as a matter mutter of ot course but a wave of bitter sadness swept over over the officer as he turned from his friend to the table tuble A pile of letters lay luy there One open face race down seemed about to slip from the tIme rough table to the ground The Time o officer picked up the sheet of ot heavy paper and turned It over ver A wedding announcement He Ho caught the name Catherine black on its creamy surface as ns with a u flush and a Q feeling almost of ot sacrilege he thrust It Into an envelope that lay open beside It He noticed curiously tl that at none of ot the other letters had been opened A wandering breeze made the candie candIe can can- die dle flicker as us he turned to leave the tent and und his imis eye caught a 1 wavering gl gleam from something on the trodden earth of ot the tent floor lIe He stooped to pick liek up lip what he ime saw to be the time brol broken en remnant of or an nn exquisIte ex ex- miniature The beautiful face hod been scarred and twisted as If a 11 antic ti-antic heel hud bud driven It hard Into the earth but across the back of t the set jewel-set frame he could read the name nume Catherine Placing It beside the time letters s thE captain of or the guard dropped the flans of ot the tho tent behind him |