The diamond drill., 1921-04-23

to be mistaken. I noted these things
hurriedly. never venturing to 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 to her presence.
The proprietor approached me. lean
Ing one hand on the table.
There Is nothing morer he asked.
"No. this will answer very WE'LL"
He fingered, tempted to question me.
"You have not been In before3 Per-
haps you do not live nearf"
II do not" l replied frankly. II
travel out OF Boston. and sell lumber.
! have been doing some business with
the yard down below"
II see. You are not from New York.
l make it7'
"No; Boston has always been my
home"
"Once live there. too when first
come north from Rio What you think
about this warf We lick Germany
hey?"
"Oh, I don't know; she seems to be
more than holding her own"
Zach, yes. But now this country 20
in: what then?"
looked up quickly into his face,
with a swift desire TO test his real
sentiment
"This country Why should IL go
in? There are Germans enough over
here to stop that"
"Not Gefmans-no. But Interna-
tionals revolutlonaries. They are
more than you think. 'Tis time for
them TO strike a great blow"
"You are Polish. are you not2"
'Yah, from Warsaw. l come over
six years"
'Naturalizedr
IL have first papers-why you ask"
suspiclously.
II merely questioned from curios-
ity." My eyes wandered once more TO
the girl across the room, and he no
ticed the glance.
"You wonder what she do In here7"
he asked. 81 tell you. She was my
niece, an sit here TO wait for a friend
10 walk home with her. II Is not
good neighborhood. this. for a woman
alone In the dark"
'Her home is some distance"
"Five-slx blocks. 1t is a dark, bad
way"
He moved back toward the bar. ap-
parently satisfied with his examination
OF me, as well as his explanation.
wondered grimly why he had taken
the trouble 10 tell me all this, and or
dered another glass OF beer as an ex-
cuse to linger there a while longer.
What was the party like who was to
call for the glrlf did not have TO
linger long 10 crafty my curiosity.
The side door opened silently, and a
man stepped briskly inside, shaking
the raindrops from his coat as he
greeted the barman cheerily.
"A dirty night. JAMS" he said. glanc-
Ing swiftly about, his eyes sweeping
over me sharply. Business not very
good, l suppose?"
dead. It's no good now any more,
with all the factories closing up be-
cause OF the war. Just some salesman
drops In for beer. That makes me
nothings"
The newcomer laughed, evidently
put quite at ease by this quick expla-
nation. was watching him. A rather
thick-set fellow with a turned-up mus
tache and dishgurlng scar on one
cheek. which gave 10 his eye peculiar
expression. Watching the fellow
must have missed some signal, for he
whIrled about suddenly and confront
ed the girl. who had already risen to
her feet and stood expeetantly, one
hand yet resting on the table.
"Ah, senoritai You were waiting
for me 10 come" he exclaimed. yet
I have not kept you long"
"Oh. no." she answered quietly I'm
Spanish, her voice so low the words
barley carried 10 where I sat. "You
were delayed7"
"A car blockade at the wharf. No.
thank you, JAMS, nothing tonight. You
would 90. senorIta7"
There can be nothing 20 remain
longer here for, surely"
watched them disappear through
the side door, marking his grasp on
her arm and her quick glance aside
into his face. There had been some
thing wrong about this meeting. some
thing undenlabIy awkward and con-
strained. These two were not what
they pretended to be--old-tlme friends
meeting incidentally TO walk home to-
gether. They were strangers, coming
together there for the first time by
appointment. Neither had previously
known the other. had even detected
fear. doubt, In the expression OF the
girls face.
Yet dare not move. or attempt 10
follow them. could only sit quietly.
my eyes on the window fronting the
street. watched intently. but no
shadows passed that way--the two had