The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1908-12-16
ILLUSTRATED
BY
EMM

//Zz-%
liver my letters in person to the for.
eign secretary's Office in London, and
answer such questions as you can re
garding this remarkable situation and
this incomprehensible government.
These matters are too important to
admit of delay and ordinary Official re.
ports. Go Quickly!" he concluded. al.
most showing Hitler through the door.
I'll attend to everything here. Don't
let there be any delay on your part!"
The secretary hurried away to
make preparations for his departure,
leaving the perturbed ambassador tc
prepare his reports. He called 4 cab
and drove to his apartment, intent on
first telephoning to Miss Roberts. His
man met him at the door and handed
him a letter addressed in q familiar
hand, which he hastily tore open and
read as he stood in the open doorway:
Dear Guy: have been called
away very suddenly. and am going to
my father. He needs me now more
than ever. I cannot alter anything
which told you last night, nor can I
add anything, save to say that some.
time, somehow. God willing, we shall
be together again, under circum-
stances where l can tell you all the
truth. It will do no good to write to
the old address; for I shall not be
there. There will be no means of our
communicating, fear, for an in
definite time. 1t is always within the
realms of possibility, when war is on
q land. that friends may never meet
again. II such should be our case, I
pray that you will remember this
even up to the last-I loved you.
Good-by. NORMA"
Stunned by this unexpected missive.
he hurried to the telephone, and in q
fever of haste and anxiety called up
her home, only to be told that she had
departed in the earlier hours of tho
after receiving a message
from her father. He
could learn nothing further Of her. He
was stopped as If by an insurmount-
able wall. He cursed the fate which
separated them and the order which
sent him away without giving time to
see her, and almost in open rebellion
thought for a moment of refusing to
act as kings courier. resolving rather
to resign from his position and aban.
don his post; but he was bound by
the training of years and the demands
Of duty, and at the last moment
boarded the train which was to take
him from the country and the woman
he loved.
And even as he went the object Of
his solicitude was speeding away into
he south on special train.
The train consisted of only two
Pullmans and a dining car. Before It
n its southern flight the way seemed
always open. and hour after hour 1t
.ushed onward. drawn by the most
powerful locomotives that could be OBJ
aimed. Norma was the only woman
passenger aboard; all the others were
,rim-faced, sun-tanned men of the
lea, who had been summoned to Wash
ngtOn from various navy yards and
;hips within the month. OF all on
,oard she was the only civilian, and
ret the one whom the government
seemed most anxious to transport.
The officers themselves gathered into
title groups, discussing the war
which had opened so abruptly, and
peculating as to why in such an i'm
'ortant crisis they had been ordered
rom their posts of duty to report for
urther advices and sealed instruc-
ions at SO unimportant and isolated
seaport as the small one on the
cast of Florida to which they were
Another singular feature of this
Quincy was that all aboard, from the |
distinguished admiral to the junior |
lieutenant commander, were. by or
er, in the plainest of civilian dress. |
hat it had been the intention of the |
,ar department to maintain their |
lentity secret was proved by the CON-
lents of a railway official who stood |
ear one of the coaches while waiting |
Or a change of locomotives.
You understand, don't you," he
aid to a man apparently train dis
atcher, standing beside him, that
MS train has the right of way over
Sidetrack the flyer II
ecessary to get this through. There
ant be anything in front of her, and
ne only limit to her time is the speed
the engine that pulls her. I under
land it's a party of secret service
eople the government is sending to
uba. That's all 1 know about 1t, and
s in line with everything else you
aturally can expect from such a lot
insane men as they seem to have
/ Washington
They whirled away from the sta
on, looking at each other blankly.
nd wondering what the outcome of
i this mystery could be. Every
ction so far was without precedent.
here was disposition on the part
some of them to bemoan the fate
hich had detached them from their
lips at q time when the country was.l
} be defended and glory won; but
lis was brought to a sudden end byi
i'm old Fighting Bob" Bevins, thel
lmiral, who reprimanded them for
lring to criticise their superiors or
eir orders.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Just So.