The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-03

time?"
 To Mays horror the two men rose and evidently intended leaving the room by the very door behind which she was hiding But her eyes had been busy as well as her ears, and she had noticed a couple of closets in the hall. One of these was evidently A repository for coats and hats and might well be visited by any one de- parting from the house. So she chose the other and was overjoyed on hear ing All Singh and his host taking hats and umbrellas from the neighboring closet.
 However, the unexpected was hap pening that day with vengeance. MT. Smithson locked the front door behind him! For some reason, probably by a subtle contriving of Ali Singh, the building seemed to have been emptied of all its ordinary occupants. So the girl found herself trapped, since the only windows left open were well above the ground.
 She heard a car arrive from some where and drive off again and was pro- foundly thankful that her own little runabout was standing on the other side of the street and would hardly at- tract notice. But she was now as ea- ger to be gone as she had been to re- main while Ali Singh was wheeling Smithson into the right frame of mind for his nefarious purpose. A window in the hall seemed to be at a practica- ble height, yet, being in the house of an inventor, was secured by some tricky device which no ordinary person could hope to manipulate. More by good luck than good management the girls fin gers pulled string in the right direc- tion and she was able to raise the sash. Soon she was in her car and speed ing along the roadway. She did not know where to go, but her intuition pointed to the wheel tracks of Ali Singh's automobile as the surest guide. | There had been shower recently, so 1t was not difficult to detect the marks i of two rear tires of different patterns, and she was rewarded for ingenuity by seeing a fast travelling car at the far ther end of the first long, straight stretch of road encountered.
 But there were more uncharted rocks ahead. Mays car could neither over take nor rival the high powered ma | chine in which Ali Singh was bringing Smithson to possible death and certain disgrace. The higher one reached the base fully ten minutes ahead of his pursuer.
 Moreover, Smithson's presence con voyed the conspirator past all manner of guardposts and sentries, whereas poor May found the way barred by the very first sentry, who stood across the path with fixed bayonet and forced her to stop.
 It was useless to try and convince the man that she was Mir. Manning's sister and the bearer of news of tre- mendous importance. He did, howev- CT, show that he was not a fool by sending messenger to the officer com manding the guard.
 Though skeptical, this gentleman so far credited the girls story as to con- duct her to the office of the comman- dant, where her brother and Bronson would probably be found. All this meant delay, and the girl knew bitter ly that Ali Singh worked with preci- sion and dispatch. Still, she realized | that even the best of submarines can not be moved with the expedition of an automobile, so, though excited and al most hysterical, she poured forth re- markedly lucid story when admitted at last to the serious conclave then taking place between the naval men and the representatives of the secret service.
 | The commandant and his second in command, though polite, were evident | ly inclined to regard Mary's outburst as the vaporings of an overwrought mind, but Manning, no less than Bron- son and Police Captain Kemp, knew otherwise, and their earnestness stir red the naval officers into instant ac- tivity.
 The whole party, re-enforced by non- commissioned officers and men gather ed en route, hurried to the pier along side which the curious superstructure of a submarine, which has suggested to the scoffer the shape of coffeepot, should have been visible. It was omi- nous that the coming tower was even then slowly submerging, since no ar engagement had been made with the au- thorities for an experimental dive that day.
 | Doubt swiftly grew into conviction when they came on the bodies of two marines whose duty it was to guard each end of the little pier. It was as- certained subsequently that these men had been shot from behind by Missiles resembling darts, and doctor who had travelled extensively in the far east recognized the effect of blowpipe. 1 In the offing stood the patrol boat, and it was evident that her officers and crew were simply interested in the
 sinking of the submarine as an ordi- nary item of the days work. They
 were promptly hailed and steamed in
 closer. As soon as they knew that
 something was wrong boat was low
 cred and thin wire cable was attach
 ed to the submarines coming tower,
 which was just disappearing.
 The sailors had to be careful in this matter. These underwater craft are capricious creatures and the slightest fOuling of the cable might prevent the