Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-08-10

dumbfOunding communication
"The left shoulder strap and the
looket reveal the hiding place Of
the secret Take the zip In time"
Payne, his senses reeling, wondered
deliriously whether he had suddenly
become insane. For, the writing was
in his own hand and upon his private
stationery.
He looked dumbly at his grip on the
floor, wherein his personal letter paper
and envelopes were securely locked.
An eternity Of moments passed, It
seemed to him, before he heard the
voice Of the secretary Of war at the
other end Of the telephone, into which
he found himself shouting, with the re-
celver jammed against his ear.
Yes, except himself, every member
Of the special council Of the general
army staff was still in secret session !
"What is wrong with you, anyhow"
querulously inquired the ~secretary's
voice.
"Hold them There's a leakl' cried
Payne, showing the telephone aside.
His eyes flashed about the room.
The door had been locked. The win
dow screens were securely fastened on
the inside. The place seemed not to
have been disturbed, nor had the locks
on any Of his baggage been broken
and an examination revealed every
thing to be as he had himself packed
before leaving the post. He sat down
and on an identical sheet Of paper
copied in a daze the OminOus and mys-
terious language Of the original.
Holding both sheets before him, his
own eyes could not distinguish any
difference In the penmanship. Amazed
and troubled beyond expression, he
thrust the original and duplicate into
his pocket and fastened ont Of the
room. While waiting for the elevator
he looked at Ms tlmepiece. 1t was ex-
actly 1850 p. m. Ten minutes later he
stood pale and tense before the secre-
tary Of war and his fellow members Of
the general army staff, extending the
scrawls for their inspection while he
recited the circumstances In short SEN
fences.
"The thing itself, sir, is incredible I"
he exclaimed, shrilly. "But my own
handwritingI That caps the climax"
ut does, indeed, cap the climax" ut
tered the secretary of war, dryly.
Some hours later Payne recalled the
singular emphasis upon these words.
"The disappearance of the paralyzed
man just reported has something to do
with this" quickly i%nterposed Colonel
Dare, placing a kindly hand upon the
shoulder Of his perturbed young Off
Ger. I'VE will nip this plot in the bud,
for a plot 1t must be. Let Captain
Payne have every freedom of action
from now until the departure Of his
train for New Orleans tonight and we
will have him Swallowed by the entire
secret service force If necessary"
Then he outlined a procedure which
vas faithfully adhered to by Payne In
every detail.
He returned Immediately to his room
in the hotel. Closing the transom over
the door and drawing the window
blinds he t%elephoned in a hurry for his
full-dress uniform and another suit
which that morning had been sent to
the valet for pressing, for the Dare
dinner hour was near. He removed his
coat, hanging 1t on a clothes tree d.
rectly in front Of the window. Into
one of the pockets he dropped the
locket, laying his watch and chain up
on the bureau. In a little while the
valet arrived, carrying clothing on
both arms. Smoothing the trousers of
Payne's two suits upon the bed as
directed by the captain, he secured the
coats to the pins Of the tree, while
Payne was diving his hands in his
pockets for a tip. Presently, complete
ly attlred for the evening, Payne put in.
a call for a cab and, approaching the
window, threw up the blinds.
He smiled family as he looked
through the window. AS had been
planned, on the ninth floor Of the
building on the opposite side of the
street were numbers Of men Of the
secret service staring into his room,
every detail of which was visible to
their location. Payne significantly
tapped the left shoulder strap of the
coat upon the tree, assuring himself
that the document was hidden there.
He put his hand into the coat pocket,
took the locket out, held it in the light
so that it could be seen by the watch
ers, and replaced it. He turned to see
If they had observed his action. They
gestured in the affirmative. Then he
departed, locking the door.
In rooms across the corridor and In
those adjoining his own also were Sc
cret service men, who noticed his de-
parture with significant interest.
Payne left the hotel quite ut ease,
eager to be with Pearl. The secrets
left behind in his uniform were sur
rounded by an i|mpregnable Gordon of
protection.
] Pearls dinner passed Off without af-