Gilpin observer., 1917-04-12

| sWitcheu OIL tne pOrcn light and they
all went indoors.
In the hall Colonel Dare turned tc
Bertha. "This telegram of Brent's
may necessitate change in my own
plans," he stated in a troubled voice
ut was the intention Of the war office
to have Brent leave on solitary mis-.
sion. shall probably now be Obliged
to accompany him. Will you remain
and look after things here-and Toxic? ??
II will do anything you ask, Colonel
Dare" replied Bertha, earnestly.
He took her by the hand. God bless
you'll" he murmured, fervently. Then
I he followed Brent into the library and
she returned to the porch.
"Those instructions, Major Brent
said the colonel to his subordinate who
was inspecting the seals on the docu-
| ment he held in his hand, "were not to
be opened until you arrive at your des-
tination. They were to remain a Sc
| cret until then. You were to leave in
the morning and, as you will note on
the envelope, sail from New York di-
rect to the canal. This warning com
pletely upsets this schedule. I shall
ask the war office for permission to
go with you, changing our route"
And he hurried to the telephone and
called the residence of the chief of
the army staff.
When he left the telephone five min
utes later he turned to the now ex-
cited major: you heard the CONVEX
sation. We will outwit the Silent
Menace, Major Brent. If my daughter
is in his power, we will save her. The
instructions need no longer remain un-
sealed. We think we have found the
weakness in our military defense Of the
canal. Your document contains an
elaborate plan whereby mines can be
sunken at certain locations to destroy
any hostile ship or fleet of ships by
subterranean cable connection on land.
After most careful survey of our
charts of the canal we have concluded
that these locations are identical with
those in the stolen Canal Defense plans
in possession of the Silent Menace.
We will go to the canal and lay these
mines before the Silent Menace can
possibly intercept us. Then, let him
arrive! How soon can you be ready
to go?"
'sTonight!''
The colonel nodded approval. "At
once! Our swiftest submarine lies
at anchor in the Atlantic widewaters.
We shall motor there and sail before
daybreak!"
"Ill be ready in half an hour, colo
mel! !" cried Brent, saluting and making
hasty exit.
Thus began the beginning of the un-
ravelling of the mystery of the Silent
Menace. Unknown to Pearl Dare and
7. o. Adams confined in tramp steam
er somewhere on the sea, eleventh
hour succor lurked beneath the waters
and advanced to meet them ut their
destination upon arrival.
1t was curious race against time
and horrible uncertainties. Hardly
had the BIG submersed off the Vir-
ginia capes than by undersea wireless
the colonel and the major were ad-
vised of the sinking Of the submarine
of the Foreign Alliance in the Chesa-
peake flats, with the destruction of all
enue cutter to which PEARLS bottled
message was delivered in time to act
The colonel grew frantic in the fear
that Pearl was among the lost. But
Brent held q different view. 1t was
his opinion that the Silent Menace
would not expose himself to danger
now that the crisis hour was at hand
that he was really travelling to the
canal on q tramp steamer which by
his master conniving had safely and
without question cleared" from some
one Of the unsupported bay ports and.
gotten by the look-outs into open wa
ter; that he would not take the chance
of harm Detailing Pearl, If only for
sentimental reasons, or of Pearl find
ing out too much.
Sentimental reasons?" echoed Colo
mel Dare in the midst of Brent's argu-
ment.
Brent repeated the phrase. adams.
sir, is in love with your daughter"
"But Adams is not the Silent Men
ace, Major Brent!"
Meanwhile, and for solitary days and
nights, Pearl Dare was confined in her
stateroom on board the queer craft to
which, she firmly believed, Adams had
lured her that night in the Potomac
at Washington.
During this time she saw Adams
twice and no one else at all. On both
occasions he came to her stateroom
greatly excited and begged her to be-
lieve in him though he offered no ex-
pianatlon nor excuses.
"You g-got to wait till Tn dead
s-sure of something I'm getting on to
in t-this here ship. VIII you walt
g-girl? am n prisoner just like you.