Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-18


is closed
81 didn't believe him. so pushed nv
own way into the house and confro1.
ed n sleepy operator. The linz !.
closed snapped that worthy before :
could say word.
For some reason these two vero 4,
collusion against NE. The why n /,
couldn't fathOm. The apothecary bad
apparently tipped this fellow of-to
what couldn't imagine
Accordingly, In distinct cbarr,o
left the two and strobe of into IN.
night to think my situation over.
But / had never been q man TO Iook
too long on the wrong side of cloud
so 1t didn't take great while for M,
to catch a CLINT Of the silver lining.
"And this CLINT could almost be san
to be CLINT in very fact, for as
rambled around those tangled Streets
Of that little old town became aware
of a CLEAN Of light upon a hill ius;
without the village limits.
''To add to the cheer, from tina %
time I caught the sound Of music.
Now, l have never been character.
lied by bashfulness. so, carried awav
perhaps by the entire incongruity OF
my whole evening thus far, decided
to add to It, and 1 beaded for the
scene of merriment, the grand house
on the hill.
81 entered from a balcony unobserr.
ed, for the dance was in full swing,
and I'm here to state that when
Spaniard dances he puts all that's in
him in it. AS for the senoritas I'm ST.
lent, for words fail on occasion
so 1 will attempt no description Of
that little woman who sat somewhat
apart from the dancers, eagerness
written all over her. OF course she
must dancer 1 stated emphaticaly to
myself. What in the world can these
fellows mean by leaving her for a
wallfiower?
without further thought / trotted
up to her and asked for the dance. At
first she looked up in alarm; then, the
spirit of coquetry conquering, she
merely glanced down the hall before
she rose and took my arm.
when the dance ended / led the
pretty senorita out on the balcony,
where 1 had observed tables for re-
freshments.
Seated vis-a-vis we continued the
frothy conversation we had begun in
side. AS we chatted 1 looked up at
her. Her gaze had left me and was
fastened with frozen fear on some
thing behind my back.
ggT g.
glinted above me. 1t was pretty bit
of a stiletto, and I could even note
the arm that welded 1t. There. tat
tooed on the tender skin of the undo.
forearm. was the device of Il brother
hood. 1 belonged to that order my
self
But no time was there for an inter
change of signals. 1 reached a quick
hand and caught the wrist above me.
Then 1 showed forward. bringing my
assaiIant with one Iunge on 10 my
back, and, with the impetus of mr.
vigorous resistance. over the balcony
rail we both went, landing in the
shrubbery. 1 fell on top.
THE fellow was not seriously hurt.
but without much trouble l wrested
the jeweled weapon from his grasp.
and as he recovered from the shock of
the fall / leaned toward him and whis-
pered something in his ear.
His entire attitude changed. and in
spite of his bruises he jumped TO his
feet and called to the anxious faces
that peered from the balcony down
into our darkness in the shrubbery:
It's all right, friends. 1 have made
a mistake. Nobody hurt
and then he explained matters n
me. He was the son of Don Roderigo.
chief man of that region, and had had
the misfortune to be ignorant of the
views of the United States in such
matters as the too free use OF knife
or revolver. 1t seems he had been
forced TO track an enemy 10 New
York, and there. ignorant Of our view
point and caring little. he had found
him and knitted him after the most ap
proved Castilian style.
lit had all been about that very siri
l had just danced with too. Now, the
friends of the murdered man had even
gone so far as TO get out eXtradiuoh
papers. and il had been rumored that
detectives had set out for the border
Then you took me for detective
looking for you?' 1 asked, beginning 10
EXACTLY he answered. and Pedro
the apothecary. my good friend.
thought so too. 1t didn't help matters
either he went on, with a half smile
when I returned from Pedro 10 mn
you dancing with my partner.
well. there is little more TO add
gentlemen, except that for two days
until my car returned. that populaes
turned itself loose doing nice things
TO me. But l have often woadereo
how the real detective Jared when =
arrived in that tender spot. III bet 's
had his troubles"
He did" drawled Shaw, the detee
tive I'm fact, had to give that eass
np.S