Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1917-03-02


IS the American girl known as Pearl
Of the Army You will unmask.
messieurs!' But his own hands did
not move.
Pearl made a false step. "You, sir,
first Of all - she ordered sharply and
forgetful of the door advanced toward
him. He retreated. She continued to
advance. Before she realized her mis-
take the Foreign Alliance who had
come forward and were edging toward
the door crowded against 1t In u sud-
den and daring dash.
Pearl raised her hand with every
intention of dashlng the bomb violent
ly on the floor. Frigid with fright
they waited for her to make good her
threat, when the leader Of the Foreign
Alliance quietly removed his mask and
revealed the sober features Of T. y.
Adams.
Pearl was speeches.. The Ameri-
can munltlon manufacturers whispered
wonderlngly among themselves. The
crowd Mt the door stood aghast and
bolted before the girl recovered her
wits.
Don't fire the bomb, g-girl !" yelled
Adams rs Pearl fled after them and
he followed quickly on her heels. ut
amt necessary. You'll spoil 1t a-all
IL you do"
She did not hear him. A rain OF
bullets, from which direction no one
ever knew, whlzzed around Adams and
the girl. Pearl, losing her head, threw
the bomb into the gangway.
The explosion that followed sound
ed like the boom Of a thousand can
nons. The vessel shot out of the wa
ter, torn into Spllnters which flew In
every direction. Pearl went down
struggling in the arms Of someone
not Adams. a..
When she opened her eyes she was
lying In her fathers arms amid the
ruins Of the steamboat landing where
n great crowd, including soldiers from
the barracks, had assembled.
"How did you get here so soon?'
she asked in u weak whisper.
adams tipped me off, dear. Thank
heavens you are unhurt!" He carried
her toward the automobile where Toxic
uttered an exclamation Of great re-
lief and JOY when he saw her.
adams r echoed Pearl when they
were seated in the car. "Why, he Is
the Silent Menace, father"
The colonel merely smiled.
"But how did you get in the boxT"
he asked, hardly able to credit the
story she now related.
Pearl could not tell him and many
weeks passed before the truth became
known. The ride home was finished
In silence.
Toxic helped the colonel to carry
Pearl into the house and up the stairs
to her bedroom. Major Brent. who had
arrived, was pacing the study floor.
He was pale from the effects of the
drug Of the night before. His eyes
were restless, rowing from n object
to another in the room. Finally, he
tiptoed to the door and listened. The
only sounds he heard came from the
region above. The lower portion of
the house was for the time being de-
serted. He hurried to the safe, fell en-
his knees and knowing the combina-
ton opened 1t. He rummaged through
the contents and coming across the
Canal defense plans, opened and be-
gun to study the apparently blant.
surface Of the paper In which the III
visible writing was hidden.
Something caused him to raise his
head quickly. Smiling down at him
was 7. o. Adams.
81 knew I'd g-glt you some day"
casually remarked the colonel's order
ly. "Give me them plans" He shoYeG
Il revolver into Brent'S face.
Without a word, though his eyes
gllttered volumes, Brent slowly hand
ed the plans to Adams.
Halt" cried a voice behind them,
Grlm-ylsaged Toxic stood Ia the door
way. leveled gun In hand
(END OF NINTH EpIS0DEl .