Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-12

OF greater emoiumentsi In case Of success
police lay watching and held confer
ence as to the possible outcome Of the af-
fair. The chiefs courage RESTORED his con-
fidenee. which perhaps had begun to fail
him. and he crept out again as he had
come in-on all tours. Toward midnight
the chief started to cseep from the room.
At the door he stumbled over something
and exclaimed under his breath. Brown
son heard him fumblfng IN the darkness
and asked what was the matter.
All right" he whispered. Keep quietr
Presently he crept back again. Coming
close .. to B s he WHISPERED:
tator found"
What! Dead!
Dead. He must have been Instantly
killed by stray bullet while he was leav-
ing the room"
Brownson was Mortified.
What will you do?" he asked.
Nothing. Those hounds will sell me to
the revolutionists the moment they find he
is dead. am sure to go out in any event.
I have pulled him away from the door.
and it is dark. Perhaps it won't be dis
covered until morning. But you must go,
instantly. Go down stairs, find Jose. Send
him here and 1 will order him to accom-
pany you. Go by the back way and
through the guard lines to the harbor.
Ihen work your way around through the
city and join the revoluttontsts. You can
prove that you were imprisoned in the
Black Hole by my order. Go-you have
not moment to lose
But the other did not move. What" he
replied. 60. and leave you here to face
them alone Go, become revolutionist and
give consent by my silence to having you
shot in the back tomorrow morning, and
you, as you say, friend Of the family?
1 assure you 1 will do nothing Of the kind"
You must go. It Is folly to stay. 1t will
be two lives instead of one. We cannot
make head against a mob
AT least. tell me who you are
The other regarded him steadily in the
darkness
'wm you ego If I tell your he said at
last.
Perhaps" .s..
my name is Richard Wilson"
1t was BrownSon'S turn to stare. He ut
tered not a word.
Il was engaged to your sister Ethel" said
the chief THE engagement was broken. L
left New York and came here That Is all
there is to 1t. You see now why ques-
toned you today. and you will also real
lie the necessity Of going"
But Brownson did not speak He sat on
the floor, unable apparently to find words.
His face was the face of man who has
suddenly been confronted by a horrible al
tentative. He was thinking fast and furi-
ous1y; repeating over and over in his mind
words which he dared not utter, but which
he knew should be spoken-must be spoken
my Godl' he was thinking. me does not
know-he does not know. All these years
she has waited for him and he has not
known. And here in the face of death he
will know it at last, and I, her brother
will be left to tell her this horrible thing"
The groans Of a stricken soldier in the
next room kept pace with his thoughts like
miserere. 1t made him almost hysteri-
cal.
1--WE thought you were dead, We
thought you were dead.' he painted
Wilson smiled bitterly.
81 have been dead to all that makes life
worth the living. 80 3. n
INT cir che ;c
back" IN -
Your sister preferred some one else"
But that was only for fathers sake. He
wished her to marry old Morton. When
father died she broke 1t Off. 1t was you she
wanted, but you had disappeared. Why,
man, man, she is waiting for you now"
The smile froze on Wilson's lips. He did
not reply. He sat motioness, staring out
into the night stunned. Suddenly he start
ed up. s't T."
Why did you tell me this-here-now?
he demanded fiercely.- He was like one
who on the road to hell, has been vouch-
safed glimpse Of paradise
Because it had to be told-because-Oh.
you will make an effort now to escape You
must L can never tell her j left you to die
here" frat
Ills useless-quite useless" he replied.
But even as he spoke. It was easy to see
that the tidings had brought him down to
the level of common men, that he was
groping blindly for the hope of release.
mere Is only one chance-the gunboat-
but bah! they would never run her away
without the dctator-Iet me see a forged
order might-bah-I am losing my nerve"
suddenly Brewnson had an inspiration.
Could you have escaped had the dicta-
tor been alive? How would you have done
Taken the gunboat to Aspinwall"
GOOD. Then perhaps we can make it.
See. i! am about the size of the dictator l
could wear his clothes. In the darkness
do you see?'
They were stripping the body almost be-
fore he had ceased speaking, and in ten
minutes Brownson was arrayed in the gor-
geouS uniform the dictator had so proudly
worn that day. He pulled the plumed hat
well down over his rather youthful face
and with the dead mans bandanna hand
kerch1ef ready to be applied ostenta tiousiy
TO his nose, In close quarters, he followed
Wilson down stairs. The house had been
darkened on purpose, to confuse the aim of
the revolutionists. The danger of recogni-
tio 10 lay on the outside. 1t was to be osten-
sibly tour of inspection and Wilson was
10 do any necessary talking. There was
little If any fighting at the back of the
mousse high stone wall had been built on
ooth sides of the estate by the dictator,
perhaps with the idea of defending re-
treat. 1t ran halfway down to the wharves
soldiers We're scattered everywhere over
the grass, binding wounds. and in some
ms sleeping, for the lighting was on
the Wane. Men We're perched in the trees
guarding the wall and relief parties march
ed to and from the house. A few bullets
came in from the outside but not many
or these the two men did not care. They
were much more afraid of their friends
than of their enemies. Wilson criticised
many things in a loud voice, and Brownson
replied In cultural Spanish. They reached
the gate at the end of the Enclosure and
turned back on the other path toward the
mouse: When they had proceeded dozen
feet or more Wilson turned to the mock
dictator and said that many could hear
him:
But. senior, the boat. Had we not better
inspect 1t? Those rebels may have injured
The dictator demurred, and for a while |
Il looked as though he would have his way.
But presently he gave in to his police chief
ana guard was called to escort them to |
the wharf On the way they were fred at,
and nothing but the stern demeanor of |
wilson kept their escort from boiling Ev- |
cry step might run them into ambush but |
every step was nearer liberty. Just before |
they reached the wharf there was terrific
commotfon far behind them. They could
see lights waving and large body Of men
running after them. Wilson surmised the |
reason Turning to Brownson. he whis- |
pered:
They have found the body. We are in |
for It, To the men he said: "See, we are |
pursued. The rebels have come around to |
the rear OF the palace. To, the wharf, dou, |
BILE quick, we shall he aanihiIate