A COURT OF INQUIRY ORDERED
There were two morning newspapers published in the town; or, as some
people put it, "one and a quarter."
The _Tribune_ appealed to the more orderly element in the community. In
the _Tribune_ was an account of the police version of the night before,
to the effect that Bunny Hepburn and a gang had set upon Lieutenants
Overton and Terry, of the Regular Army, and that the two young officers
had given an excellent account of themselves in the encounter,
afterwards declining to prosecute the gangsters.
The _Sphere_, the other morning sheet, made its appeal to the rougher
element of the city. It was through this sheet that Orator Hepburn had
been able to acquire much of his local notoriety. Hepburn and Sayles,
the latter the proprietor of the _Sphere_, had been cronies for five
years. To Sayles the older Hepburn had gone, taking along with him his
"witnesses."
As was to be expected, the _Sphere_ attacked the two young officers,
giving wholly the Hepburn version of the affair.
"But this will not be the last of the matter," the _Sphere_ proclaimed
dramatically. "There are reliefs to be had from such outrages. Mr.
Hepburn has already taken the matter up with a strong hand. Through the
night two of our ablest local attorneys toiled at preparing the papers
in the case. A formal complaint has been drawn up, backed by the
testimony of the witnesses under oath, and all the papers in the case
are now on their way to Washington. The residents of this city will soon
be in a position to know whether such outrages may be safely committed
by officers of our Regular Army, a body of men organized supposedly for
the protection of the citizens of the country!"
"Well, wouldn't that blow your hat off?" demanded Lieutenant Noll, as he
and his chum went over the account published by the _Sphere_.
"It's evidently aimed with a view to blowing our heads off," muttered
Hal Overton.
"What talented liars there are in this world!" uttered Noll Terry, in
high disgust.
"They wouldn't do so much harm, though, if it weren't for the fact that
sometimes liars, under oath, manage to get themselves believed,"
returned Hal.
"Is anybody going to believe this rot?" insisted Noll.
"Some one in the War Department might, not knowing the local reputation
of the Hepburns."
"Well, the War Department will know, if it takes any action on these
trumped-up, lying charges," declared Lieutenant Noll hotly.
"Of course we won't lie down and tamely submit to such false charges,"
agreed Lieutenant Overton.
"Going out for a walk this morning?" Noll wanted to know.
"I feel much more inclined to sit here and think this whole thing over,"
Hal answered, pointing to the lying sheet.
"Hal, if we stay indoors to-day the _Sphere_ will have it to-morrow that
we are overwhelmed with shame and fear, and have kept in hiding."
"And, if we go out around the town," laughed Hal, "the _Sphere_ will
proclaim to-morrow that we are brazenly showing ourselves and trying to
cheek down the charges against us."
"Then we'll take our choice and do as we please," remarked young Terry.
"Come along out."
Hal got his hat, and the chums went forth, again in their tennis flannel
undress.
The news had not been slow in spreading. They had gone hardly a block
when they were stopped by friends, and congratulated on having taught
Bunny such an effective lesson.
Others there were, however, who whispered behind the backs of the young
officers. Hal and Noll were not slow to catch some of those whispers.
"We're a whole lot more important than we were three years ago," grinned
Noll. "Now, at last, we seem to have the town divided into two camps
concerning us."
"Three," corrected Hal.
"How do you make that out?"
"One crowd believes the charges against us, and another doesn't. The
third crowd isn't sure, or doesn't care."
"One fellow I'm after, anyway," muttered Noll grimly.
"Who's that?"
"Sayles."
"Who's he?"
"Don't you know?"
"I'm afraid I can't recall a party named Sayles," Hal answered
thoughtfully.
"Why, he's the pen-hoister who gets out the _Sphere_!"
"Oh, well, what are you going to do to him, Noll?"
"I'm going to make him prove all he printed in his lying sheet."
"He can--with the aid of the kind of witnesses that he has back of him,"
Hal reminded his chum.
"Well, we shall have to see if the testimony of such witnesses will 'go'
in court," Noll contended grimly.
"Are you going to prosecute the fellow?"
"I'm going to sue Sayles for libel," Noll retorted.
"Is the fellow worth the trouble?" Hal inquired doubtfully.
"No, but our reputations are," rejoined Noll bluntly. "Hal, we are
commissioned officers in the United States Army. If that means anything,
it means that the United States government certifies us to the world to
be gentlemen as well as officers. You know the legal phrase, 'officer
and gentleman.' If we lie down tamely, and submit to such libelous
attacks as the _Sphere_ made on us this morning, then we do a wrong to
the whole body of officers and gentlemen in the Army. The officers of
our service have always had to stand a lot of abuse from a certain kind
of so-called newspapers. It's time to stop it by hitting any nail that
shows its head. We owe it to our brother officers."
"Noll, I'm inclined to think you're right."
"I know I am. Come along, down this street."
"Where now?"
"I'm headed for the office of Lawyer Kimball. He's the best man in town
to handle our case."
To the lawyer's office, therefore, the two Army boys went. Lawyer
Kimball listened, nodded, accepted their case to do what he could with
it, and offered them some advice.
Late that evening each Army boy received a telegram from the War
Department, to the effect that a complaint had been lodged against them.
They were ordered to remain in town, close to their home addresses, for
the receipt of further orders.
Next morning the _Sphere_ had much more to say, and said it jubilantly.
It informed its readers that the War Department had taken up the matter
and had promised to give satisfaction. There was a further bitter attack
on Lieutenants Overton and Terry.
That afternoon Hal escorted his mother to one of the department stores,
as Mrs. Overton had some purchases to make. They came face to face with
Mrs. Redding. The latter woman started slightly and looked embarrassed.
She would have gone by without bowing, but it was impossible for Mrs.
Redding to pretend that she had not seen Mrs. Overton and her son.
"Good afternoon," said Mrs. Redding, in a low voice.
Hal lifted his hat gravely as the society woman hastened on.
"She wasn't as cordial as she was the other evening," remarked Mrs.
Overton dryly.
"No, Mother; I'm afraid that Mrs. Redding doesn't care to risk going any
further with our acquaintance until she knows whether I'm to continue in
the Army."
"It won't be necessary for her to go any further," remarked Mrs. Overton
cooly. "I don't wish to know her. I am satisfied with my present circle
of friends."
"Old friends are always believed to be the best," murmured Hal.
The day after that meeting Hal and Noll each received word from the War
Department, containing copies of the complaint, and stating that a court
of inquiry would be ordered forthwith, and that the young officers would
be informed of the time and place of the meeting of the court.
An officer, when placed formally under charges, is tried before a
court-martial, whose members are officers of higher rank than the
accused. A court of inquiry, on the other hand, may hear charges in the
first instance, and on the finding of this preliminary court the War
Department decides whether a court-martial shall be convened.
"You see, Noll, the Hepburns are going right through with their 'case,'"
observed Lieutenant Overton.
"So are we," retorted Noll, pursing his lips. "And the best crowd will
win."
"Or else the crowd whose witnesses won't hesitate to perjure
themselves," Hal muttered.
As the Army boys had just been appointed officers, the immediate present
was the best time for getting them out of the service if they were not
worthy of places in it. So the War Department acts with unusual speed in
such matters. Within a week from the time of receiving the complaint the
court of inquiry, composed of three officers sent over from Army
Headquarters in New York, was on the scene.
The mayor offered the court the use of one of the council chambers at
the city hall, and the offer was accepted.
"We shall soon know," remarked the _Sphere_, "what the national
government's idea of justice is. The culprits face their ordeal to-day!"
At nine o'clock that morning, in fact, Major Elbert, president of the
court, rapped for order.