The Carlisle independent., 1917-05-17

time Cleo struggled frantically to free herself. Slowly. sullenly, reluctantly, i the marsh monster released its prey and Hook dragged her to the banks and to safety. To extract Hope was not so easy. for, owing to his greater weight, he had sunk into the bog al- most to his armpits, but at last, after repeated attempts. Hook and Cleo sue ceeded in effecting his rescue.
 Late that afternoon mob of cheer ing townsmen surged up the main street of Santa Eulalia bearing on its shoulders a weary, very mud-stained but very beautiful girl and two equally weary and mud-stained men. Cleo Burke, whose mysterious disappear ance had aroused the whole country side, whose pictures and description were on the walls of every police sta- ton and post office in the state, had been found.
 The repeated and utter failures of Mahlin and Satsuma to gain posses sion of the secret of the submarine finally drove their employers to ex- asperation, and harsh measures were | decided upon. The spies were sum- moned before the black council, the executive body of the secret service of their government. The meeting was held in the council chamber amid black trappings and ghastly reminders of the ffate that awaited treachery or failure. A grave assembly of masked figures listened eoldly while their chief, the only one whose identity was not hid- den behind black mask, questioned Mahlin and Satsuma regarding their activities in pursuit of the much-de- sired secret. Their explanation failed to satisfy. The decision of the coun- ell was announced coldbloodedly and emphatfcally by the chief. They must secure the secret within the next four weeks or death would be the penalty
 
 Upon their return to San Francisco, Hope found awaiting him at his hotel an official envelope bearing the fami- liar heading of the navy department. The letter it contained, which was marked Strictly Confidential" was signed by an official high in the bureau of naval intelligence.
 "As you are perhaps aware" the letter concluded, there exists at the moment between the United States and certain power whose name it is unnecessary to mention, situation of the utmost gravity. This power is con- vinced that we have permitted our navy to deteriorate to such an extent that hostilities could be inaugurated against us with a reasonable chance of sue cess. t is no exaggeration, therefore, to assert that the discovery of Doe tar BJ-''ze :, f91Il1la may save this na- tion from invasion. Under these cir cumstanees there is no need for me to urge you to prosecute the search with the utmost energy. The safety of the United States may well depend upon your success"
 "We must- lose a minute in con- tinuing the search" said Cleo de cisively when Hope showed her the letter.
 But I thought we were to be married this week. dearest" he demurred.
 'sThe wedding can wait for few days" she answered. "There is too much at stake for us to think of any, thing but the discovery of the secret"
 But it will only take few hours for us to obtain a license and find clergyman" urged Hope. "Surely we can wait that long,"
 You don't think that I'm going to be married without wedding gown and a trousseau, do you?" she demand ed. 'Because if you do you are sadly mistaken. I only expect to be married once and I've set my heart on having the things that other girls have. Our happiness can wait for a few days, dearest" she added persuasively. "Our country comes first"
 You're perfectly right, dear" agreed Hope, secretly applauding her patriotic stand. "We will take up the search again at once. There are only five books still to find and the missing philosophy must be one of them."
 "Whose name is next on the list?" she asked.
 Joaquin Romero" he answered.
 Not the poet and naturalist?' she eagerly inquired.
 '"The same"
 "The man who writes those wonder full poems about the forest and the flowers and the birds?"
 That's the man."
 "He has cabin, I understand. in the High Sierras. He lives there so that he can study nature at first hand"
 "We will pay visit to Mir. Romero" she announced. q love his poems and I've always wanted to meet him."
 To reach Romero's Sierran home took them a day by the train and an other day on horseback, but when at last they reached 1t they understood why the famous poet-naturalist had chosen such remote location, for the long, low building of logs which he modestly referred to as his "cabin" was shaded by a magnificent group