Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-06-30

in the intense darkness and silence.
i listening for the slightest sound.
was still motionless. my heart
beating fiercely, when several men en-
tered the passage had Just left.
Pressing my ear against the thin crack
| distinguished words so as to piece
together scraps of conversation. II
seemed to me there were three voices
One speaking Spanish entirely, the
others using English. One of the lat
ter spoke first
"'Tis dirty night out, but good for
our purpose. You came by motor,
Alonzo?
mo. Wine said that was too risky.
| walked from the car line. What's
up? Do you know. Captain"
The fellow addressed exploded In
Spanish
'Why you call me that? tell you
my name!" m
ITS safe enough in here, but I'll be
careful outside. What was this meet
ing called for?"
at was a message from Washing
ton orders maybe, that we act soon
/ | hope it."
''Froin Washington? Is Mendez
here?"
"Saprista, no! Can he move with
out dozen spies at his heels? He find
a messenger no one ever suspect. She
bring the word"
''She? A womanT
"Sure! that was better. No ore
know her; no one ever see her with
our people. 1t was a good trick. and
1t fool the pigs"
"But who is the womanY
The other uttered gruff exclama-
ton Of disgust
IF l know, you suppose / tell? Not
much, but / do not know. They trust
her-is it not enough? TITS my guess
she come special for to do this"
"She is Chilean them?
Maybe; maybe American, Spanish.
What difference If she be in car serv-
Ice? They know what she is; tonight
she is Marie Gessler-it has the sound
of Switzerland. Beyond this care
nothing"
But you have seen her, perhaps"
mot sight; none Of the boys have.
/ She was to meet Alva at Times square
this noon. I went with him, but no
/ girl-just messenger boy there with
a note in code. Something had fright
ened the lady. and she made a night
! appointment over here"
~unrat uo,,, Ala eI, Iv,,o., A.
Out?"
"She didn't. for the matter Of that;
But she had been piped off on JAMS
place, and agreed to be there as soon
as II was dark. I'm wondering If she
showed up; let's go In and see"
The three moved Off down the pas
sage. still cOnversing in subdued tones,
the sharp accent of the Spanard most
| prominent, and 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. had located the secret
1 rendezvous Of this gang of rev0u-
| tionary plotters. | was aware Of their
connection with the Chilean Junta at
| Washington. and il would be a com
! paratively easy matter now to capture
/ them red-handed. saw therefore no
reason why should venture further.
or endeavor TO learn in detail the ma
| ture of this message intrusted to the
girl for delivery. My duty now was
! to report what / had discovered. when
the prompt arrest Of Alva, and few
Others, would end the whole scheme
II seemed simple enough. II 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.
! accepted the only course possible,
and began to feel my way to the left.
skirting the wall Of rough boarding
until Ii widened out into what was ap-
parently the larger room beyond. No
sound reached me from any direction
the silence anu darkness depressing
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 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 no CLEAN
Of light might be visible from either
street or alley. Only an accident. on
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. I could be
killed. murdered. and no man would
ever be the wiser. ! would simply dis
appear. vanish, and that would be the
end.