The St. Johns herald., 1921-09-22

l
 "Saprista, mol Can he move with out dozen spies at his heels? He find messenger no one ever suspect. SLe bring the word"
 "She? A woman?"
 Sure that was better. No ore know her; no one ever see her with our people. It was a good trick, and it fool the pigs"
 "But who is the womanT
 The other uttered a gruff exclanla- tion of disgust.
 ''If know, you suppose tell? Not much, but do not know. They trust her-is it not enough? 'Tis my guess she come special for to do this."
 "She is Chilean thenT
 Maybe; maybe American, Spanish. What difference if she be in our serv- ice? They know what she is; tonight she is Marie Gessler-it has the sound of Switzerland. Beyond this I care nothing"
 "But you have seen her, perhapsT
 "Not sight; none of the boys have. She was to meet Alva at Times square this noon. went with him, but no girl-just a messenger boy there with a note in code. Something had fright ened the lady, and she made 8 night appointment over here"
 "Here! How did she know the way out?"
 "She didn't, for the matter of that; But she had been piped off on Jans' place, and agreed to be there as soon as it was dark. Pm wondering if she showed up; let's go in and sec"
 The three moved off down the pas sage, still conversing in subdued tones, the sharp accent of the Spaniard most prominent, and I became acutely aware of the black silence in which stood. There was no occasion for me to risk my life farther in an effort to learn more. I had located the secret rendezvous of this gang of revolu- tionary plOtters. I was aware of their connection with the Chilean Junta at Washington, and it would be a com paratively easy matter now to capture them red-handed. saw therefore no reason why I should venture further, or endeavOr to learn in detail the na- ture of this message intrusted to the girl for delivery. My duty now was to report what had discovered, when the prompt arrest of Ava, and a few others, would end the whole scheme. It seemed simple enough, if could only find my way out safely.
 But escape unobserved was far from being assured. Any retreat by way of the lighted passage was impossible; there were guards there at both ends; the only hope lay in blind effort for ward.
 l accepted the only course possible, and began to feel my way to the left, skirting the wall of rough boarding. until 1t widened out into what was ap- parently the larger room beyond. No sound reached me from any direction, the silence and darkness expressing me, as though they had weight.
 Yet one fact became more and more clear-the deliberate purpose with which this deserted iron factory had been prepared for a secret rendezvous. Apparently, from without, 1t stood grim, deSolate and deserted, yet the interior arrangements were such that conspirators could meet securely in- side, protected from observation, in rooms through whose walls n, gleam of light might be visible from either street or alley. Only an accident, or constant vigilance without, could re- veal the true use to which the building was now being devoted. This knowl- edge rendered the peril of my own pO- sitiOn the more intense. could be killed, murdered, and no man would ever be the wiser. would simply dis appear, vanish, and that would be the end.
 At that moment had no thought but to discover some means of escape. The knowledge of the danger I was in robbed me of all courage. I was like a child afraid in the dark. I moved forward, inch by inch, feeling my way along the rough planking with one hand, my limbs actually trembling un- der me. If could only find some opening; see some gleam of light; break away from this terrible silent darkness.
 I supposed was moving with the ut | most caution, every nerve on edge, l feeling a way forward with hands and | feet. Once stepped upon shell of some kind which crunched beneath the | weight, and again my groping hand |