South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-24

about the matter than they chose
TO tell. but nobody suspected Frau
lein. who only narrowed her blue
eyes and said nothing.
However. Cory was gone and
that was the end of it, but for a long
time afterwards Miss Lydia, who had
loved her hayward pet felt very
lonely without him in the little top
floor front, spite of the bodyguard
on her dresser.
one night early in May Miss Lydia
was sitting in the rocker in 1her top
floor front knitting as usual. The
day had been sultry for the season,
and suddenly. without warning. a
thunderstorm broke forth. so vio-
lent that the house rocked 20 its
foundations The thunder rolled, the
lightning flashed and the wind
whistled and Creaked through the
elm trees Miss Lydia paused in her
work The violence of the rain beat
ing against the window pane was so
terrific that little streams of water
were actually forcing themselves
through the cracks and trickling
down to the floor. She rose hastily
and threw open the window to draw
close the blinds.
With a scream she jumped back.
Something out of the night struck
her full i'm the breast. then fell q
huttering heap at her feet. She
clutched the table ard looked at il.
1t was only a pigeon, cold and
frightened. and he lay hudled or
the floor, blinking his brilliant eyes
at her but giving no other signs of
life
Poor little soul, said Miss Lydia
with quick pity. as she picked him
up and fondled him. You saw the
light and came i'm. didn't you o. She
certainly had a way with animals.
for in a short time the pigeon re-
covered from his fright, cooked his
bright eye at her and stepped con-
fdently from her lap to the table
where he preened himself. AS he
stood there Miss Lydia noticed a
ring clamped around one of his legs.
"Ah. so YOU belong 10 some one,
then my beauty" she said, and tax
ing him i'm her lap again she began
TO investigate.
The ring proved TO be Of red cell
luloid. and while she was eXamininE
il. the fastening came loose and it
rolled off. dropping as il did so. q
tiny pellet Of paper in her lap. This
she opened. It proved TO be mes
sage Of just six words-but-they
were written in German.
Miss Lydia dropped the pigeon in
horror. She could not read the mes
sage. as she did not know a word
/ Of German. but she was familiar
with the characters, Tor she had
often looked into Fraulein Muller's
school books in the old days before
/ the war.
II was after - o'clock and the
storm was raging with undated
fury but Hiss Lydia never consid-
cred the hour or the weather. Her
/ duty as Gallagher and patriot
was clear 20 her. This message
whatever 10 was. must be placed in
/ the proper hands without a mo-
meut's delay ON went the little
f black toque with the wreath OF VIC
/ lets. Then. umbrella i'm one hand
and pigeon held firmly in the other
+ she hurried cut into the uiEht.
Down the rain-swept street she
/ ran. At the corner gust Of wind
Turned her umbrella inside out she
threw il aside and went on. The
piceon. who felt his feathers sget-
tins wet again wrigeled and bit her
| fingers. still she did not stop till
she came TO big stone buildine
with green LIGHTS in front where
/ she turned in.
To the gray-haired officer at the
desk she told her story simply and
quietly and he listened very closely.