The Elbert County tribune., 1917-08-24


drilled persistently and made familiar
with rifle practice"
''In other words, they are being made
into a private army OF trained men.
ready to be offered to the country's
service in event of war"
.Excellency-yes."
Il must see for myself. A dangerous
business. dangerous precedent
should many American captains of in
dustry adopt this scheme, the United
States will have a standing army too
soon. far too soon. We must find some
way to discourage this young woman
some way to sterilize her efforts to-
ward preparedness before she can
prove them practicable"
'Kato bowed assent. After another
moment Hurok dismissed him upon
his errand.
Within ten minutes the two, thor
oughly masked against recognition In
their motoring garments. left the
house and took their places-Kato at
the wheel-in a high-powered motor
car of the roadster type.
Tooling the car along in discreet rec.
ognition of traffic regulations as long
as they Travelled city streets. once they
had gained open country Kato drove at
pace which would have been fool
hardy in driver less adept.
For time. en- route, their way ran
parallel with railroad tracks. For as
much as a mile the roadster raced a
light special train. Then, admonished
by Hurokrs touch on his sleeve, Kato
modified the speed and permitted the
special to draw ahead. AS 1t did so
Huroki identified Enthusiastically the
slight, girlish figure that sat alone on
the observation platform.
So Patria Claiming was likewise
bound for Powder Townl
Even had he been without a mask
the face of the Japanese would have
betrayed no trace of emotion. Yet the
sight of the girl had set astir in him
dormant-dark passions bred of hatred
and chagrin. For, alone among the
many men and women with whom he
had come In contact in the course OF
long and active and varied career
Patria had proved stumbling-block to
his ambition, stubbornly opposing her
puny strength to his-and overcoming
him, perslstently thwarting his shrewd.
est schemes-and paying no penalty.
His arrangements were now all
made for furtive, unostentatious exit
from the country which Patrla had
made too hot to harbor him longer. He
was, in effect, being driven out by this
insignificant wisp of womanhood-out
lawed, failure. disgraced, in i'll favor
| with his emperor.
And he had been prepared to &C
without further attempt to balance his
score with Patria. But this accidental
| encounter-of which the girl had re
mained so serenely unconscious-made
him change his mind. Secretly he de
termined, before the special had
rounded q bend ahead and vanished
from his view upon one final essay
to avenge his wrongs ere he fed.
An hour later 1t stood empty viii
engine idle on a by-road near the sum
NIT of hill overlooking the little val
ley in which lay Powder Town. Twen
| ty feet above it, in the cover of 6
group of trees on the hilltop, Hurok
and Kato were looking down into tn,
valley, with the aid of binoculars, tht
japanese reading plain confirmation OF
all the newspaper alleged concerning
Patria's activities in the cause of pre-
paredness.
On the open space that lay between
the group of factory buildings and the
town, upwards of five hundred mer
In semlunlform and bearing arms were
performing evolutions with snap ant
precision that spoke well for Donalc
PARIS system of training.
Huroki's face darkened.
Down the road from the railway sta
| tion came motor-car. In 1t sat Patrif
| Charming. AS 1t appeared the men In
training responded quickly to snapped
orders and arrayed themselves in long
\ ranks for review, presenting arms as
the car came to pause at little dis
tance before them.
Allghting, Patria was welcomed by
Captain Parr and group of officers.
After walking the length of the front
ranks, Patrla returned to the motor
car and took from the tonneau an OBJ
ject resembling, at a distance a pole