River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-08-27
CHAPTER II.
A Man With but One Thought.

YUGO LOUBEQUE turned the
| - packet of papers and orders
over and over in his hand, a
/ A \ brooding expression In his
| eyes that told his thoughts were very
| far away from the butler craftsman
who had just brought them to him.
i A massive figure of man. he seemed
to fill the room with his presence, the
!! chair in which be sat seemed to have
been built about him, the room itself
with it's magnificent furnishings was
dwarfed by it's occupant Greatest o.
international spies. the rise and fall
Of many nations might have been plac-
ed at his door. rivers of blood had
burst their barriers at the touch of
| those powerful fingers, yet all his
| thoughts were directed toward revenge
| ton Of General Love.
| Over and over he turned the stolen
papers. Only another link it was in
the chain he was drawing about the
old army officer. The butler coughed
nervously, and his master looked up,
|
praise. The man had but done his
duty. Hugo Loubeque expected that
| The telephone rang and the spy stiff
ened in his chair no more the dream
er. LoubeQue was at work finishing
this detail in his scheme of revenge.
With the ruins of every hope smash
| ing about her, without a thought save
the need for a confidante and friend
in time Of distress, Lucille took up the
telephone to speak with her chum. the
wife of young officer who had only
| just reached the post a month before.
| Ber q second. sensitiZed by suffering
though her mind was, she did not
catch the significance of the orders be-
ing given by the man whose wire had
crossed her own. Then a feeling Of
! faintness caused her to reel at the
power and strength she caught in the
tones. She listened, conQuering her
fear In one triumphant throb of love
| for the imprisoned officer:
General Loves orders and papers
are In my possession now. For
Shanghai on the Empress tonight.
Have the launch ready
| And then the buzzing of the instru
ment told her that she could hear no
more. She rushed to the window, her
heart sinking at sight of the smoke
curls spewing from the big liners fun
| nels. The Empress was ready-ready
and her sweetheart was arrested.
| Resolution so vague as to be indefn-
able urged her across the floor and out
the door She did not stop to analyZe
the impulse which urged her feet
across the parade ground, down the
streets of Manila toward the dock. A
mad despair possessed her as she
caught the signs Of readiness from the
Empress and saw there was no boat to
take her out to the ship which carried
the precious orders.
She beat her tiny fists fercely to-
gether. There must be a way There
must be. Family to her ears came a
humming sound from the boat. 1t re-
minded her Of another sound she had
heard recently, sound she identified
with the solution of her problem-Har-
ley and his aeroplane.
1t was a five miles. but her horse
could do the distance in short time.
Faster even than she had reached the
dock did she get to the stables No
time for saddling, for anything save
the wild ride before her. Through the
moonlight she dashed, the little mare
Of hi, milo
tress with delight
The aviator had only just returned
from the dance when she flung her
self from the mare and grasped him
6ercely by the shoulders, shaking him
in the vehemence of her command
He stared at her unbelievingly as he
made out what she desired, but there
was something in the entreating eyes,
the drawn face. that told her deadly
earnestneSs.
1T means the honor of the man
love-"
Harley turned away, turned toward
the giant plane. Breathessly she
watched him. waiting his decision.
There was a curiously twisted smile
upon his lips when he faced her again.
Get In" he motioned
Hugo Loubeque leaned against the
liners rail, pencil poised over the open
page of the diary which was headed
"Loubeque's Account With Love-"
Items upon that page had been can
ceIed, more remained clear. The hand
started to draw through or of these
last when family to his ears reached
down a drumming sound from the
heavens.
AS his eyes wandered Up the great
bird in mid heaven grew more and