Charlevoix county herald., 1917-05-18


assuring clasp. she knew that he was
making the master EFFORT of his life
for self,control.
They stood talking briefly, incoher-
emily. 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 limo
cence Pearl with u sob turned aside,
he could not resent the inference that
she was not quite sure.
A moment later she was gone. II
his heart fiuttered 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 jiffy, Payne"
holly assured Bainbridge, the senior,
scarcely before he was inside the door.
Somebody will pay for this damnabie
outrage. The government seems to have
lost Its head entirely"
Payne, bored, motioned them to sit
down.
II want To talk to you about my
WILL said he briefly. you can draw
II 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 to permit the latter to aiight,
he fingered at the side of the machine
holding his daughters hand tightly.
BE brave, girl. Remember that you
are a 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 Ameri-
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 eRerybody's lips. To her shame
Pearl heard her own linked with his by
knot OF workmen at a culvert over
which her car bounded.
in these perilous times, there amt
no tellin' who's 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 well 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 perplexi-
ties with all Latin-America. 1t was
well known that 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
ern hemisphere. with Europe and the
Orient, lately had assumed q new and
disturbing aspect. Every day some
unexpected development In our for
eign relations was arising, exacting a
keener finesse, a more sharp finality,
a greater precaution, harbingering no
one knew what form Of disputation yet
to come In the preservation of national
independence.
The hodr had arrived when some
thing more than the craft Of our states
men was necessary to avert national
disaster. Agencies hostile, mysterious,
unacceptable, eluding detection, de-
flying effacement, infested the land,
lurking in every byway Of public life.
Even trivial events in ordinary times
now took on sinister meaning to those
upon whose vigilance the protection of
country and It's people depended. 1t
was a time when sober-minded men
were beginning to practice with 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 and
old, was inspired in a new and solemn
patriotism.
Pearl In her motor car reflected upon
these things soberly. She sighed.
They rode past the celebrated cen
trail railroad depot where the quick
eyes Of both perceived that the stage
of the nights drama had temporarily
shifted. Half a score of foreign diplo-
mats and a handful of railroad EN-
plOyees were surrounding hearse. A
glance told them that In 1t was the
dead body Of the Granadian ambassa-
dor. Pearl marveled at the haste dis
played In getting 1t out Of the coun-
try.
On reaching her residence she found
the house shut up for the night. Dis
missing Toxic, who proceeded at once