The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-02-28


they started, arm in arm, around the
basin, engrossed in happy thoughts
and pleasant conversation, wholly
unmindful of the adventures recount
ed in preceding chapters, and she for
getting in the exultation of the mo-
ment the object of her trip to Wash
irgton in keeping with the wish OF
her dying father.
They walked for some distance, then
turned around and retraced their
steps, and upon nearing the place
where their automobile was parked
Kimball is called by his chauffeur and
excusing himself joins the auto and
inquiries what is the matter?"' The
chauffeur complains that while he was
half nodding he heard a noise at the
rear of the car and called attention to
an unmistakable jar as if something
had struck the machine. Kimball and
the chauffeur began to examine TIE
car carefully. They found one of the
rear wheels contained two unsight!y
cuts, evidently inflicted with evil in
tent, and that the inner tube, like
toy balloon, was protruding through
an incision in the tire.
HimbalI saw at once that it would
not be possible for himself and Made
line to return in the disabled car and
after giving further instructions to
the chauffeur rejoined Madeline and
they proceeded walking on their way,
passing the John Paul Jones Mont
ment, and were crossing the Monu-
ment Grounds when, without warn
ing, in the subdued light Of the
grounds under the towering elm trees,
they were suddenly set upon by sew
eral orientals and borne to the ground
50 quickly they scarcely knew what it
was all about.
Kimball but recently recovered from
his latest biplane accident was Of
failing strength and unable to cope c.
match his agile adversary, but not
withstanding this he gave a heroic ac-
count of himself with his opponent
and finally regained his feet.
During the ensuing struggle the
feet OF the contending men came IN
contact with one of the secret covers
OF an underground tunnel which, till
ing and giving away, caused both 70
fall, Kimball straight through the
hole many feet below. His assailant
being more fortunate fell across the
opening but not directly into it. Kim
ball. stunned and dazed by the I'M
pact OF the fall, was unconscious for
a short period Of time and could not
tell what had befallen, him or where
he was. Upon regaining conscious
ness his first thought was for the
safety OF Madeline.
There is in Washington a kind of
a mo Mans Land" not on the sur
face, but underground. Many of the
oldest residents are not aware Of it's
existence. and the feet of thousands
Of visitors as well as the tread Of
hosts Of our own citizens pass over
It unawares.
The trenches in Flanders and
France were not laid out with more
precision and eXactness than are GER
tain subterranean passages connect
ing important posts and places in this
Capital City. leading TO no one knows
where and having, apparently, Meth.
er beginning nor ending. It was
through one Of these secret passages
that Madeline recently. escaped from
the collapsible dungeon in the House
OF Mystery when she carried with
her the coat of the Oriental, which
had concealed in it a triangle.
There is a legend that some OF
these passages date back to the days
of the aborigines and were used by
them for defensive purposes. and, as
the story goes. no hostile tribe was
ever able to gain a victory over the
painted warriors who lived here
abouts and who used these under
ground ways foD fighting purposes.
Still another legend has It that many
years ago, and even now. for that
matter. one of these secret passage
ways connected the Octagon House
with the river. The truth is, some
OF these ways are ancient and some
Of them are modern; some new, some
old. 1t was into one Of these newer
tunnels, built by the Government for
heat, light. and power, that Kimball,
fighting, fell.
The second impulse of KimbaIl was
for his own safety. and he began to
how he might make his es-
cape. He wendell his way through
the subterranean passage, found that
it was paved and filled with pipes
and wires, which he was able to dis
cover in the inky darkness only by
feeling along with his hands He
also found numerous lateral lines of
tunnels, but, in pursuing his course,
he kept as nearly as possible in a
direction. Step by
step interminably he CROPPED his way
along. until at last he stumbled over
some wire cntanglements and fell his |
full length, his head striking a steel |
obstruction built entirely across the |
tunnel.