The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-05-12

works, lurked in the offing with ears
a-prick for every hint and every syl-
liable of incautious gossip. Inevitably
there dawned a day when the news
was bruited to the world.
1t was the day preceding that on
which Patria purposed starting, In her
private car for the border ranches, to
see for herself what was the truth
about the situation in the Southwest,
as we'll as to inspect her flying corps,
take personal instruction in aviation,
and supervise such preparations
against armed invasion as might, in
her judgment and Donald's, be deemed
wise.
What was really going on along the
border and south of it was masked in
rumor, misinformation and official GEN.
sorship. The country's half-trained and
~ill-equipped militia had been modified
and transported to the Southwest fol-
lowing which it had accomplished-by
all reports-precisely nothing.
To look into these conditions, then,
to find out for herself how grave the
dohSCI was vi Ndol LIN
| prospective withdrawal of the Ameri-
can troops from Mexican territory,
and to make due provision to protect
her own properties-since she would
in all probability be prevented by ad-
ministrative ukase from extending
such protection to others-was the
main purpose of Patria's contemplated
journey.
And because she had become one of
the widely advertised personalities in
the United States, since her accession
to sole control of Channings, Inc, she
had caused her plans to be made with
all possible secrecy.
None the less they had become pub
lie property. While she dressed for
her last trip to Powder Town, to re-
view her employees there, a newspaper
story advised her that she could hope
to make few moves without the know
ledge of the people.
Beneath a portrait of herself, in dis
play headlines, she read:
Miss Patria Charming
HiiSfi%do oNI NIdRRt
who is rapidly converting her extern
sive arms and ammunition factories
into armed camps, forsakes society to
safeguard her vast properties in the
SouthWest-is reported to have said
she will spend 500, o0o, 900 to protect
this country against peril Of Japanese
influences in Mexico.
Over this the girl shook an exasper-
ated head.
She made no doubt but that Baron
Huroki-presuming that he were still
in hiding somewhere within the radius
of metropolitan newspaper circulation
was reading with keen interest that
salf-same story.
And she was right.
Many miles away, in a dead little
house in a dead little side street in Jer-
sey City, seated on the floor of an
apartment cunningly transformed by
means of screens into the semblance
Of a room in a japanese house-a room
from which every ray of daylight was
jealousy excluded-Huroki was curl.
ing his lip wei the headlines which
made Patria's secrets his, and all the
worlds to boot.
But when he had finished reading
the sneer had faded from his face, 9
cast of thoughtfulness replacing it.
For many minutes he sat bordering
as still and immobile as n of the
craven gods which, secretly, he wor
shipped. When at length he moved, il
was merely to clap his palms together
thrice; this done, he relapsed into
movelessness. Nor did he stir so much
as to turn his head when his summons
was answered.
A cringing, servile creature in Jap
anese robes slipped noiselessly into the
room and stood at attention, announ
cling himself by n word in his native
tongue:
Huroki thought for another momen
before he spoke.
"What are today's reports, Kato?"
'They say that we are APPARENT.
safe. All efforts at pursuit have beef
abandoned. The Claiming girl is a
her hotel in New York. Captain Par
spends most of his time in the Chan
ming factories near Powder Town. /
is certain that no sort of watch is be
ing kept upon this house; not one
since we took cover here has n o
the Claiming investigators %approache'
this neighborhood."
The baron nodded a~pprovingly.
"Order my roadster to the door
Fetch busters, caps and google mask
for yourself and me-"
st is an order"
Kato said no more, and his tone wa
colorless yet in the barely perceptibl
hesitation he evidenced about putin
these orders into effect, Huroki sense
an unuttered criticism: Was this wis
on his part?
In response he touched the newspt
, per on the floor beside him.
"You have read this story, Kato?"
"Excellency-yes."