Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-23

! in a cultural voice. She stood there
a few moments in whispered CONVEX
| sation, then, from outside, somebody
lowered the scuttle cover; the girl
| locked it. descended the iron ladder
| backwards, and came swiftly across
to where Neeland and Sengoun were
standing, pistols lifted.
They're guarding the roof" she
whispered, two men. 1t is hope
! less, that way"
| "The proper way" said Sengoun
calmly, lis for us to shoot our way
| out of this"
The girl turned on him in a pas
! sion:
do you suppose I care what hap
pens to your" she said. eff there
were no one else to consider you
might do as you pleased, for all it
| concerns me!'
Sengoun Redeemed:
BE silent, you treacherous little
cat!" he retorted. 30 you imagine
your riffraff are going to hold me
here when I'm ready to depart! Me!
A free Cossack! BAH!
Don't talk that way, Sengoun,"
said Neeland sharply. I'VE owe
| these pistols to her."
ooh" muttered Sengoun, shoot
| ing a menacing glance at her. II
didn't understand that" Then his
SCOW1 SO1lSnSu anu SuuOSI Idu . II
! cleared his face:
sim sorry, mademoisselle," he said.
You're quite welcome to your low
opinion of me. But if any one should
ask me, I'd say that I don't under
| stand what is happening to us. And
go downstairs for information"
"They know nothing about you in
the sale de jeu," she said, ''but on
the floor below they're waiting to
kill you"
Neeland. astonished, asked her
whether the American gamblers in
the salon where Sengoun had been
playing were ignorant of what was
going on in the house.
What Americans?" she demand
ed, incredulously. DO you mean
Weishelm?"
Didn't you know there were. Amer
leans employed in the sale de jeu?'
asked Neeland, surprised.
mo I have not been in this house
for year until [ came tonight. This
is maintained by the Turkish gov
eminent" She flashed a glance at
Sengoun-"you're welcome to the in
formation now she AIDED contempt
uously. And then, to Neeland:
There was, L believe, some talk in
New York about adding one or two
Americans to the personnel, but L
opposed it."
"Theyre here" said Neeland rily.
do you know who they are?"
Yes. There's a man called Doc
Curfoot-''
Who'll"
And suddenly. for, the first time;
Neeland remembered that she had
been the wife of one of the men
below.
"Brandes and Stull are the Others"
he said mechanically.
The girl stared at him as though
Nl,O, u c11
passed one hand slowly across her
forehead and eyes.
Eddie Brandes? Here? and
Stull? Curfoot? Here in this
house,"
"In the salon below"
an odd, colorless voice: They We're
bought soul and body by the British
secret servicen'
All three stood staring at one an
other; the girl flushed, clenched her
hand then let it fall by her side
as though utterly overcome:
goun furiously. 1T makes me
Sick, I tell you! Where everybody
P PetG Uos eyerfy,boqH is no place for
The terrible expression a, on the h.
1T is we others who have been
betrayed. it seems. 1t is we who are
trapped here, They've got us all
every one Of us. Oh, my Cod
every one of us-at laSt!'
She lifted her haggard face and
stared at the increasing light which
was turning the window panes
sickly yellow.
With sunrise comes war;, she
to convince herself. I'VE are caught
here in this house. And Kestner
and Weisheim and Breslau and
i" she trembled, framing her
burning face in slim hands that
that Brandes and Curfoot, bought
by England, have contracted to de-
liver us to a French court-martial?",
The men looked at her in silence.
"Kestner and Breslau knew they
people witnessed that treachery. But
we never dreamed that these traitors
would venture into this house to-
night We should have come here
ourselves instead of going to the
Turkish embassy. That was NAH
senger insisted. God! What a mis-
take! What a deathly mistake for
all of us!''
She leaned for moment against
one of the iron pillars which support
ed the attic roof, and covered her
face with her hands
After a moment, Neeland said:
Il don't understand why you can't
leave this house if you are in dan
ger. You say that there are men
downstairs who are waiting to kill
us-waiting only for Kestner and
Breslau and Mahmud Damat to ar
rive
She said family:
Il did not before understand Nah
muds delay. Now, L understand. He
has been warned. Breslau and Kest-
ner will not come. Otherwise, you
now would be barrfcaded behind that
breastwork of rubbish, fighting for
your lives"
But you say there are men on the
stairs below who are ready to kill
us if we try to leave the house"
They, too. are trapped without
knowing it. War will come with
sunrise. This house has been under
surveillance since yesterday after
noon. They have not closed in on
us yet, because they are leaving the
trap open in hopes of catching us
all. They are waiting for Breslau
and Kestner and Mahmud Damat.
p. But they'll never come, now.
They are out of the city by
| this time . E. I KNOW them. They
are running for their lives at this
| hour. And we've lesser ones
! caught -trapped-reserved for