The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1917-04-05
Capt Ralph Payne Reasonable Conspiracy


as, with the wife of the chief of staff.
he entered the ballroom. From Colo
mel Dare, l believed"
Hardly had these words been spoken
when Major Steele of the army intelli-
gence bureau stepped up to Payne.
Colonel Dare. in the ambassadors IL
brary. desires to see you-alone," he
said, with quiet composure, looking at
Payne, avoiding Pearls inquiring eyes.
Payne. concealing the irritation he
| felt, turned to Pearl TO excuse himself;
but she insisted upon accompanying
him.
Here Major Steele interposed an OBJ
| lection. which she would not hear. She
had her own way. In spite of Major
Steele's cold and forbidding attitude
she followed him into the library on
the arm of her now uneasy lover.
At first neither comprehended the
tragic scene upon which their attention
fell. Major Steele closed and locked
the door, standing rigidly, his hand on
the knob BY massive writing stand,
/
i figure of the colonel. The Granadlan
ambassador sat in q chair, his head
bowed in one arm as though he were
sleeping. In his other hand, resting on
the stand, he held pen, the ink on
which was still fresh. Under 1t lay an
unfinished letter.
Payne. as if in horrible nightmare.
/ hot a Oh To
none other than himself \ groan of
abject horror escaped his lips.
Dear Payne" the terrifying lam
guage began;
MY country thanks you. but too
late. There Is no alternate for me but
TO die Farewell, my
why he glared wildly about the
room. In that moment his heart
seemed to have stopped beating. His
eyes fell upon the ambassador. He
saw that he was dead.
Colonel Dare now spoke, mechanical
~. Major Steele" he said, turning to
that grim officer, for the time being,
at least, absolute secrecy of this
frightful affair must be kept. Place
your most trusted men in charge" He
Pearl said he. with infinite sadness.
Il will ask you to go with us, now that
you are a witness here, to Captain
Payne's quarters at the Wilton"
Pearl often wondered afterwards
how she summoned the courage to go
through the remainder of this ordeal of
her life. She did not cry, neither did
| CHI E,4f e., Ha 30
splendid composure. Her mind became
blank. Her blood seemed to have
frozen in her veins. During the SEEM
ingly interminable ride to the hotel she
sat on the front seat by Toxic in a ter
rible calm. Her feelings seemed to
have left her entirely as, when they
stepped from the elevator on the ninth
floor of the Wilton, the party proceed
ed to Payne's rooms.
Only once did any flicker of hope re-
vive, and that was when Major Steele
was informed by the secret service
men awaiting Payne's return that no
one had approached his room during
his absence, which was corroborated
by the men posted across the street.
On entering Payne's room and fast
ening the door, Payne laughed little.
There, on the clothes tree, hung the
coat just as he had left IT.
The colonel lifted the coat from the
tree and passed it to Pearl, handing
her also a penknife. RIP open the
sleeve under the left shoulder strap
he requested, hardly able to conceal
his own feelings.
Pearl obeyed, smiling for under her
fingers she felt something secreted in
the cloth. Triumphantly she extracted
a sheet of paper and handed it to her
father, while from the coat pocket she
drew the locket.
THANK God !" cried Payne with an
excess of relieved emotions.
But upon Colonel Dare's countenance
there erept, as he examined the paper,
an expression of establishment and I'M
belief. mixed with contempt. For the
paper was not the army document; 1t
was a piece of ordinary newspaper.
His nervous fingers opened the locket.
He stared at an empty interior. The
waters We're gone!
pin drop might have been heard
in the ensuing silence. Colonel Dare,
drawing himself TO full height, turned
imperiously to Major Steele.
Captain Payne! !" exclaimed the lat
ter, frigldly. II arrest you on the
charge of reasonable conspiracy with
Granada against the United States"
The look of dumb anguish passed
from Payne's pale features. Il am not
guilty." he said solemnly. yet not
without resentment and bitterness.
(END OF FIRST EPISODE)