The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-06-23

expenditure of this money was SEEM
| in~ly intpnded 10 be made in and about
| the port of New York-if I read the
| m">>lmr ri-lIt in the purchase Of arms
! an6 5nGni1ioLS for shipment TO South
/ America perhaps the enlistment Of a
body OF fighting men.
So far the m&t:pr was fairly clear
Aiva as the local revolutionary agent
had been intruSycd by the junta with
this money to spend in a certain def
mite way: but be must work under
strict orders coming from the head
quarters 1T Washington. He dare not
assume the Initiative without the 80.
X" Of the man higher up-MendeZ.
Something had occurred to delay ac-
ton that made no difference. but now
the time had come MendeZ, unable to
he present in person, and even fearful
to permit any of hts Well-knoWn .juhta
representatives to appear in this con-
ncctiOn. had chosen to send woman
who would be unsuSpected, to deliver
to the conSpratorS his definite plan of
action: All this seemed reasonable
enough. and in no way surprised me.
But the appearance Of the woman
did. and also the close intimacy of this
man Harris. She was not criminal, not
even of the insurrectionary class to my
eyes and I could not imagine what in
fluence had ever induced her to accept
such a commission. Something about
her personality, some underlined quality
of womanhood had made a definite i'm
preston upon my mind, not to be ef-
faced Everything was against her
the saloon in which she waited alone;
her coming there secretly in the night;
the meeting with an unknown man;
the accompanying him up that black
alley to this hidden rendezvous of con-
spiracy. Every act stamped her as un-
worthy.
In spite of all this evidence as to the
truth Of the matter. nothing harmo-
nized. She did not belong-the gulf
was too wide. Yet there was no other
explanation possible-she was actually
here, in the den Of conspiracy, alone
among all these men, unafraid, the
recognized representative of the
Chilean revolutionary junta, bringing
with her direct from Washington those
final instructions for which they wait
ed-instructions, no doubt, involving
unneutrality, destruction, death, fright
fulness, the extinction Of a friendly
government; all this that could be COM
passed by the expenditure of a million
dollars in ruthless hands. 1t was un-
thinkable, yet every evidence proved it
true.
There came to me an insane desire
to overhear what she had to say; to
watch her once more, when free to
study her unnoticed. and to see this
gang to whom she brought her mes
sage. Almost without realizing my &C.
ton I crept in the dark out into the
narrow passage, and felt my way
along the rough board walls. AS ad-
vanced cautiously the full ingenuity
with which the place had been pre-
pared for just this foul purpose be-
came more apparent. The narrow
passage I followed, my hands touching
either wall, was not straight, bW
curved to the right, and it dawned
upon me that it skirted the main apart
ment, ~where, in all probability, the
conference was being held. This ac-
counted for the fact that no gaeam of
light was visible, and that, in anticipa-
ton of their use, separate and small
rooms had been constructed, connected
together yet so isolated as to permit
of the utmost privacy. One of these
Harris had left me in, and now l
found that the passage led me not dl-
rect to the main apartment, but to an
other smaller room, whose door barred
my progress. This, 1 figured out,
might be the same into which Wine
had entered in search Of Alva, when
he deserted me in the front hallway.
I listened intently, but heard no
sound within, and, satisfied the room
was without occupants, ventured final
ly to gain glimpse inside. 1t was a
room not altogether unlike the one
I had just left, although smaller,
and containing a chair or two in ad-
dition to the writing table. I noted
these things quickly, my gaze straying
to a partially open door in the board
wall to the right, through which a
brighter glow Of light streamed. My
ears caught the sound of voices, the
words inGistinct.
Although convinced the small room
was without occupants, I was some
moments screwing up my courage to
Observation-Disclosures