The Tomahawk., 1916-10-12

Whlcn us single WINDOW looked faced
| the wall of printing house, broken
| by but three or four small windows
as is so often the case with these
blank surfaces. Gard had made note
| of the fact that one of these windows
was opposite and above that in the
back room Of Valentines. He had
gained admission to the printing house
and had viewed the adjoining prem
| Uses from this high window.
A single possibility presented itself.
| This was that Valentines might leave
his curtain up and that Jane Gates
might help with the case.
Jane Gates occupied warm spot
in the hearts of the special agents
and they were always particular that
when they called upon her there was
no possibility of unpleasant expert
ences, and the way seemed clear here.
She was deaf girl, known among
them as the Lily Maid, born without
the sense of hearing but mistress of
the inestimable difficulties of lip read
ing and the possessor of the nimblest
set of fingers in the world, these lat
ter earning her place as copyist for
the service. Her face was of
cameo beauty, with touch Of pathos
because of her isolation. She was the
warm spot in the heart of the Office
but as it's very spirit was the un-
tangling of riddles, she had found op-
portunity to help in a novel way in
several difficult cases through her
ability at lip reading.
BY prearrangement Jane Gates, on
this Saturday night, was awaiting at
the office not half a dozen blocks
away possible call from Billy Gard.
Barrett had a taxi at the front door
and the expected summons brought
him to the publishing house in five
minutes. Beneath a light in the hall
Gard told the deaf girl of the situa-
ton, for lip reading needs light. Soon
they were in the gloom by the little
window and the eager eyes Of the Lily
Maid were looking into the office op-
posite where the conference on NUM-
lions was going forward. Fortunate
ly Valentines did not speak Spanish
and an interpreter was necessary.
The face of this man was in plain
view not thirty feet away.
Soon Jane Gates was repeating in
the peculiar, hollow voice of those
who do not hear but have learned to
form words with the lips:
"Mauser ammunition - old Krupp
rapid fire guns-Seventy five
Gard stepped beyond the range of
view from the opposite window. He
turned pocket flashlight on his own
lips.
'Try to find out how they are to be
Shipped he instructed.
Gould supply total amounting to
/ $75O,OOO in value" the girl repeated
| after the interpreter.
delivered in thirty days-Brooklyn
how can you get clearance papers?"
eve clear for Odessa" the inter-
prefers lips said. 'The United States
must accept our claim of that destina-
ton We know how to evade embargo
| regulations"
Valentines had been walking nerv-
| ously about the room. At this mo-
ment he approached the window and
| pulled down the curtain that looked
| into the courtyard. The work of the
lip reader was at an end.
It was a month later when Gard
| had traced a consignment Of ammuni-
ton from the factory at Hartford to
it's place on Brooklyn pier where it
! lay ready for shipment. It seemed
the last of the American goods that
were needed to complete the cargo Of
the Italian bark, City of Naples, that
was ready to sail. 1t appeared that
papers had already been taken out,
that the manifests acknowledged the
presence Of great quantities of war
munitions, but that the claim was
made that the cargo was bought for
South Russian dealers and bound for
Odessa.
Gard hurriedly ascertained that the
United States would not refuse per-
mission for the ship to sail. 1t was,
however, anxious to keep in touch
with its movements. Could the spe-
cial agent find a way to accompany
her? Gard would try.
Half an hour later young Italian
strolled down the pier just as the last
Of the cargo was being taken aboard
the City of Naples. He was dressed
in a well-worn, light-checked, some
what fiashy suit, scarlet vest, a
flowing tie. His dark locks breathed
forth odors of the lotions Of cheap
barber shops. He walked nonchalant-
ly aboard the Italian bark and went
below.
The vessel was just breaking loose
from her moorings when the stow
away was discovered. There had been
great haste in her sailing and she
was making for the seas two hours
ahead of her appointed time. The
stowaway surmised that there was
every reason why her officers would
fear delay and that, if he could re-
main below decks until she was I'M