The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-11-29
CHAPTER XVI.
The Day of Peace.

Ten minutes, perhaps, had elapsed
when Pierre, who had thoughtfully
wandered away down the tunnel, reap
peared with warning "Ahem!"
Holton, exalted to the seventh
heaven of happiness, glanced at
Pierre. and then striding to the Cuban,
he seized him by the arm and led him
forcibly into the tunnel again. /
"Now then, Pierre" he laughed,
you stay here until call, or I'll set
YOU down on some OF this dynamite
and press the button"
So saying, he returned to Miss La
Tossa and gave such an account OF
himself as young man very much in
love with beautiful young woman
may be expected to give.
A little later they made their way
out of the building. Her pony was still
standing where she had hitched it, but
| Cesnola and his horse were gone. At
least, Holton assumed that Cesnola
had gone from the fact that his horse
mad departed.
As they walked to the girls pony,
though, Holton, with a sudden excla.
nation, leaned forward. There, al.
most at his feet, lay the body Of
man. The girl saw it almost at the
same instant.
What is it," she asked tremulous-
| ly.
"A man." was the solemn reply.
Holton lighted a match and bent
over the body. Then he Strengthened
up as though he had been struck in
the face.
1T is Cesnola!" he whispered
breathlessly.
"Cesnola!" She bent down until her
face was close to the dead man, and
her hand, reaching out, came in con-
tact with a knife. This she withdrew,
and, standing up, trembling, she held
it toward Holton.
"You must get rid of this!" she
cried.
rid of it! Why?"
Because it is Pierre's knife"
In flash Holton saw it all. Pierre,
! coming out had seen the spy waiting
i for the explosion. Filled with hatred
: for the man who had led his beloved
Rance into this situation, he had
promptly paid off the score.
Give me the knife" Holtor
wrapped the thing in his handkerchief
: and in good season contrived to place
t it where it would never be found
which is getting bit ahead of the
|. story.
s In the meantime the two wendet
l. their way toward headquarters, Hol
y ton leading the horse, the girl walk
ing very close to his side. The recen
it ordeal, coupled with the discovery O
the body of Cesnola, had unnerved her
d and occasionally dry sob broke from
r her lips.
e Rolton decided that, more than any
is thing else, she needed lights, goo,
SiASNi, anu oOOu IOOu. SU luGy wen
e to the Venus restaurant, and there
o. amid all the brilliancy of it's militar
m patrons, the bushes returned to tn
e girls cheeks and the laughter to he
n. lips.
II After their meal Holton and the gil
set out for the La Tossa estate. tn
a. girl on her pony and Holton on
er hcrse he borrowed from one of til
e. generals aides.
n When they reached the estate it wa
ls nearly midmgAt. Rance was deligh
:. ed to find awaiting her a messae
10 from her father in Havana, assurin
~ her that he was WELL and that throug
w force Oh circumstances he would r
main in that city until the result {
no the present campaign was determine
10 The girl wept over the letter as s.,
lie handed it to Holton.
~ Poor, dear father!" she cried,
~ trust he is happy-as happy as-as >
Oh Holton crushed her to his breast.
AS to the war, but little RENAME
oo The fleet of Cervera had been wip,