Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-01-12

ment. As he held her hand In a re-
assuring clasp, she knew that ne was
making the master effort Of his life
for S~elf-control.
They stood talking briefly, inCoher-
entity. Looking into each others eyes,
they saw that something which bind
women irrevocably and exalt men.
Yet that this dread thing lay be-
tween them Payne as well as she knew,
and when without responding to his
silent pleading for belief In his inno-
cence Pearl with Il sob turned aside.
he could not resent the inference that
she was not quite sure.
A moment later she was gone. II
his heart iluttered when he heard her
receding footballs on the narrow stone
paSSageway, he gave no sign, receiv-
Ing In an astonishing calm his personal
attorneys who were now arriving ON
some matters of business.
You'll be out In Il jify, Payne :"
holly assured cambridge, the senior,
scarcely before he was inside the door.
Somebody will pay for this damnable
outrage. The government seems to have
lost its head entirely
Payne, bored, motioned them to sit
down.
Il want to talk to you about my
WILL" said he briefly. You can draw
1t up tomorrow and mail 1t for my sig
nature"
The lawyers seated themselves
heavily. Balnbridge wondered what
manner Of man this was.
Meanwhile Pearl and her father
gloomily returned to town.
When Toxic drew up at the war de-
partment to permit the latter to alight,
he fingered at the side of the machine
holding his daughters hand tightly.
BE brave, girl. Remember that you
are Il Dare to whom America stands
first" Turning away, he mumbled
something about not seeing her until
late in the following afternoon. Pearl
understood.
1t was during the short homeward
drive, alone, that there dawned upon
Pearl the grim significance Of the of
Tense for which her lover had been con-
victed. Already had the cause and pre-
dicament Of this brilliant young Amerl-
can officer been noised about. The
streets were unusually alert with peo-
pie. At corners under lamp-posts men
and women were grouping around news
boys. The name of Ralph Payne was
on everybody's lips. To her shame
Pearl heard her own linked with his by
a knot of wOrkmen ut a culvert over
which her car bounded.
I'm these perilous times, there amt
no tellln' who's a traitor and who's not.
Even she"
The words stung her. Toxic sudden
ly increased his speed and the car was
quickly out Of earshot.
But Pearl we'll knew that the times.
indeed. were perilous. for she could
not have been in her fathers house
hold and remained ignorant of national
affairs. The time had come when men
had ceased to speak In Jest Of the Tur-
tie bay incident, the Haitian uprising,
the Mexican brawl and Of our perplexl-
ties with all Latin-America. 1t was
well known that foreign men Of war,
In fighting trim, had for some time
been m~ysteriously patrolling the Carri-
bean and the Pacific; and the financial
and commercial intimacy of the south
.rn hemisphere, with Europe and the
lately had assumed n new and
disturbing aspect. Every day some
unexpected development in our for
eign relations was arising, exacting a
finesse, a more sharp finality.
4 greater precaution, harbingering no
one knew what form Of dlsputation yet
come In the preservation of national
independence.
The hour had arrived when some
thing more than the craft of our states
men was necessary to avert national
disaster. Agencies hostile, mysterious,
1nrecognizable, eluding detection, de
Tying effacement, infested the land,
lurking In every byway of public life.
trivial events in ordinary times
low took on a sinister meaning to those |
upon whose vigilance the protection Of |
4 country and It's people depended. 1t
vas a time when sober-minded men
we're beginning to practice with q rifle
n the back yard and women to gaze
lp0n their stalwart sons with tender |
born In fear Of sacrifice. The
BOSOM Of America, among young and
was inspired In q new and solemn
Pearl In her motor car reflected upon
hese things soberly. She sighed.
They rode past the celebrated CEN
raj railroad depot where the quick
yes of both perceived that the stage
# the nights drama had temporarily
Half a score of foreign diplo-
mats and a handful Of railroad en-
were surrounding a hearse. A
glance told them that in 1t was the
lead body of the Granadian ambassa-
Tor. Pearl marveled at the haste dis
In getting 1t out Of the coun-
ry.
On pnchln0 her rnSldnnnn rho fonnd |