The Tupelo journal., 1911-08-25

car QIQ uOl bldNhCA rs oPONAs
wound In and out through dingy
streets, past tumble-down negro huts.
for half an hour before 1t came to .
standstill In front Of an old brick
mansion.
This Is number ninety-seven," the
chauffeur announced.
Miss Thorne entered the house with
q key and wal gone for ten minutes,
perhaps. She was re~ad1usting her
veil when she came out and stepped
into the car silently. Again 1t moved
forward. on to the end Of the dingy
! street, and finally into the open u
try. Three, four, FIVE miles, perhaps.
out the old Baltimore Road, and again
the car stopped, this time In front OF
an ancient colonial farmhouse.
Outwardly the place seemed to be
deserted. The blinds, battered and
! stripped of paint by wind and rain,
were all closed, and n corner OF the
small veranda had crumbled away
from age and neglect. A narrow path,
strewn with pine needles, led tortu-
ously up to the door. In the rear OF
the house, rising from an old barn, a
thin pole with a cup-like attachments
at the ape thrust its point into the
open above the dense, odorous pines.
II appeared to be a wireless mast.
Miss Thorne passed around the house,
and entered the barn.
A man came forward and kissed her
"a thin. little man of indeterminate
age-drying his hands or a piece OF
cotton waste. His face vas pale with
the pallor Of one who knows little out
door life, his eyes deep-set and a-glit-
ter with some feverish inward fire,
and the thin lips were pressed togeth-
err in a sharp line. Behind him was a
long bench on which were scattered
tools of various sorts, Realistically
shaped chemical apparatus, two or
three electric batteries of odd sizes,
and ranged along one end of it, in q
row. were a score or more metal
spheroids, a shade larger than a one
pound she'll. From somewhere In the
rear came the clatter Of a small gaso-
line engine, and still farther away was
an electric dynamo.
as the test arranged, Rosa?" the lit
tie man queried eagerly in Italian.
1.-THE date is not fixed yet" she re-
piled In the same language. ut will
be. / hope, within the next two weeks.
And then
Fame and fortune for both of us"
he interrupted with quick enthusiasm.
"Ah, Rosa, l have worked and waited
so long for this, and now 1t will come.
and with 1t the dominion of the world
again by our country. How will | know
when the. data is fixed? 1t would not
be we'll to write me here"
My lady of mystery stroked the
slender, nervous hand caressingly. and
q great affection shone in the blue
gray eyes.
cat eight o'clock on the night of the
test she explained, still speaking
Italian, "a single light will appear at
the apex of the capitol dome in Wash
ington. That is the signal agreed up
on; 1t can be seen by all in the city,
and is visible here from the window
of your bedroom"
Yes, yes," he exclaimed. h fe-
verish glitter in his eyes d~eepened.
IF there is a fog, of course you VIII
not attempt the test" she went on.
NO, not in a fog" he put In quick
ly. 1T must be clear
And If it is clear o can see the
light in the dome without difficulty.
And all your plans are working out
well?"
Yes. And yours?"
Il don't think there is any question
but that both England and the United
States will buy. Do you know what
it means? Do you know what 1t
means?" He was silent a moment, his
hands working n%ervously. Then, with
an effort: And his Highness?"
His Highness is safe" The subtle
eyes grew misty. thoughtful for a mo-
ment, then cleared again. H is
SAFE" she repeated.
Mexico and Venezuela were-f" he
began.
I'VE don't know, yet. what they will
do. The Venezuelan answer Is locked
in the safe at the legation; will
know what 1t Is within forty-eight
hours" She was silentea little. Our
dificulty now. u greatest dinhculty.
10 the hostility of the French ambas-
sador to the compact His govern
ment has not yet notified him Of the
presence of Prince d'Abruxzi; he does
not believe In the feasibility Of the
plan, and We have toto proceed to
extremes to prevent him working
against us"
But they must see the ~incalculabls
advantages to follow upon such = COM
pact, with the asst power that will
be given to them owe the whole earth
by this" He Indicated the long. lit
tered workable. They must see It"
They will see 1t, Luigi" said Miss
Thorne gently. And now. how arc
you? Are you we'll? Are o COM
Portable? It's such a dreary old place
here"
." suppose so,' he replied, and he
met the so,icitous blue-gray eyes for
an instant. Eyes, ! am quite COM
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