Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1918-05-30
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closed, as he had anticipated, O'Reilly
proceeded to the doctors residence.
There was some delay when ne rang
the bell, but eventually the dentist
himself appeared. O'Reilly recognized
him from his resemblance to his
brother. He addressed him in English.
II come from Felipe" he began. "He
well remembers the day you whipped
him to keep him from going to the
Ten Years. war;"
The languor Of Doctor Alvarado's
siesta vanished. He started, his eyes
widened.
"Who are your" he muttered.
my name is O'Reilly. am an Amer
lean, a friend, so don't be alarmed.
The man you see approaching is fol-
lowing me, but he thinks have come
to you with a toothache."
what do you want2"
II want your help In joining the in
surrectos."
By this time the detective had come
within earshot. Making an effort at
self-possession, the dentist said: every
well. 1 will meet you at my office in
half-hour and see what can be DONE"
Then he bowed.
o'Reilly raised his hat and turned
away.
Doctor Alvarado's dentists chair
faced full-length window, one Of sew
eral which, after the Cuban fashion,
opened directly upon the sidewalk, rem
dering both the waiting room and the
office almost as public as the street
itself. Every one Of these windows
was wide open when Johnnie arrived;
but 1t seemed that the dentist knew
what he was about, for when his pa
tient had taken his seat and he had
begun an examination of the trouble
some tooth, he said, under his breath:
II, too, am watched. Talk to me in
English. When 1 press, thus, upon
your gum, you will know that someone
is passing. Now, then, what is the
meaning Of your amazing message
from FelipeT
While Doctor Alvarado pretended to
treat perfectly sound molar, Johnnie
managed, despite frequent Interrupt
tons, to make known the reason and
circumstances of his presence.
'But there are no rebels around
here" Alvarado told him. "You could
escape to the country, perhaps, but
what then7 Where would you go?
How would they know who you are?"
"That's what want to find out"
The Cuban pondered. you'll have
to go to Puerto Principe" he said at
length. sour men are operating in
that neighborhood, and my brother Ig-
nacio will know how to reach them.
I'll give you a message to him, similar
to the one you brought me from Fe-
lipe." Then he smiled. "Tve just
thought of the very thing. Years ago
I lent him a book which particularly
priced, and one of his children dam
aged it. was furious. I declared
would never lend him another, and
never have. Now, then, I'll give you
that very volume; hand it to him and
say that I asked you to return it to
him."
O'Reilly thanked him, promising to
use every precaution in delivering the
message. The next morning he paid
Carbajals score and took the train
to the interior. In his bag was Tomas
Alvarado's precious volume, and in the
same coach with him rode the secret
service man.
In its general features Puerto Prin-
=, cipe differed little from the other Gu
ban cities O'Reilly knew. 1t was COM
pactly built, it was very old and it
looked its centuries. Its streets were
particularly narrow and crooked, hav-
ing been purposely laid out in LADY,
rinthine mazes, so the story goes, in
order to fool the pirates.
AS he sat in a cafe, slipping an or
angeade, he heard someone speaking
an atrOcious Spanish, and looked up to
see that another American had en-
tered! The stranger was a tall, fune-
real young man, with pallid cheeks and
hollow, burning eyes. QReilly stepped
over to the table and introduced him
self. "The hotel keeper in Neuvitas
, told me I'd find you here" he said
"Your name is"
Branch; Leslie Branch. So Carba.
jail said you'd find me here, Ell? Oh
the greasy little liar. He didn't believe
1t. He thought his cooking would have
killed me, long ago, and it nearly did,
This time Mr.. Branch's bony frame
. underwent genuine shudder and his
!, face was convulsed with loathing
"Carbajars in the secret service. Nice
fat little spy"
, $50 1 suspected"
Mr.. Branch's beverage appeared al
/ this moment. With flourish the
waiter placed a small glass and q
bottle Of dark liquid before him
3 Branch stared at it, then rolled @
: fiercely smoldering eye upward.