Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-04-13

held Ii to her cheek and lips, her face
instinct with passionate yearning, then
slowly and timidly drew the string
back and forth, producing a succession
of short, jerky, rasping sounds, which
she gradually tempered and softened
Finally, firing of watching her, ] re-
sumed my pastime of drumming with
my fingers. Instantly she stopped, re-
garded me eagerly, then, sadly shaking
her head, dropped her crude piaything
In her lap.
What was the girl trying to do? A
look into her set, tense face secuted
the idea of anything SO trivial as a fir
tation. When l stopped drumming she
resumed her performances when I
drummed she was quiet, listening In
tently, but with evident dlsappoint-
ment. Giving up the riddle at last I
leaned back, with folded arms. I'm
mediately. with a uost inexplicable
look toward her father and toward me,
the girl across the aisle resumed, with
an air of desperate determination, the
same unvarying iteration Of sounds
and pauses until the performance be-
came almost intolerable. Indeed, 1t
was getting upon my nerves, and l was
contemplating In appeal to her father
when l stumbled into the light. Her
lei was making Its way not
upon my nerves alone, but upon IN In
ner consciousness, slowly responding to
the magic code. / began to follow and
analyzs that rhythmical succession of
sounds and pauses until l was able to
recognize, distinguish and translate
them. The girl across the aisle was
communicating through her crude play
thing telegraph messages to me!
Noting my expression, she stopped,
then flashed a significant glance to-
ward her father. Obeying her unspo-
ken injunction, l busted myself with a
book, but in a moment she was at work
again, and her message read:
81 am trying to speak to you. Do
you understands
My response was to cast a bewilder-
her face from me toward the window,
but l was on the alert for the next
message.
"Drum with you fingers on the arm
Of your seat as you did before. / a
read that Don't look at me-"
Here was the last link In the riddle.
I raped.
81 understand you. How can l help
your
This man who pretends l I'm crazy
Is not my father nor an old man-only
twenty-seven. Read again.
I raped Eyes," keeping my eyes on
M book. Then her improvised tele'
graph spoke again,
HE robbed my father, abducted me
and will force me to marry him as
soon as he is safe from capture. He
threatens TO kill me if l try to escape
or betraty him. His name is Jeremy
Saunders. Have you understood?"
Had 1? If I yer needed nerve it was
then. On my return home, defeated,
baf1ed, l found myself by a freak OF
fortune hot on the trail. Across the
aisle. so near that / could touch him,
yet so secure In his disguise that he
could mock me to my face, sat my
quarry, while to this girl, his prisoner,
had come the heaven sent inspiration
we both needed.
Steadying my fingers by an effort, ]
raped:
Eyes. Your name next. Will aid you
with my life"
81 am Alma Osgood," she responded,
1.-The m is Saunders sister. We
alight at Rochester, and unless help
comes quickly l am lost"
l consulted my time table. We would
reach Rochester In an hour.
"Do you fear arrest and temporary
detention?" l raped.
ST fear nothing that will free me
from this man." was the prompt re-
Spouse.
every good" 1 replied. IF in mortal
power l will free you. Say no more.
1t is risking too much"
As 1 raped the last words Saunders
flung down his paper.
BE lone with that internal din !" he
exclaimed. at is past all endurance"
"Yesw said the girl YEARLY. 1.-THE
tune won't come, and I'm sleepy" She
lay back, with closed eyes. and the
man turned to me.
"About time!" l calculated. viii
you have a cigar with me in the mol
ed? I'm feeling Il bit dotty myself
Thanks, 40. | dare not leave the
girl. This is the first outing for three
weeks. and | swear it will be tie
last"
81 don't blame you. Well, I'll have
a smoke and dispose of this thing"
took the toy gently from her lap.
Passing through the train to the
telegraph operators car, / sent a code
message to the Rochester authorities:
ARREST man, woman and girl alight-
ing from car Cumberland, train Al.
viii signal. Send man who knows me-
Farnham."
When 7 -of.1rnad RI NV coofi0n Miss