Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-10-30


master at cortaz1 art--diseuise.
Ten minutes later q stranger stooe
erect within that roma uitbearded
stranger. clad in an evening coat OF
1o7agn crs with eeil raddcd pa1nch
ard shoulders. eyeiag himself stiu
critically ia the looking glass He
raised mis- high rat and bowed pomp-
1ualy to Ponlo
"ln reality friend Potion ne re-
marked p am 1l Rom anoT--a Rus
sian n0b.en-an
Afy friends and ] are invited TO
SAG Canes m aoard the Alabama, he
seid Nv friends and Z shall go.
Can in that beast. Now for the final
tcst"
Ponto disappeared and a moment
lster the brute crept into the room.
He glanced fearfuliy toward the chair
where Hernandez had been sitting;
then he glanced about the room. A
I puzzled expression overspread his
countenancc and then with a deep gut
tural CRY he sprang for the appari-
tons throat
fernando twitched himself to one
side Just in time and then tapped the
brute smartly on the arm.
4 am satisfied" he said, in tones
that the brute Immediately recog-
nized Even ne did not know me
he, with all the instincts of a savage
but faithful dog Let us be of"
An hour latcr he was standing ex-
autly p front of the huge punch
bowl ON the dancinc deck Of the Ala
hama Clustered around this punch
bowl were group of officers aud
pretty Woucu-aud among them Inc2
Castro and her friend Annette Hing
ten
Honanon stared boldly at them
Goth. then he turned TO Neal Hardin.
a glass Of punch. If you please.
ne said in foreign accents.
Neal Hardin did not answer. He
vas otherwise engaged. Annette
llluston was standing at the table
itb 4 young ensign at her sidc.
they were both drAking from the
punch bowl The ensign drank with
his right hand: so did Annette, but
AnDettes lett hand was firmly
c.rj "a IN the hand of Neal Hardin
oil The punch bowi Il was the only
chance the evening could afford them
"A glass 81 punch reiterated the
unknown Russian nooleman.
Neal jumped as though shot. Has
tily he ladled out glass and pre-.
e1tad it to the russian The Rus
an took one sip ol it and sat down
Lis glass.
"B-rr-r," he exclaimed. as he
walked away in disgust.
There was a genteel litter from the
picturesque little group around the
punch bowl Inez touched Romanoff
upon the arm.
1T is perfect" she whispered, mo
on could ever tell"
The pseudo Romanoff glanced at
her significantly, paced across the
dancing deck and passed out upon the
moonlit deck beyond Inez, flirting
with an officer excused herself, beck
oned to Joe Welcher, who came
swiftly at her beck and call, and with
her hand upon his arm she followed
in the wake of Romanoff. AS they
reached the bow RomanoR turned sud
denly and confronted them. He seized
Welcher by the arm.
Friend Welcher.' he said, his grip
tightening, ION the canvas curtains aft
on the port side, you will find one
black cross mark upon the curtain and
one black cross mark upon the deck
They are my marks. You will dance
with Annette Ilington-"
Welcher hurried off and Romanon
with the beautiful Miss Irene Cour-
tier upon his arm, strobe slowly to-
ward the lights
With her escort she stood glancing
out between the curtains at the moon
light upon the sea. Her escort, how
ever, was not watching the moonlight
his eyes were fixed upon a motor
boat that sported itself like some
huge shark in the waters just beyond.
He drew forth a white handkerchief
He stepped into the aperture between
the canvas curtains, grasped the rail
with one hand and shook the handker-
chief.
Inez noted that q small black cross
had been placed upon the canvas cur
tain. She looked at her feet. There
was another cross upon the deck.
Then she turned and faced the crowd
watching with keen eyes.
Joe Welcher from far across the
deck caught the CLINT of those same
eyes-he had been watching for them.
He bent over Annette
Look at the freak he said, that's
tied up to Inez-I mean Irone Courier
I always call her Inez somehow. Let's
go and see the freak"
The freak" said Annette, has dis
appeared +"
She was not the only person on the
deck who noticed that Some half
dozen naval officers in spick ard span
uniforms noted it also and started
double quick toward Inez Castro.
Half way they stopped. for her escort,
NJ Romanoff. had reappeared. He
smiled as joe came up with Annette
and waved his hand
I've been looking at the moon" he
said.
Annette. already bored-chiefy by
the close proximity of Joe Welcher-
glanced of toward Neal.
Let's so and get some grape juice"
she said
Joe drew her out to the railing