Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-08

too keeniy feel the natural embarrass-
ment. As he held her hand In d re-
assuring clasp. she knew that he was
making he master effort Of his life
for II -sontrol.
They stood talking briefly, incohcr-
emily. Looking into each others eyes,
they say 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-
enc Pearl with a sob turned aside,
he could not resent the inference that
she was no quite sure.
A moment later she was gone. III
his heart luttered when he heard her
receding footballs on the narrow stone
passagcway. he gave no sign, receiv-
ing In un astonishing calm his personal
attorneys who were now arriving on
some matters Of business.
you'll be out in u Jiny, 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 r.
Payne, bored, motioned them to sit
down.
Il want TO talk to you about my
WILL" said he briefly. you can draw
It UP tomorrow and mail Ii for my sig
nature"
The lawyers seated themselves
heavily. cambridge 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 10 permit the latter to alight,
he fingered at the side of the machine
nolding his daughters hand tightly.
"Be brave, girl. Remember that you
are a Dare to whom America stands
irst." Turning away. he mumbled
something about not seeing her until
ate in the following afternoon. Pearl
understood.
IL was during the short homeward
lrive. alone, that there dawned upon
Pearl the grim significance OF the or
Tense for which her lover had been con-
yicted. Already had the cause and pre-
iicamcnt of this brilliant young Amcri-
can officer been noiscd about. The
streets were unusually alert with pco-
nle. At corners under lamp-posts men
and women were grouping around news
boys. The name of Ralph Payne was
ON nx-npxtnI,'a Itnc II hAn chm ~
Pearl heard her own linked with his by
a knot Of workmen at a oulvert over
which her car bounded.
In these perilous times. there amt
no tellin' who's n traitor and who's not.
Even She"
The words stung her. Toxic sudden
~ increased his speed and the car was
quickly out Of carshot.
But Pearl well knew that the times.
indeed. were pcrilous. for she could
not have been I'm her fathers house
hold and remained ignorant of national
affairs. The time had come when men
had ceased 10 speak in jest Of the Tur-
lie bay incident, the Haitian uprising.
the Mexican brawl and Of our perplexi-
ties with oil Latin-America. IL was
well known hat foreign men Of war.
in fighting trim, had for some time
been mysteriously patrolling the Carri-
bean and the Pacific; and the financial
and commercial intimacy of the south
srn hemisphere. with Europe and the
Orient. lately had assumed Il new and
disturbing aspect. Every day some
unexpected development In our for
eign relations was arising. exacting a
keener finessc. a more sharp iinality.
a greater p%recaution. h~arbingering no
one knew what form OF, disputation yet
to come In the preservation OF national
independence.
The hour had arrived when some
thing more than the craft If our states
men vas necessary To avert national
disaster. Agencies hostile. mysterious.
unrccognizablc. eluding detection, de-
flying cifacement, infested the land,
lurking In every byway Of public life.
Even trivial events In ordinary times
now took on u sinister meaning tn those
upon whose vigilance the protection OF
4 country and its people depended 1t
was a time when sober-minded men
were beginning to practice with u rifle
IN the back yard and women TO gaze
upon their stalwart sons with tender
ness born in fear OF sacrifice. The
bosom Of America. among young aud
old, rs inspired in a new and solemn
patriotism.
Pearl in her motor car reflected upon
these things Soi,erly. She sighed.
They rode past the celebrated CEN
trail railroad depot where the quick
eyes OF both perceived that the stage
If the nights drama had temporarily
shifted. Half n score Of foreign diplo-
mats and n handful OF railroad en-
ployccs were surrounding a hearsc. A.
glance told them that in 1t was the
lead body Of the G%ranadlan ambassa-
1or. Pearl maryelcd mt the haste dis
played in getting il out Of the coun-
fry