The Washington herald., 1919-04-17
CONFESSIONS OF A
WAR BRIDE
Can ! Buy My Escape with My
level Hoard Secretp

Never was a girl more unfortunate
in love than I am" thought, as I
regarded the man who was so in
| tensely studying my photograph. TITS
the dream of every girls heart to be
loved madly,- desperately, For me.
that dream has come true, Only it's
| horrid nightmare, The man who
| loves me is a spy! And a Bolshevik!
And IT is my duty to denounce him to
the government secret service au-
thorities fl had to repeat that lit
tie word for emphasis-"if I can ever
get away from him-and back to the
world again.
The smoke from Certeis' cigar drift
ed toward my hiding place in the
body Of the divers suit. 1 nearly
| strangled. nearly sneezed. nearly
coughed! Doubtless the throat pa
roxysms were more imaginary than
real, nevertheless they were a peril.
suppose they were due to the pro-
longed strain of keeping still.
My fingers ached from holding the
edges Of the stiff blouse together and
my arms were almost numb. More
than once I thought I would have to
climb out OF that old rubber garment
and surprise the gentleman sitting so
comfortably less than twenty feet
from me.
And how my escapade would amuse
Hamilton Certeis- But~hot. perhaps,
sufficiently to buy my release.
All my muscles began to ache as
the hours dragged on. 1t seemed to
me that Certeis had chosen the time
to review al his past life and to map
out his entire future career! Mayhe
he had. for when he finally arose. It
rnyif al hA nd Of
who has made a resolve.
He shut the closet door with n swift
push and the light above me went on
out automatically. AS soon as | heard
the key turn in the lock. l let go the
blouse and sank back into the folds
of the garment. The rllbberized ma
terial supported me like comfortable
hammock. discovered this with Joy
for I was weak and trembling: never
theless was alert enough to notice
that Certeis had forgotten to shut the
swinging mirror In the wall OF my
room. So wouldn't have TO choose
between surrender and suffCcation.
Surely no other girl in this world
ever found herself in such a queer
hiding place. The uncouth, garment
which 1 occcupied-without half fIling
was really enormous. ,,.,.s'-
big enough for giant.s1 thought
Thereupon it occurred to me that it
must -baye, been manufactured ex-
pressly to At a giant-and that giant
must be Tiny GoffI He was the tall
est man I had ever seen outside of a
circus. The ex-cowboy, ex-soldier was
an all-around adventurer by nature,
| and just the man to roam the depths
OF ocean alone and unafraid in a
search for the ex-Kaiser's hoard of
gems,
Doubtless It was in connection with
the making of this garment according
to Tiny's measurements that Certeis
had called so often at Mary Thomas
house. Not for long time had 1
thought of Mary and the big. ugly
man Bho was her slave.
But now that spriIfg was on its
way, the hunt for the U-boat's hidden
treasure would be taken up by every
individual who had an inkling of its
existence. And If Tiny had recovered
from the gassing he had suffered in
France, it wouldn't be difficult to
pick the winning adventurer.
But IL handicans were considered.
there was the knowledge alone pos
| sessed; 1 alone knew where the u
boat was berthed and in exactly what
part of her hold the Jewels were
stored.
Certeis lacked this valuable infor-
nation.
Then why not give It to him
| now" / startled myself with the idea.
| ''Or rather, why not buy my freedom
with it?" ...
CTo Be Continued.)