The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-08-15
The Secret
Agent
Bv VICTOR REDCLIFFE
Copyright. 1918. western Newspaper UniOn.}

iii
M--===--=============== ==========--:k
Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.)
Airline Driscoll was not peeved. That
would have been too trivial and COM
monplace. She was piqued, however,
and, too, Airline was puzzled.
Airline was piqued because her favor
tie attendant and friend Randall Morse,
had suddenly dropped away from his
devotion and attentions. The day be-
fore social function she had received
a note from him, stating that important
business prevented him from keeping
his appointment.
The next day q girl friend impaired
the information that Randall had left
ne employ of her father and Airline
questioned the latter on the subject.
"Randal had left the plant he told
her, land neither you nor l may see
much of him for some time to come.
Don't let that worry you, Airline, and
don't discuss the matter with any
one"
All of which put Arline's mind In
new turmoil of speculation and mys-
terry They had been more than close
| friends, and she resented this abrupt
and inexplicable abandonment. There
were secret whispers among her girl
| friends as to the desertion, and, worse
of all, Lionel Drury, a rejected suitor,
came again upon the scene.
"Tell you Miss Driscoll," he re-
marked one day, there's a good deal
of the inexplainable about Morse, and
| I happen to know that he is suspected
of seditious tendencies"
"Oh. never" flashed forth Airline.
"You can't tell" rejoined Drury.
"You see, he was abroad for several
years acting as agent for a big har-
| vesting machine house. That's how
he comes to speak. half dozen diff
ferent languages. Naturally he may
| have imbibed anarchstic principles. /
| happen to know that he has been seen
In the close company of some suspect
ed foreign spies"
| Lockport was a busy manufacturing
center, and with the advent of the
war large number of munitions con-
| tracts had been given out to local
| plants. Nearly all the employees were
| foreigners, pnG several persons ac-
cused of disloyal utterances had been
arrested and punished. Their confre-
res had retaliated by deeds of vandal-
| ism. A mill had been fired, and plot
to blow up factory furnishing car
| tridges to the government had been
| discovered and foiled just In time.
| Airline came home from a visit to a
girl friend one evening greatly per-
turbed. Just after quitting time one
| of the storage houses of the Driscoll
works had been blown up. 1t was true
that the building was old, held very
little machinery. and was practically
i abandoned, but it was a serious warn
| ing to loyal manufacturers. Airline
| hurried to the library, where she no.
ticed light. She paused at the sound
of voices, and recognized that of Lion
| ell Drury. 1t was excited and highly
| pitched.
"Yes. sir, l am positive Of what i
/ saw. / was passing the blown-up build
| ing when / noticed a flare at it's rear.
The next moment 1 saw Randall Morse
dash from the spot, and the next the
building went up"
"Have you spoken to anyone about
| this?" inquired Mr.. Driscoll.
"No, sir; / hurried here, feeling 1t
my duty to advise you first"
"You have given me valuable In
| formation" said the manufactures,
"but we must be guarded. Don't re-
i peat word of this until | have made
] plans to capture the miscreants who
are working all this destruction. Ar
| lire will hear OF 1t and be terrified.
| VIII you kindly remain to dinner and
| keep her MIND away from it?"
"Oh, sir, indeed, yes" voiced Drury.
Airline had retreated to another
room. She was pale and trembling,
hut she well simulated a calmness that
deceived her father.
airline" he spoke "Lionel DruTy
/ s here. This last outrage sends me
out to Investigate. Will you entertain
i him for the EVENING"" and Airline,
| dumb with anxiety and mystery, as
/ sented.
Drury, in a ferver OF delight at be-
Ing h0nored with the confidence OF the
| father aaG the company of the daugh-
ter. remained aattl ten O'Clock. Ar
line sat at the opea window of her
room until midnight, consumed with
| distressing thoughts. just as she WAS
/ about TO retire, she saw her father
| and a companion enter the garden and
pace to and fro, engaged in earnest,
lowytoned conversation, and the com.
panion was-Randal Morse! What
| did it mean7
II was two evenings later when ner
| father summoned her TO the library.
AS she entered the apartment Randall
Morse arose and greeted her smil
| ingiy.
| II am going to leave 1t TO Morse
| here-the man who blew up the old
warehouse-to explain to you, Airline
| smoke her father. "As he had my per-
| mission and the sanction of the gov
eminent, you will understand why he
| ND IT"