Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-30

q ! J. !.
before the hidden man who had
received it knew that it had
not been withdrawn by his
confederate. 1t all
in a second, and | had the
bouquet. Also l had denti-
WSS ned the man who pushed it
VNNA through the curtains of the
~ IA III float though which among
80 $50 the twenty or twenty five con-
sEJ-4GI ceaed bearers had taken it
from him | could not tell.
Whether my act had been wise
or foolish, it done, and the
float had moved on, carrying the secret of one beat
ing heart under the curtained platform.
Prylng cautiously among the tightly banked
flowers my blood quickened as touched something
round and hard thing about the size of a large
orange, fastened into the center of the pyramid by
network of thin wire. Intuition had not played me
trick. There was death in this bunch of roses,
death for many perhaps. Though it of first
Importance to get the bomb as far away as possible
from the King and from Monica and to render it
harmless, would not give up my pursuit of the
the crowd only few yards in front of me, a square
set figure, in the holiday clothes of a respectable
workman. l saw only his back now, every muscle
tense in his desire to escape the vengeance on his
track; but l had seen his face for an instant, and
could identify it anywhere.
What if in his desperation he turned, and in the
would have committed? 1t needed only that to
ruin me-after Barcelona, and this long Journey to
Seville, where the King due. Would any
explanation l night make be credited when the
bomb in my hand?
pushed the crowding thoughts out Of my mind
There were other things to think of-the bomb
itself what to do with it and the be followed
Meanwhile was moving on after that broad back,
of which | must not lose sight, and away from the
neghborhood of the royal box. l was in the lane of
the procession close in front of the long ranks of
occupied chairs and opposite the tribune. There
were only two persons abreast in the moving line
which carried me along and was driven by the
police, but tightly packed pressed against
on one side by the knees of people in the chairs,
the other by the purple brotherhood preceding
another float The situation seemed desperate,
since to give alarm would endanger the crowd as
well as jeopardize my future and panic would be
a calamity.
Suddenly the cry of water seller struck my ear
sharply. Agndi Clear as crystal and cold as
mountain snow! Agnd!" He was just before me
with his earthen vessel.
glass of water. l want the jar-for curiosity
Twenty peSetaS for it.
This offer saved questionings. The vessel with
its contents was worth two peSetas to the vender
perhaps, and lest l should change my mind its
owner hastily handed over his jar and pocketed my
silver. Even now had to wait for an opening in the
throng till l had been pushed far as the lane
leading from the square to the Plaza de San Fernan
do; and there to my joy jostled against Ropes
Without word of explanation said, Follow that
man in the cloth cap with the black coat and red
tie! Get hold of him. Take he doesn't knife
shoot you! Don't let him go! And wait for MEL
This was all Ropes needed. Right, SIR said he,
and forged after the black back which in this reer
space was gaining distance.
Unexpectedly relieved of my second task, care
fully shielding the bouquet with the water jar,
worked my way into the lane, and struck the head
of the earthen vessel against stone coping. The
porous clay cracked like egg shell, the top coming
off in one piece, with few flying splinters and |
pressed the bouquet deep into the water. This
the best | could do at the moment though, if the
bomb was made with picric acid had accomplished