The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1921-06-09


entrance, although it was lightly
closed.
To all outward appearances the
place had been unoCCur.ed Tor months,
and perhaps years. From the sidewalk
IL was impossible 20 gain any glimpse
within. only one discovery served to
convince me that ! might be on the
right traCk-that l had not been en-
urely deceived. a small sign, SO COW
cred with dust and dirt as TO be almost
unreadable, was nailed over the smaller
door. IN the growing dusk l was
obliged TO study it intently to decipher
the words, but finally made them out
letter by letter:
OFFICE ALyA AlALLEABLE IRON
COMPANY"
Here was a strange coincident If
nothing more, for Gustave Alva had
been one Of the names signed on the
hotel register. Beyond doubt this old,
abandoned iron foundry was his prop
erty, and what better spot could be
selected In which to meet and concOct
a scheme Of crime1 What a place TO
hide arms for shipment Whatever
doubt l may have felt regarding my
venture vanished in the presence Of
that unusual name. This was UnQues-
tonably the place named IN the letter
as o rendezvous; here was where the
recipient of that letter was 10 so and
receive Instructions; where he was to
use the mysterious raps, and the COun-
ters!En "Cervautes," In order TO gain
admiytanCe. The knowledge that
was actually upon the threshold Of
such o discovery brought with It a de
termination not 20 lose the advantage.
But what could l dol What further
steps might be safely taken alone?
The night was dark, q slight drizzle
In the air, no one abroad except from
necessity. No sign Of life was visible
for the full extent of the block, until
the saloon on the further corner came
into view. Its cleaning hospitality In
vi-ed me, and l stroued along the op-
Doslte walk, my coat collar turned UP
10 shut out the drizzle, and finally
/ crossed over TO where / could peer In
| through the dinEy windows. The man
| behind the bar was Enthusiastically Pol
ish. and Of no high type, and at first
saw no other occupants Of the place
/ except two roughly dressed men at a
/ table just inside, who were playing
/ cards silently. The room was clean
enough, and quiet, yet l felt no inch-
nation 70 enter. Those were not fel-
lows II would be safe 70 question, and
would have turned away, but at that
instant l perceived the indisunCt fig
ure Of a young woman In the further
corner, sitting beside a table alone.
Her presence stimulated my Curios-
ity. She appeared TO be young, not
badly dressed, and her being in such
a place unattended rendered her of
some interest It surely could do no
harm If l dropped IN for Il sandwich
ant "a glass of beer. / crossed 10 the
bar, "urtlyely watchfuL but no one
except the proprietor apparently paid
the slightest attention 10 my entrance.
The two men never glanced up from
their cards, and the girl-for she was
scarcely more-merely turned her head
and stared at me without interest. 1
spoke TO the barman I'm English. We eN-
changed "a few words-his own speech
very broken-while he prepared the
sandwich, and the only thing unusual
/ noticed was t&e passage Of a slight
sig.o' between him and the woman
across the room. l could not he sure
even as TO that, but gnned the impress
sion that he shook his head negatively,
as though 10 some mute question
Unless It might be the intense bru-
nerte blackness Of hair and an ex-
tremely clear complexion there was
nothing typicaIly Spanish In her ap-
pearance, Indeed she impressed me
as thoroughly American IN features,
dress and manner, somewhere in the
twenues / should judge, with brown
eyes, and a face decidedly pleasant 10
look upon, although with q frmneSs
70 il, expressed by mouth and chin, not
! 70 be mistaken. noted these things
J huruedly, never venturing 70 stare at
+ her, though she apparently gave me
no attention whatever. Somehow the
girl seemed strangely out OF place in
! that dingy saloOn-she did not In any
sense belong. She was evidently not
there seeking company, nor was she
! drinking; and yet there must surely
be some meaning 70 her presence.