The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1917-06-07


street. II had been long time since
Bertha's mind specialized upon things
of serious import. She was half in
clined to envy Pearl Dare If only for
the impulse to good and noble deeds
life in that household encouraged. She
shrugged her shoulders and sighed
hopelessly. She had indeed made
mess of her life.
Pearl, who was studying Bertha
! quietly. wondered at her sudden alb
straetion. "What do you see on the
sidewalk that makes you sigh so dis
mally?"
Nothing but a lampllghter on his
nightly rounds" quickly evaded
Bertha, changing her mood. That's
queert" she added and motioned to
Pearl, whispering: Come here"
Pearl FASTENED to the window. gave
one glance in the direction indicated
by Bertha and ran TO her desk She
opened a drawer and hurried back TO
the window with a pair of Sea-glasses
of the kind used on ships ut night.
Through these binoculars Pearl
gazed ut the lamplighter He stood
on top of his ladder ostensibly testing
the strength of one of the powerful
bulbs in the cluster of electric lights
on the post. In reality he had found
and was reading Il message evidently
left there for him.
Can you make it out? Is 1t some
thing unusual?' whispered Bertha,
| softly aud euriously.
Pearls hands shook rs she pressed
the glasses against her eyes.
The Silent Army is to assemble at
the Owls hour at the Chemical build
ing. The Silent Flyer will be there.
BY command of the Silent Menace.
The lamplighter replaced the note
and leaping to the ground disappeared
with his ladder under his arm.
THE wafers!" calculated Pearl. re-
peating the words to Bertha while the
two dashed down the steps.
THE Silent Army!" repeated Ber-
tina under her breath, as they rushed
into the study, thinking of the words
to which the colonel on that subject
had just given utteranee.
Pearl rapidly related her discovery
and all hurried to the door. They met
Adams on the threshold. He blocked
their exit.
See here w-what l just found on
that there lamp post" he suffered,
addressing the colonel, handing him
little piece of paper.
1t was the message read and left
by the lamplighter.
The apparently genuine alarm of
the orderly removed from their
thoughts any momentary suspicion of
him in connection with this new mys-
terry even though 1t struck them as odd
that the conyiving of the Silent Men
ace with his accomp1ices was taking
place almost within their door-Ber-
tina and Brent both excepted. The
latter recalled his experience with the
lamplighter that morning.
Adams, SO ordered by the colonel,
went to the garage to get one of the
automobiles for dash to town. Some
little delay ensued for Toxic was
SChlIA aHA11P III lAAo ioVlIi III AAlC upper
story. While they waited the colonel
telephoned to the barracks and or
dered his entire regiment to proceed
to the Chemical building Brent on
another line notified the war office.
This isn't n hoax. that's sure -
muttered the colonel as he replaced
the telephone receiver. He had been
unable to connect with the Chemical
building. Exchange told him that
something was wrong with the wires
there.
They were seated in the car; Toxic
was shifting the gears.
"Stop!" cried Pearl with a dramatic
upward gesture.
High in the skies, quite distinct, yet
unaccompanied by sound, two fiery
red, dragon-like eyes flashed feroci-
ously, dazzling and binding human
sight. They moved as swiftly as the
wind although no breezes stirred.
Involuntarily they shrunk In awe of
the weird spectacle.
ITS 1.-THE Silent Flyer" fell from
the lips of Adams.
Toxic opened the throttle and the
car almost lifting itself from the as
phalt bounded forward.
They reached the Chemical build
ing at neck-breaking speed, regardless
of city laws and frightened pedes-
TRANS. Near the gates u soap box ora
tor held spellbound an audience of
thousand or more peaceful enough
looking citizens intent upon every
word of an eloquent speech on the
topical theme of THE High Cost Of
Living"
No scene could be less offending.
The orator handled his subject with
great tact and pronounced concern.
1t was really a philosophical discourse
of proper and educational nature.
But when in a moment the infantry
arrived from the barracks and ordered
the crowd to dlsburse the cloak of
peaceful interest disappeared and as
If by magic widest disorder pre-
vailed, guns equipped with silencers
were drawn and a terrific riot en-
sued. In the confusion Adams slipped
away unobserved.
Pearl and Bertha followed the colo
mel and Major Brent into the building.
Toxic remained outside in charge of
the automobile.
Strange things had happened in the
building. Every employee had been
gagged. bound and thrown on the
floor. Desks had been pried open,
papers Uttered the plaee and broken