Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-02-02

tNeulHS L WIFI up " NY ioolh dAach
dinner and, lighting a cigar, stood for
a moment at my window, which was
IN the north side of the hotel. Several
buildings were near, and from a VIM
dow of one of them l saw a puff of
smoke and heard a crack. There was
nothing to be seen in the window, for
the blinds were closed. If a shot had
been fired it must have been from be-
tween the Stats.
The occurrence did not make much
impression on me. but an hour later,
On going downstairs, | found the hotel
proprietor, the servants, the guests, all
horror stricken. On asking the cause
[ was told that General A. had been
shot by some one who had fired a bull
.et into his room through an open win
dow. Upon asking the time the affair
occurred l was told that 1t was about
nalf past s.
l knew perfectly well that 1 had
seen the smoke of the weapon that had
done the deed and could point out the
window from which it had been fired,
but l held my peace. Some n had
revenged a long list of barbarities WIS.,
tied upon those who had dared to at
tempt to build up an oppressed people,
and l was not interested In taking any
part in the affair. / inquired If it was
known from what point the shot was
fred and was told that 1t was believed
1t had come from a tree that grew
near the generals window. By this l
knew that / was the only person who
had witnessed the firing. By giving
the information l possessed the police
would have a description of the per-
son or persons occupying he room
from which the assassin had done the
work, and they would be pretty sure to
make the arrest. l confess that, SYM
pathizing with the revolutionists, l had
no intention of talking.
l was pleased, however, possessing
such a secret, that the time had come
for me to leave Mentone. My steamer
was due to sail from Genoa the next
morning, and l took a night train for
that city. l stood, shortly before sail
ing. on the upper deck looking at the
swarm of people, some hurrying
aboard, some going ashore, all infected
by that hustle usual to a steamer about
to leave port.
A girl came up the gangway whose
face was familiar to me. Where had
I seen her? 1t bothers one to see a
face without being able to place 1t,
and this case annoyed me more than
usual. However, since l could not rec
ollect where l had met her | ceased
to think about her, interesting myself
in other persons. We soon passed out
on to the bosom of the Mediterranean,
and l rejoiced at the prospect of get
ting home.
During the next few days l looked
for the girl whom l had been unable
to place, both on deck and in he din
ing saloon. I did not see her till we
had passed Gibraltar and steamed out
on to the Atlantic. Then one morning,
while walking on the highest Of all the
decks, where there were no other pas
sengers, l suddenly came upon her sit
ting in a chair leaning up against
a projection that shielded her from the
wind.
She turned white as a cloth.
At first l thought l would stop and
ask her where we had met, but b
turned her eyes away from me, and l
saw that either l had made a mistake
in thinking that l had known her or
she had no desire to continue the &C
duaintance. But why had the meet
ing with me SO affected her? l thought
over every one l had met ~abroad-sn-
deed. every one l had ever known-in
order to discover If there was any with
whom | had had trouble. No; the rec
ord was clear.
We stopped at Madeira and the
Azores. l did not see the girl again
till we had left the latter islands. But
| had thought a great deal of her, and
finally 1t suddenly flashed upon me
who she was and where l had met her.
She was the young person with whom
had walked from Interlaken to Thun.
After leaving the Azores I came upon
her, sitting on deck where l had first
seen her. / was about to pass her
when she smiled at me. OF course l
joined her.
"Now that we have touched at the
last European port" she said, II am
willing to make myself known to you.
We walked together one day in Swift
zerland."
"Is the costume you wore then or
the one you wear now your legitimate
dress?"
1.-THE one | wear now"
I waited for her to explain, but she
did not. So | said:
"Why have you deferred making
yourself known to meT'
Because / am a fugitive. Had l not
had confidence that you would not be-
tray me | should not have planned to
take this steamer. Yet | was obliged
to take 1t. You will not betray mef"
fTY1-~ IL -o,1 l-a.rry fhpk0 IF Won