The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-06-24

1 mt Inere are dermnns enough Oye1
here to stop that"
Not Germans-no But Inierna-
uonsls, reyOlutiOna1ea. They are
more than you think. It's time for
them 10 strike q great blow"
you are Polish. are you no,T"
Yah. from Warsaw. I come over
six years
-NaturaIizedT"
Il have first papers-why you askY"
suspiciously.
Il 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 here r.
he asked. II tell you. She was my
niece. an sit here to wait for friend
to walk home with her. II is not a
good neighborhood. this, for q woman
alone In the dark"
"Her home is some dlstancer"
"Ffve-siI blocks. II is a dark bad
way"
he moved back toward the bar. ap-
parently satisfied with his examination
OF me, as well as his explanation. I
wondered grimly why he had taken
the trouble to tell me all this, and or
oered 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 girl? did not have to
finger long to crafty my curiosity.
Inc 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, i supposeT
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."
Inc newcomer laughed, evidently
put quite at ease by this quick expla-
nation. was watching him. A rather
thick-set fellow with turned-up mus.
tache and a disfiguring scar on one
cheek, which gave to his eye peculi I
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 expectantly. one
hand yet resting on the table.
An, senorita! You were waiting
Tor me to come" he exclaimed. yet
l have not kept you long"
"Oh, no." she answered quietly in
Spanish, her voice so low the words
barley carried to where sat. "You
were delayed?"
"A car blockade at the wharf No
thank you, Jams, nothing tonight. You
would go. senorita?"
There can be nothing to remain
longer here for, surely"
! watched them disappear through
the side door, marking his grasp on
ner arm and her quick glance aside
into his face. There had been some.
thing wrong about this meeting, some.
tning undeniably awkward and con- |
strained. These two were not what
they pretended to be-old-time 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 to
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
not turned down Cans street.
My mind worked rapidly as I sat
here motionless. afraid to make the
slightest move lest 1t arouse suspicion.
Whatever the object Of the meeting
night be, JAMS was more or less In.
'oived. de had signaled to the girl
vice, and his words, however inno-
'ent they may have sounded. must
rave brought warning to the man.
5eyond doubt he had questioned me
With the distinct purpose of thus dis
covering why l had drifted into the
'lace. l dismissed utterly his state
nent that the young woman was hts
llece-her very appearance gave that
he lie
something was wrong, perhaps not
rimlnal perhaps In no way associated
With the affair which had brought me
nto that neighborhood,s and vet sus-
'iciously wrong, and felt inexorablv
'riven to find out what 1t all meant.
, finished my beer slowly, and then
elected a cigar from the case and lit
deliberately. Jams leaned over the
ar speaking confidentially, and had
remain. although | cursed inwardly
7 the delay. Yet broke away at last.
ssured that had finally lulled every
uspicion to rest and passed out
through the front door.