Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-25


direction of the wireless station.
The moment they turned into path that
led them out of sight of Fort House veranda,
Christabels manner changed. From repre-
senting a mere placid content with the exist
ing state of things, she suddenly became cleo
trical with purpose.
Come along, quick" she said, while
have the chance! We are going to send
wireless message for father"
At that, she darted up the path ahead OF
him, and he had to overtake her before he
could answer.
Il fear" he painted, when he came along
side again,-"1 fear the operator may refuse
to take a message for your father. In TACT
am inclined to think it would be indiscreet
even to ask him to"
1--WE aren't going to ask him to- she said
briefly He isn't there
We'll, them" he began, what"
ooh, are going to send it ourselves she
interrupted gleefully. You are rather Isn't
But, my dear Miss Beaumont" he pro-
tested, Il know nothing about wireless teleg
raphy; more, he paused for comparison,
mo more than you do, he concluded: Il
really but again he was falling behind.
Naturally he had expected her to stop when
his total disavowal of any knowledge even of
the rudiments of wireless had demonstrated
the folly of her PLAN but she had gone on
with undated pace, and was already trying
the door of the little wireless station.
fore anyone sees us
The door is evidently locked" said Va1en-
tine. Even if we could hope to accomplish
anything by getting in, We could hardly"
Once more he was left with a trailing SEN
tence on his hands. Christabel had disappeared
round the corner of the building. Valentine
cast rather agitated look about the landscape.
Apparently they had it to themselves.
THE station, it is true, was perched upon the
bold summit of Fort Hill and was fully
commanded by the windows the south side
OF the residence; but these windows were all
tightly shattered with great solid wooden
blinds against the unshaded glare of the tropi
cal sun. There were other igns of human
habltatlon nearer than the town itself, whose
nearest fringe was almost mile away.
To be sure, person one of the verandas
of Officers Row, especially if he happened to
have pair of field glasses, might have made
them out rather easily; but this consideration
did not occur to Valentine.
Just he about to follow Christab bel
round the corner of the building he was startled
by the sound of breaking glass, The next
moment he heard the girls voice calling him.
Here's the way we are going to get IN, Mr..
Ealentinel'' she said
The young man was genuinely shocked and
rather Mortified by what she had done. To
thrust the steel feru1e of ones parasol through
a window and to reach through the hole thus
produced, In an attempt to slip the bolt that
held the sash, was plain housebreaking-
more, no less.
One might have expected that Christopher
Beaumonts secretary would have laws
broken before his eyes so often, that the mat
ter of broken window would not have seemed
serious; but men that break the laws without
the use OF force are the very ones to be the
most unpleasantly affected by the spectacle
of 1awbreaking of a cruder sort. For really
must draw the line somewhere.
This was apparently Christabel's first step
In a career of crime; for she seemed totally I'M
concerned; indeed, one might have thought
that she was enjoying herself hugely.
When Valentine appeared, she abandoned
the window to him. You are little taller,
think she said. You can reach the lock
better
But, my dear young lady, he protested,
If we could hope to accomplish nything by
this course"
You are telegrapher,' she said and you
know your dots and dashes. If you can man
age the sending key, I'll attend to the rest. l
know a crank shaft from carbureter." Then,
as Valentine still hestated, she added, "Oh,
please hurry!'
Valentine would probably have understood
the elegant, early Victorian female to whom
Christabel had SO contemptuously alluded that
morning better than he did the girl at his
elbow. But. understood not there was no
resisting her. He punched out a little more
glass with the parasol ferule, reached in and
unlocked the catch, and threw the window