River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-09-17

-Iy. Il was sick and the woman they
left to nurse me sneaked in the
room late at night and tried to stab
me- l saw her slip out and was suspi-
cious of her. so / slipped behind the
door and grabbed the mans gun when
he put it on a chair. Anybody would
have done exactly the same thing and
l know. anyway. that you would never
turn an American girl over to those
horrible Cinnamon"
The captains frown disappeared.
We'll, | guess that's about true" he
admitted. "But why didn't you come
to me In the first place; why didn't
you want to come to me when you
were caught; what do you expect is
to be done with your
Il didn't come to you because the
man who acted as interpreter is an
enemy of mine who would do anything
on earth to be rid of mel mean Hugo
Loubeque, the one who spoke with
the Chinese officer when they searched
the boat. They frightened me so |
crept into the hold | don't want him
to know I am on board@he mustn't
know" She looked up into his face
with confidence.
II can pay for my passage when we
land" she added quickly.
But | have no cabin vacant, young
lady,"
Couldn't do some work. be cabin
boy or something like that?" she sug-
gested vaguely, as the ships master
threw back his head and gave vent
to such laughter that tears rolled down
his weather beaten cheeks.
That's d good one," he reared. "By
George, believe that would straighten
the whole mess out and make me the
master of the first boat that has had
a cabin boy since the old sailing days.
Young man." he added with mock
gravity, I'll take you to my cabin
now, where your enemy will have no
chance Of seeing you. The steward
will be the only one in our secret. He
can outfit you and pass his instructions
regarding your duties at night
Lucille clasped her hands delighted
~, her eyes twin stars of delight at
the perfect working out of her diff
fculties. Working at night there could
be but scant chance for Loubeque's
recognizing her, if he retained his
secretive habits, and it was usually at
nighttime that he paced the deck
and left his cabin alone. No position
bould more adequately have given her
all opportunity to search the mans
cabin for the stolen documents and
papers.
The thought of it fairly took away
her breath. was still all dominant in
her mind while she listened to the
stewards instructions. She saw i'm
mediately that her position aboard was
little more than a jest of the ships
master, for she had little to do save
bit of busting about the saloons, and.
in the event of storms keeping the cap
tain on the bridge for. protracted
stretches, fetching him hot tea. She
laughed with him at her position when
she showed herself before him in
natty white duck suit, which made her
slender fragility more apparent and
more appealing than ever.
That very evening she found the
suit occupied by the international spy.
Loubeque showed himself at night, not
long after the middle watch, his tall
form smothered in q long ulster the
upturned collar of which concealed
most of his features from sight. She
noticed the bulldog grip with which he
held the cigar between his teeth, its
glowing end revealing the fame in
his deep set eyes. She knew the ten
sion under which he labored was prob
ably due to the disquieting news he
had received at the last moment re-
garding her escape.
Every night at exactly the same time
be came out upon the deck. and for
two nights Lucille tried to bolster up
her courage sufficiently to enter the
stateroom, but always the sound Of
that ominous, steady step on the deck
dissuaded her. On the fourth night she
felt herself trembling with subcon-
scious knowledge that tonight was to
be the time when she made her at
tempt. Consciously. she was positive
she could not force herself to do it. but
something from within impelled her
ASel III TIE OppoSlte uueC1Ou 1EOLu CHdt
taken by the spy. At the door Of the
stateroom she halted. Loubeque was
moving toward her, silent, imperturb-
able, grim. a fearsome figure. Two
bells sounded. Lucille watched the
spy. His habits were remarkably
regular in their very irregularity. For
another bell he would not return to his
Stateroom.
She turned the knob and entered,
closing the door softly. 1t would be a
simple place to search, the furniture
being scanty and Loubeque travelling
without much luggage.
Swiftly she worked. turning every
thing upside down and carefully lay
ing all signs of her search afterward.