The Press., 1914-09-09


 ro+urned a minute later. Extremely sorry. senor, but the telegraph office is closed
 "I didn't believe him, so pushed my own way into the house and confront ed a sleepy operator. The line IS closed snapped that worthy before could say a word.
 ',,.'For some reason these two were Ill collision against me. The why Of 1t I couldn't fathom. The apothecary had apparently tipped this fellow off-to what l couldn't imagine.
 Accordingly, in distinct chagrin. left the two and strode of into the night to think my situation over.
 'But I had never been man to look too long on the wrong side of cloud, so it didn't take a great while for me to catch glint of the silver lining. And this glint could almost be said to be a glint in very fact, for as l rambled around those tangled streets of that little old town became aware of a gleam of light upon hill just without the village limits.
 "TO add to the cheer, from time to time I caught the sound of music.
 Now, have never been character | ized by bashfulness, so, carried away | perhaps by the entire incOngruity of my whole evening thus far, I decided to add to it. and I headed for the scene of merriment, the grand house on the hill.
 "I entered from a balcony unObserv- | ed, for the dance was in full swing land I'm here to state that when a Spaniard dances he puts all that's ill I him in it. AS for the senoritas I'm si- | lent, for words fail on occasion.
 ''So l will attempt no description ot | that little woman who sat somewhat l apart from the dancers. eagernesS written all over her. Of course she must dancer I stated emphatically tC myself What in the world can these fellows mean by leaving her for q wallfiower?
 "Without further thought I trottet up to her and asked for the dance. Al first she looked up in alarm: then. the spirit of coquetry conquering. sht merely glanced down the hall before she rose and took my arm.
 "When the dance ended l led tn, pretty senOrita out on the balcony where l had observed tables for re treatments
 Seated vis-a-vis we continued thu frothy conversation we had begun in side. As we chatted 1 looked up q her. Her gaze had left me and wa fastened with frozen fear on some thing behind my back.
 q glanced up quickly, for something glinted above me. It was a pretty bi of stiletto. and I could even not the arm that vie!ded it. There, tat tooed on the tender skin of the unde forearm, was the device of a brother hood. belonged to that order my self
 But no time was there for an inter change of signals. I reached a Quic hand and caught the wrist above mo Then [ showed forward bringing m
 assailant with one 1unge on to m
 back. and. with the impetus of m
 vigorous resistance, over the balcOn
 rail we both went, landing in tn shrubbery. l fell on top.
 '"The fellow was not seriously hur1
 but without much trouble I wreste
 the jeweled weapon from his grasI and as he recovered from the shock o
 the fall I leaned toward him and whis ; pered something in his ear.
 His entire attitude changed, and i :: spite of his bruises he jumped to hi feet and called to the anxious face , that peered from the balcony dow
 into our darkness in the shrubbery , It's all right friends. have mad . mistake. Nobody hurt
 And then he explained matters t
 me. He was the son of Don Roderig' < chief man of that region, and had ha
 the misfortune to be ignorant of th
 views of the United States in sue ! matters as the too free use, of knit or revolver. It seems he had bee forced to track an enemy to Ne r York, and there, ignorant of our vieV :, point and caring little, he had fOun
 him and knifed him after the most al proved Castilian style.
 "It had all been about that very gi .- ! l JuSl WILL LOOs NOWg u
 friends of the murdered man had eve 6 gone so far as to get out extraditiC Y papers, and it had been rumored tn; r. detectives had set out for the border Q ""Then you took me for a detectiI
 looking for your I asked, beginning { D comprehend.
 t "'Exactly,' he answered, and Pedr d the apothecary, my good frien t thought so too. It didn't help matter f either.' he went on, with a half smil g when I returned from Pedro to fin g you dancing with my partner d well, there is little more to ad l. gentlemen, except that for two day until my car returned, that populat e turned itself loose doing nice thing
 to me- But I have often wondere o how the real detective fared when l arrived in that. tender spot. I'll bet l. had his troubles.'
 "He did" drawled Shaw, the dete ID tive "In fact, I had to give that ca: , up"
 No Fruit Without Fees.
 If there were no bees. frult tr"rS al