Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-26

been expectant OF Gradys arrival. with
word and instructions from Sevrance; not
only had Grady failed me, but nothing
man or message-had come TO give me
ease of mind
Therefore. tramped from wall to window
of my bedchamber, as restless as q Gagged
animal, throughout the laggard day.
Callahan and | had supped together
sociaby enough but without much con-
versaton | mad taken 1t upon myself to
inform him with such particularly as l
deemed advisable of the nature of the
expedition.
lie had accepted the information without
emotion; II was all in the days work with
him. He now sat stolidly smoking at the
table, slipping ale and watching me with
passive interest
About 10. with snort Of disgust I threw
myself into chair opposite m and pre-
pared to solace my disUuiet with smoke.
At that moment the rain began to thunder
long roll upon the roof l started up w, tn
an exclamation Of dismay.
From the window I could sec little the
long stretch of high road. glimmering
vague. leEden color in the night the massed
blackness Of the trees silhouetted dhnly
against the white Of the unmelted snow and
swayng furiously to the wind, which had
frcshcncd into half "A gale But no lights
| had thought to catch the dancing gleam
of carriage lamps approaching from Bar
mouth but | strained my eyes futlely
against the darkness discovering nothing.
Below a door slammed Presently heard
footsteps on the stairs. There came a knock
at my door and the landlord entered, upon
my permission.
Man to see you below. sir" he said re.
spectfully. "Shal I let him up. or will you
see him in the taproom? He's n rough
looking fellow. sir, and l."
Never mind" 1 said decidedly; "show
him up at once"
a minute later the door opened and closed
behind n gaunt and ragged figure, soaked
to the skin by reason of his long tramp
through the rain. He snatchcd n battered
and discolorcd derby from his head and
stood dripping water and trembling with
cold, while he gased sharply from one of us
to the other.
"well?" | demanded.
yer Mr.. Gordon, sir?" he inquired, ad-
dressing me, but keeping wary eye on
Callahan.
YES BE quick"
"Wot about 'im?"-with a jerk of his
thumb toward the engineer
"All right You're from Mr.. Anthony"
"Yessr. old on, sir; there's summat
mlssn'"
THE countersign? Give It, then"
"Cronstadt."
And the time OF day."
"Midnight SIR" he said, with an exclama-
ton of relief Then shivering: I'm art
froze, guv'ner," he hinted.
Give me your message, and you shall
have all the drink you want"
Yes sir. Mr.. Anthony seZ to meet I'm
at the railway station. sir, at 'arf arfter IL,
sir"
VERY we'll Callahan. take this man be-
low and pay for drink for him. And tell
the landlord I'll want the fly at once"
''Shure, an the pleasure do be all me
own"
As the door closed behind them whipped
out my revolver, carefully assuring myself,
for what was possibly the Goth time that
day. that II was loaded and in the best of
order. II struck me as odd that Sevrance
should have sent this fellow, this outcast
of the London slums, as he appeared to be,
in preference to Grady, who had surely ar
rived by that hour
/ was, in short, somewhat apprehensive
OF n final trick on the part of the Secret
Chapter. and I was thoroughly determined
that I would not be taken, nor meet with
Won HoghOrn's intended fate, without put
ting IN stiff fight.
On the other hand, the man came armed
with the counteTsgn and-there was now
no time to be wasted. The interval scant
two hours-between the hour and that set
for the attempt upon the shipyard, was
all too little as 1t was
Accordingly, 1 took my courage In my
hand and went below Callahan and the
new arrival-were just concluding their
potatIons. I handed my luggage to
hostler and demanded my reckoning.
The fly was waiting we-CaIahnn and
I-got inside. the messenger clambering
upon the box with the driver; and the
vehicle set off, with tremendous splashing
and maddenng deliberation, through a
night as black as you please and unpleas-
ant enough TO daunt any spirit
1 kept my fingers on the butt of my re-
volver. saying nothing or my fears how
ever, to Callahan. Happily they proved
groundless. Within an hour and n quarter
we drew up at yarmouth railway station
and found Sevrance awaiting u.s.
Having paid and dismissed the driver
and given the messenger his instructions
which were to depart and await us, you
know where"-we stepped inside the little
waiting room. Acting on Sevrance's sug-
gestion, before 1 had time to put a single