Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-29

face of Minna, the maid
A man had run past the shack shout
ing. Sounds of confusion driftcd in to
the dingy shack, and then Grant shifted
at the captain. His anxiety was re-
flected there. A glance down the crooked
street confirmed their worst suspicious
The town was on fire!
AS soon as the
knock had come on
the door of the for
HONEYWELL tune telling house
in Flames house Minna h
done a little guer-
rilla work and as
certained that the visitors were none she
wished to see. Her assumed slowness
and stubbornness had given Dollings
door of the house. where he had taken
refuge the night before. and down Uttered
alleys. despite the handicap of painful
wounds; His failure Of the night before
tion TO make good at the Job to which
he had been assumed. In his pocket re-
posed tiny book of numbered instruc-
tions. Instruction No. 4 was marked. 1t
was the one he was to carry out ac-
cording to Won Lertz's order:
Remember that a north wind will
blow fire toward the guncotton plant
and that Hopewell is a town OF shacks.
II necessary fire the town"
All day brisk breeze had been blow
Ing from the north. All things were
auspicious now, as night had fallen, and
he crept along. the piles of lumber and
hid In the shadows.
shed It's glow through an uncurtained
window Dollings sneaked close to the
house. The room was empty. In cor
ner a long clothespole rested against
unwieldy piece and in a momsnt more
had thrust the pole through the window
and knocked the lighted lamp to the
floor. A light Of triumph glinted in his
evil eyes as, not daring to wait to see
the result of his handiwork, he hobbled
hurr!edly away. He heard a scream
and looking back saw black cloud of
smoke e bilIowins oYs o., Of the % wind9T; nc ~
shack had burst into bright flame and
the hastily formed. bucket brigade Of
Hopewell was laboring In vain to check
@ next % door eausht re, the the Win Wind blew the the
cinders about and they fell on other
shacks. the devouring terror spread
rapidly to the southwark famed by the
brisk wind-southward to the guncotton
factory.
The bright glare of the burning town
lighted up the figure of limping trav-
eler. who stopped now and then to gave
back at it with a grunt of satisfaction.
Harrison Grant and the captain aban-
doned their cross-examinatton In the
| had esS ssot.n Ss hsppS Sa M Ropews sas shf 1s
took no trained mind to grasp the peril
that threatened the town: All it's little
population were out and hghting' put
they were powerless The elements were
fighting against them. and the lack OF
proper fire protection.
Minna the maid was handcuffed and
turned over TO an officer, while Grant
hurried away with the captain, Where
is the powder house?" he shouted at him
above the rislng confusion. and the
captain called back. THE nearest ones
at the quarry"
Good. take me to it."
Grant could see that Hopewell was
doomed. The flames leaped onward in
their work of destruction. While fright
ened mobs fought at the banks to re-
cover their savings looters appeared and
added their terror to that of the flames
as they rushed on to what seemed the
inevitable doom of the thing that had
given Hopewell its life-the suncotton
plant.
could be saved
Grsnt's Plan Hopewell m h
to save the rise again. but II
Factory those scorching
flames reached the
great stores of gun
cotton there would be no plant. no Hope
we'll. not even q survivor-only devasta-
tion, which would mean success to I'm
psrial Germany's plot.
- Grant. racing toward the powder
houne with Q growing army OF men fol-
laWinG him, shouted orQers - ~ vent.
= ~ Feeehet ~ eQqg ~ Splee1re