The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-06-16

ure of a young woman in the further
corner, sitting beside a table alone.
Her presence stimulated my curios-
ity. She appeared to be young, not
badly dressed, and her being in such
q place unattended rendered her Of
some interest. It surely could do no
harm if dropped in for a sandwich
and q glass of beer. crossed to the
bar, furtively watchful, but no one
except the proprietor apparently paid
the slightest attention to my entrance.
The two men never glanced up from
their cards, and the girl-for she was
scarcely more-merely turned her head
and stared at me without interest. l
spoke to the barman in English. We ex-
changed few words-his own speech
very broken-while he prepared the
sandwich, and the only thing unusual
I noticed was the passage Of slight
signal between him and the woman
across the room. I could not be sure
even as to that, but gained the impress
sion that he shook his head negatively,
as though to some mute question.
Unless it might be the intense bru-
nette blackness Of hair and an ex-
tremely clear complexion, there was
nothing typically Spanish in her ap-
pearance. Indeed she impressed me
as thoroughly American in features,
dress and manner, somewhere in the
twenties l should Judge, with brown
eyes, and face decidedly pleasant to
look upon, although with frmness
to it, expressed by mouth and chin, not
to be mistaken. ! 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 more?" he asked.
mo, this will answer very we'll"
He fingered, tempted to question me.
"You have not been in before? Per
haps you do not live near?'
81 do not" l replied frankly. II
travel out of Boston, and sell lumber.
l have been doing some business with
the yard down below"
II see. You are not from New York,
l make it?"
"No; Boston has always been my
home"
"Once 1 live there, too; when l first
come north from Rio. What you think
about this war? We lick Germany
hey?"
"Oh, don't know; she seems to be
more than holding her own.''
Zach, yes. But now this country 60
in; what then?'
l looked up quickly into his face,
with. swift desire to test his real
sentiment.
'This country! Why should it 60
in? There are Germans enough over
here to stop that"
"Not Germans-no. But 1nterna-
tionals, revolutionaries. They are
more than you think. 'Tis time for
them to strike great blow
"You are Polish, are you not?'
Yah, from Warsaw. I come over
six years."
"Naturalized?'
II have first papers-why you ask?"
suspiciously.
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 here"
he asked. II tell you. She was my
niece, an sit here to wait for friend
to walk home with her. 1t is not a
good neighborhood, this, for a woman
alone in the dark"
Her home is some distance?"
"Five-six blocks. It is dark, bad
way"
He moved back toward the bar, ap-
parent}y satisfied with his examination
of me, as we'll as his explanation. l
wondered grimly why he had taken
the trouble to tell me all this, and Or
dered another glass of beer as an ex-
cuse to linger there while longer.
What was the party like who was to
call for the girl? I did not have to
linger long to gratify my curiosity.
The side door opened silently, and
man stepped briskly inside, shaking
the raindrops from his coat as he
greeted the harman cheerily.
"a dirty night, JAMS" he said, glanc-
ing swiftly about, his eyes sweeping
over me sharply. Business not very
good, supDose?"
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