Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-07-07
Continued from last week.

My mind reverted to the fragment
of letter which had sent me on this
mad chase, to its mention of letter
of credit to be deposited with the
banker. Krantz, to the credit of the
recipient. The writer had stated that
the sum would be found ample for all
needs But million dollars Could
it be possible that so large an amount
would be thus advanced? If so, then
tioRately important. To whom hae
this letter been sent-Alva, who APP.
parently was the active leader here in
New York, or the revolutionary repre-
sentative in Washington, seemingly
known as Mendez? Whichever it was
that man evidently had the disposition
of this vast sum entirely at his dis
posal; either it was already in his
haEds or so deposited as to be quickly
available. In my judgment the fell
low would be Al,a. for sundry rea-
sons; first, he had been one of the men
registered at the hotel when the lac
quered box was lost; and second, the
expenditure of this money was seem
ingly intended to be made in and about
the port of New York-if I read the
10 ;sage right, in the purchase of arms
nj munitions for shipment to South
'nerica: perhaps the enlistment of
Z of fighting men.
SO Tar the matter was fairly clear
Alva as the local revolutionary agent
had been intrusted by the junta with
this money to spend in certain def
mite way; but he must work under
strict orders coming from the head
quarters at Washington. He dare not
assume the initiative without the 90
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
be present in person, ard even fearful
to permit any Of his well-knOwn junta
representatives, to appear in this con-
nectiOn, had chosen to send a woman,
who would be unsupported, to deliver
to the cOnspirators 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
even of the insurrectionary class to my
eyes, and could not imagine what in
fluence had ever induced her to accept
such commission. Something about
her personality. some underlined quality
Of wOmanhOOd, had made definite inn
preston upon my mind, not to be eff
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 I'M
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 haf direct from Washington those
final instructions for which they wait
ed-instructions, no doubt, involving
Immortality, destruction. death, fright
fulness, the extinction of friendly
government; all this that could be COM
passed by the expenditure Of million
dollars In ruthless hands. 1t was un-
thinkable, yet every evidence proved 1t
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 unnotlced, and to see this
gang to whom she brought her mes
sage. Almost without realizing my ac-
ton l crept In the dark out into the
narrow passage. and felt my way
along the rough board walls. AS adj
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 tess..eSssstiis