The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-03-18

piled one OF tine glante, out Whisper
and he stopped down and lowered his
voice-"the side door around the corner
is only on the latch. Slip in there, and
you II catch him in his private Office.
Nobody will get any blame for that, for
we can pretend we never saw you.
"Ob, you're a jewel, sorra thing
lessp' exclaimed the girl warmly as she
skipped away. won't pray that you
may coon have the three V's2" [Bands
Of gold lace on the arm, denoting the
rank of sergeant.
She waved kiss and smiled witch
spell at the good natured giants as she
disappeared, and they laughed lazily
and looked after her longingly.
'Nelly is a brick" said one "She's
gone in to try to coax the chief about
that boy Of hers" "
| "And | wouldn't wonder if she sue.
ceeded, " responded the other. "She's
the biggest deluotherer l ever came
across. Ould Nick himself couldn't re.
fuse her anything"
al think she has the four leaved sham.
rock. But Talbot is with the chief now,
and that's one chance against her. "
The girl meanwhile had entered the
hall leading to the Office of the chief of
| police. She knocked, but received no
! answer, for just then all the regimental
bands were crashing out "God Save the
Queen, and the roar Of the martial
music drowned all other sounds
"They'll follow this up with 'Patrick's
Day. " said Nelly to herself, "and
play other things besides, now that the
lord lieutenant is coming out. I'll make
bould and turn the handle"
Suiting the action to the word, she
pushed the door open and went in. The
music completely covered the movement
A tall screen cut the room, large
one, in two. There was no one in the
portion in which the girl found herself,
! but size heard voices on the other side.
An armchair and an office table Uttered
with papers were the sole furniture
and couple Of large maps the sole dec.
orations. On tray beside the inkstand
lay what appeared to be an ordinary
egg 1t made the girl smile. Such an
object in the office Of the chief of police
seemed to her very ridiculous. But the
smile soon became lost in the look of
eager interest which flashed into her
face with the first words she caught
from inside.
''It must be done, Talbot. Well new.
er get juries to convict unless we can
show them these men are the desperate
villains we say"
"Talbotr' exclaimed the girl under
her breath. That's the spy they say is
swearing in men himself to get the
blood money"
"Well, if you say it must, chief must
it is, l suppose. But how do you propose
to do it?"
"You must get some fellow of nerve,
like yourself. You must not risk your
own life in the matter, for you're too
valuable just now. When the lord lieu
tenant is going to the theater, he must
be at hand with bomb. College green
will be the best place, l think. 'Tis
widest there. "
"a bombl That wouldn't be easy to
handle, I'm afraid-too bulky, mean. "
''Leave that to me. I've little thing
on the table inside, a new affair called
nitroglycerin, a harmless looking little
thing. You wouldn't know it from an
egg, but 'twould blow up this house, for
all that, if you threw it on the floor,
NelIy's eyes dilated, and her breath
seemed for moment lost, but only for
moment. Ere the look of horror had
faded from her faf~ she had seized the
Internal object, exchanged it for one OF
a couple Of eggs in her basket, which
she had bought for her midday meal,
and covered it up with the other in
tufts of shamrock.
"But if any mishap occurs the lord
lieutenant might be hurt.
"No; we'll take care of that. He will
be informed before he starts that there
is plot. You see, he's so soft hearted
he'll never believe these Fenian fellows
are so bad as we want him to believe. 1"
"Yes, know. But what then? When
he hears this, he won't go, and where's
the fun then?"
"You must take his place. You're
just his height and build, and all you
want is the long whiskers. Get pair
made and pick out your man and then
you can arrange the job between you so
that the explosion can take place where
neither of you will be hurt"
"But the escort may cut him down
with their sabers.
"You see to that You can jump out
of the carriage and play the hero, res.
cue him from the soldiers and hand him
over to the police"
"Egad, it's bright idea," cried the
spy, laughing heartily, "and it suits
my fancy. The job that has a dash OF
danger in it is just the one that suit:
me best. What money is there in it,
chief?'
"a hundred pounds apiece for you
and your partner. Only take care he'i
not one to blab."
"Blabl II he did, he'd never live Il
swear to it," laughed the truculent
R bravo. "Oh, no! Any one that does any
work for Talbot knows the sort Of MAI
he is,"
"All right, then, Wait till I give yoI
the bomb. "
Nelly stepped back pace or two, he
. hand on the door handle, as though sh
: had Just come in. There was no time t.
. think of any means of escape.
: The chief, as he came in, looked a
d her derkly and wonderingly. "Who ar
: you, and what the devil brought yol
. here?" he said gruffiy.
"Not to sell shamrocks," she answer
ed firmly, "but to make bargain. Nv
e something to tell you that you'd Civ
NJ l. 81