Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-07-06
and
ROBERT WELLS
RITCHIE

spire called the signal tower. AS he
climbed the winding stairway to his
newly assigned post Woodhouse had
seer painted on a small wooden door
just below the he was to occupy
the single white letter ID"
Room D-where the switches were,
where a single sweep Of the hand
could loose all the hidden death out
there in the crowded harbor-it lay di-
rectly below his feet.
He had much time for thought, and
much to think about
Yesterdays scene in the library of
Government House-his grilling by the
two suspicious men, When a false an
swer on his part would have been the
first step toward a firing squad. Yes.
and what had followed between him
self and the little American-the girl
who had protected and aided him-ah.
the pain Of that trial was hardly less
poignant than he'd been the terror of
the one preceding it. She had asked
him to prove to her that he was not
what she thought him. But before an
other day was past she would be out
Of his life and would depart, believing
yes, convinced-that the task he had
set himself to do was a dishonorable
n c. She could not know that the sol
diers Of the hidden army have claim to
heroism no less than they who Join
battle under the sun. But he was to
see Jane Gerson nce more; Wood
house caught at this circumstance as
something precious. Tonight at Gov
eminent House Lady Crandalls dinner
to the refugee Americans on the eve of
their departure would offer a last op-
portunity. How could he turn it to the
desire Of his hearth
One more incident of a crowded yes
terday gave Woodhouse a crust for
rumination-the unmasking JHimihr
Khan, the Indian, had elected for him
self at that critical minute when 1t lay
in his power to betray the stranger in
the garrison. The captain reviewed
the incident with great satisfaction
how of a sudden the willy Indian had
changed from an enemy holding a
mans life in his hand to that friend
In Government House. of whose exist
o=eS tho eaptious-A zner had hiatcd,
but whose identity he had kept con-
cealed- Almer had said that this
friend could lay his hand on the
combination to room d In the signal
tower when the proper moment ar
rived. Now that he knew Jaimihr
Khan In his true stripe Woodhouse
made nc doubt of his ability to fulfill
Almer's prophecy.
And the proper moment would be
this night! Tonight, on the eve of the
great fleets sailing, what Woodhouse
had come to Gibraltar to do must be
accomplished or not at all.
Lady Crandall's dinner In government
house was in full tide of hilarity. I'm
der the heavy groined ceiling the spread
table, with its napery and silver, was
the one spot of light In the long shad-
owed dining room. Round 1t sat the
r~efugees-folk who had eaten black
bread and sausage and called that a
meal, who had lodged and twisted un-
er the careless scourge of a war be-
yond their understanding and sympa-
thies, ridden in springless carts, been
bullied and hectored by military mar
tinets and beggared by panicky banks.
Now with the first glimpse of freedom
already In sight and under the warm
ing influence of an American hostess
real American meal they were swept
off their feet by high spirits almost
childlike. Henry J. Sherman, Kewa-
nee's vagrant son returning from pain
full pilgrimage, sat at the right OF Lady
Crandall. His pink face was glowing
with humor. To Consul Reynolds, who
swore he would have to pay for thus
~neglecting his consulate for SO much
as two hours, had fallen the honor of
escorting Mrs. Sherman to table. Willy
Kimball, polished as to shirt bosom
lone but the blithe Kitty. Next to
General Crandall sat Jane Gerson, ra-
diant in a dinner gown of tricky gauze
overlaid on silk. At her right was
Captain Woodhouse In proper uniform
dinner coat faced with red and gold.
OF the whole company Woodhouse
alone appeared constrained. The girl
ny LIS SluG AdO DCCn (OOl III AGI SIttI-
ing that evening. To his conversa-
tional sallies she had answered with
Indifference, and now at table she d.
vided her favors between General
Crandall and the perky little consul
across the table. 1t seemed to Wood
house that she purposely added a lash
of cruelty to her JOY at the approach
ing departure on the morrow.
The talk turned to art, and the man
from Kewanee even had the stolid gen
eral wiping the tears from his eyes by
the description and criticism of some
of the masters his wife had trotted him
around to admire.
willy, you'll be interested to know
We got a painter in Kewanee now"
Henry j. cried. Member young
Frank Coales-old Henry COales' son?
Well, he turned out to be an artist.