The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-07-15


harden nv heart. and forget all ex-
cept the duty 1 owed my COUNTRY. and
that neutral nation to the south with
whom we were at peace.
Frankly. / do not know what to
think" I answered at last Your mis-
sion here tonight, as l understand it,
somehow does not fit in with my nat
ural conception of you as a woman"
She laughed but so low as to be in
audible to those beyond the closed
door.
even a womanly woman, If you
please-love her country and be will
ing to sacrifice in its behalf?"
Not to the extent of treachery and
deceit; not TO the end that innocent
men and women suffer-" 1 returned
holly, forgetting caution.
and is that my purpose here, you
think?"
as it not? This is a neutral land.
yet what else can this conspiracy con-
template bur cowardIy destructionT"
81 refuse TO answer-here and now,
at least Nor do I know why you
how? Do you realize the ease with
which 1 could open this door, and give
you over to the mercy of those men
in there? After what you have just
said, why do you suppose 1 fail to do
so? Because 1 am such a womanly
woman, perhaps"
Rather because you have no rea-
son to so act. 1 may denOunce your
connection with this affair, believing
It no fit work for any true woman to
be engaged in, and yet myself be no
traitor to the cause"
you still hold me a true woman
then?'
Eyes; I may be blind, but 1 retain
faith"
THAT is good-yet do not trust too
much in any woman. What is your
name?"
'D-DaIy, Harry DAILY"
''You seem to have some difficulty
tonight in remembering names. Does
this mean you also possess a
variety?"
She stopped, listening intently, her
head tilted back so as to better hear
what was occurring behind the closed
door.
BE quiet" she whispered. one hand
held forth in swift warning "They
are through in there. 1 think, and Alva
viii be out IN a moment. Now listen
Don't ask any questions, but listen.
VIII you pledge yourself to do what
ever I say?"
within any reasonable limits
yes"
Limits! Don't talk limits" impa-
tiently. you say you are blind, but
retain faith. Act on that faith blind
ly. l cannot speak here; there is no
time, no opportunity. Tomorrow at
two o'clock, come to PAT lie Compile
street. VIII you?"
~ es."
do not mistake the number ASK
for Miss Conrad. Now 90 pack there
and wait for Homer Quick-they are
coming"
l plunged hastily into the passage,
and groped my way back between the
narrow walls to the secluded room in
the rear. l was too confused, too
startled. to even think clearly. Ny
of this woman, her nature
and her purpose had been changed a
dozen times during this brief CONVEX
Sation. Even now 1 was utterly in
the dark. Did the woman know me?
or suspect the reason of my presence?
That was manifestly impossible. She
was utterly strange to me, and she
was not one to be easily forgotten.
Why, then, did she trust me-if it was
trust?
1t must be either that, or treachery
of the foulest type. "247 lie Compile
street, could not recall the neigh
borhoOd. only a vague conception of
red brick buildings of exactly the
same general style-probably fairly
respectable boarding houses. And 1
was 10 ask for Miss Conrad" Who
might she be? Not the lady I had just
left, surely, for she was scheduled TO
take the midnight train for Washing
ton. Miss Conrad might be any
strange woman, an accom-
Dlice. even a disguised policeman. It
masked some trick surely. of which l
was quite liable to be the victim; be-
hind my lady's smiling eyes, and
there was surely some
marked purpose. This was the i'm
preston with which 1 ended-that for
some end unknown she was cOldly
Dlaying with me, leading me on.