The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-03

inaction here in this savage village. with out
look for escape, would be unbearable In her pos
session were the documents which would clear the
man she loved, clear him in the eyes of all men
And he would suffer 80, under such a charge. Per-
haps he even doubted her belief in him.
She smiled away the thought, for the woman
in her would not allow her to believe that the
man of her choice could ever doubt. Not for
instant had she asked for references from him.
She had given her heart without reserve and
from the instant of giving it, every doubt, every
possible thing that might in the past or future
be brought against Lieutenant Gibson was wiped
from her mind and soul as though by some sooth-
ing sponge.
sing feature of her confinement here. He was
suffering and she could clear him if only She
sighed There were many little IF onlys' be-
fore her knowledge could be of any avail in the
affair. But she must be strong. that she would
be ready to reach out and seize the first tiny
opportunity that came her way. She must be
strong to combat this terrible man who pursued
relentlessly.
Look about her though she would she could
see no further possible advantage to be derived
through the friendship of the natives If they had
never before seen white woman the chance was
exceedingly slim of anyone's coming to her as
sistance while she was among them. They had not
a tradition of seeing human beings of her
color before
The only thing to do, since no opportunity
for reaching Manila lay here, was to turn in
some other direction. Thoughts of the hideous
jungle with its yellow reballs of eyes, its myriad
sounds of menace meant nothing to her. She had
given herself without reserve to the clearing of
her sweetheart from the charge of having be-
trayed his country's honor and assuredly there
a Supreme Being who would not permit
such a fidelity to fail.
With one comforting thought, unreason-
ing solace which often much more log-
cal than all mans direct line of vision upon
situation, she fell asleep the dark shadow of HUI
go Loubeque very far away as, with madenly
confidence she consigned herself and her purpose
to one above him in power
Some premonition of evil Weakened her, caused
her to start bolt upright upon the rushes, her
every sense alert, her ears fairly peaked with the
tenseness of her listening No sound came to her
save the mournful wall of dog, afar off,. She
lay back once more, tingling still with the psychic
sense that told her not to slumber.
Her heart was throbbing against its cage
though it would burst through, while little ants
nests of nerves gathered at the back of her neck,
invisible warnings of danger Her first thought
was for the little sack in which she carried the
stolen papers and orders well as the photo
graph of her mother and the diary which Hugo
Loubeque had secreted in the oiled belt. Hur-
riedly she cutched the bag, slipping to the floor
and listening.
This time a rustling, rushing sound came
from directly above her. So swift it was that
she had scarcely time to gather her senses to-
glowered at her from the place where the
matched roof had been. For the fraction of
second she could not stir before the awful
menace. Her feet seemed glued to the dirt floor
"nlle every nerve and muscle OF ner BODY urged
her through the opening. Then, long tongue
of fame reached out toward the wall and en-
braced it, feeding there second before another
flame joined il and, in seeming quarrel, reached
at the same spot her brain dominated the sSha-
ton.
With wild shrek for assistance she darted
toward the opening, feeling the hot breath of
the flames nigh shrivelling her as she left it be-
hind. Again and again she shrieked, more an
outlet for her relief from the menace than for
any other reason. From every hut poured the
natives, stopping to stare about them for a sec
ond before darling toward the hut, which had
developed into a cone-like burst of flame, roaring
menacingly, furiously.
Lucille was unconscious of everything for
moment save that she had escaped the flames
Then something caused her to turn. From be-