The Monticellonian., 1917-04-12

|
An Episode in Major Brent's Past.
| dence of her presence for the intruder
skillfully hiding his face turned i'm
medlately ard leaped through an open
window. making off in the shadows.
She was after him in a second. but
when she reached the ground he had
disappeared. Then the throbbing of
a motor attracted her to the street,
just in time to discover taxicab rae
ing away.
Her eyes now fell upon the car still
waiting in front of the house opposite.
The driver was fooling with the mag
neto. She ran to him, gesturing dra-
matically in the direction of the fast
fading red lights.
"Quiek, please. follow that ear. I'll
pay you any price I'm Miss Darei'
The driver shifted into gear before
she was fairly inside. She swung her
swaying body into the tonneau clos
ing the door with a bang. only to find
herself pinioned by pair of steel-cold
hands. Her outcry was unheard save
| by the mysterious man into whose
arms she had Unexpectedly fled.
Then again Pearl smelled chloro-
| form, and she experienced the terribly
ing sensation of falling.
She never knew what exactly trans
pired during the next thirty minutes
or so.
When her bewildered senses re-
turned she was lying among weeds in
an open lot somewhere in the sparsely
settled city outskirts.
The first object to strike. PEARLS
dazed eyes was the handkerchief
which had been used by the stranger
to reduce her to a helpless condition.
Then she saw heav. footprints in the
mud.
Under ordinary circumstances, Pearl
might have gone Immediately to head
quarters and told her story. But the
events of that night had made her I'M
usually wary, arousing a keen personal
responsibility in following any clue
which might bring disclosures.
| Accordingly she set out at once to
trace the movements of the fleeing as
saiant which was not difficult in the
| moon.
Now followed a long interval Of
wandering through district which be-
came more and more desolate. But
! presently her perseverance was re-
warded. A little off in the distance.
on an elevation stood a dilapidated
frame shack belonging to an aban-
doned stone quarry toward which two
men in guarded haste crawled up the
hillside. From behind an old tree
stump Pearl, eraning her neck. saw
them enter and quickly close the door.
Smothering an exclamation she dart
ed in the direction of the shack.
Ten minutes afterward she, herself,
was inside this now notorious haunt,
cropping against rough board walls.
The darkness seemed to be augment
ed by the very stiffness of the place
but gradually she discerned a rickety
wooden stairway ending through an
open trap door in loft.
She was starting to ascend when
|
there cleaned faint ray of light
Stepping hastily down, Pearl peeped.
The interior was not entirely within
her range but the scene she beheld
half startled her out of her wits.
Seated about a bare table were a
number of men of distinguished for
eign appearance. In the fitful illumi-
nation of an oil lamp. their faces were
not recognizable although she was
sure that the object of her search was
among them. She could not see his
face, however. Whoever he was. he
was obviously their leader and spokes-
man and very superior person to
whom they paid deep respect.
This man was exhorting his cohorts
very earnestly.
| Guarding her emotions lest they be-
tray her Pearl pressed closely against
the wall, straining her ears at the
crack in the board. She grew tense.
Her eountenanee registered blank
amazement.
His voice was musical, yet blunt
and virile. "Messieurs. now is the
time to strike when her golden vaults
are full for America, treasurer Of the
world. is tottering to her downfall"
Pearl paled, every nerve in her body
tingling.
A murmur ran through the assembly.
The speaker continued impressively !:
"Our combined armies outnumber hers
and our fleets outrange her heaviest