The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-10-07

tinentaI-I dou't"
Mr.. Campbell read this:
"St5ut man fed gale neaf j5nsef-
at5f." and then came the unknown.
dash-dot-dash-dash- That" he ex-
planned, lis in the Continental
code" It went on: "d55f bling 5Eer
when g g5es-"
The chief read It of glibly:
Stout man, red face, near conserr
atory door Bring over when G goes
Very weIlI'' commented Mr.. Grimm
ambiguously.
With no word OF explanation, he
rose and went out, pausing at the door
to take the ice which the servant was
bringing in The seat where he had
left Senorita Rodriguez was vacant;
so was the chair where Miss Thorne
had been. He glanced about inouir-
ingly, and a servant who stood stolid-
~ near the conservatory door ap-
preached him.
Pardon, sir, but the lady who was
sitting here" and he indicated the
chair where Miss Thorne had been sit,
ting, tainted while dancing, and the
lady who was with you went aloJsg
when she was removed to the ladies'
dressing-room, sir"
Mr.. Grimm's teeth closed with a lit
tie Cnap.
Did you happen to notice any time
this evening a stout gentleman, with
red face, near the conservatory door?"
he asked
The servant pondered a moment,
then shook his head.
NO, sir"
Thank you"
Mr.. Grimm was just turning away,
when there came the sharp, vibrant
cra-a-shi of a revolver, somewhere of
to his left The PRESIDENT That was
his first thought. One glance across
the room to where the chief executive
stood, in conversation with two other
gentlemen, treasured him. The chol-
eric blue eyes of the president had
| opened little at the sound, then he
| calmly resumed the conversation MI
! Grimm impulsively started toward the
| little group. but already a Gordon was
! being drawn there-a Gordon of quiet
! faced, keen-eyed men, unobtrusively
! forcing their way through the crowd
| There was Johnson, and Hastings,
and Blair, and half a dozen others.
The room had been struck dumb.
| Then dancers stopped, with tense, in
| curing looks, and the plaintive whine
| Of the orchestra, far away, faltered,
| then ceased. There was one brief
| instant Of utter silence in which white
faced women chung to the arms of
their escorts, and the brilliant galaxy
Of colors halted. Then, after mo-
ment, there came clearly through the
stiffness, the excited, cultural COM
mand Of the German ambassador.
Keep on blaying, you tam foolsi
Keep on blaying!"
| The orchestra started again tremu-
lousy. Mr.. Grimm nodded a silent
approYa1 of the ambassadors COM
mand, then turned away to his left, in
the direction Of the shot After the
first dismay. there was general move
/ ment of the crowd in that direction,
a movement which was checked by
| Mr.. CampbeIPs appearance upon a
chair. with smile on his bland face.
| mo harm DONE" he called. "One
Of the officers present dropped his re-
volver. and it was accidentally dis
charged No harm done"
There was a moments excited chat
| ter, deep-drawn breatfls of relief the
| OICnCSDd SH uHS again lulO inc lAlCA-
rupted rhythm, and the dancers
moved on Mr. Grimm went straight
to his chief, who had stepped down
from the chair. Two other secret
service men stood behind him, block
ing the doorway that opened into
narrow hall
This way" directed the chief
tersely.
Mr.. Grimm walked along beside him.
They skirted the end of the ballroom
only wounded He's in that ROOM
and he indicated a door a little way
down the hall "Fairchild, two serv-
ants and physician are with him"
who shot him?"
Don't know. We found him lying
in the hall here
Still followed by Mr. Grimm, the
| chief entered the room, and together
they bent over the wounded man. The
bullet had entered the torso just be-
low the ribs on the left side.
Its a clean wound the physician
was explaining. The bullet passed
through There's no immediate dan
ger"
Senior Alvarez opened his eyes. and
| stared about him in bewilderment;
| then alarm overspread his face, and
| he made spasmodic efforts to reach
| the inside breast pocket Of his coat
Mr.. Grimm obligingly thrust his hand
into the pocket and drew out its con-
tents, the while Senior Alvarez strug-
| gled frantically.
Just a moment" Mr.. Grimm adj
vised quietly. I'm only going to let
you see if it is here. Is it?"
He held the papers, one by one, in
front of tbs wounded man. and each
time a shake of the head was his an
swer. At last Senior Alvarez closed
! his eyes again
CTO BE CONTINUED0