Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1921-12-23


lieved blindly in my identity. He was
not acting, for he would have no pos
sible object in such pretense. I was
to his mind Harry DAILY, well-known
criminal, an international thief a man
after his own heart, to be warmly well
coined into partnership as a most valu-
able ally
What should I do under these
peculiar circumstances? Seek to es-
cape during his absence, and thus
frighten the cOvy, or remain, and trust
fortune to show me way to both eX-
pose their villainy and save myself? /
was young, adventurous, and l chose
the latter, thinking less Of the danger,
I admit, than of the mystery of the
case, and-yes, the girl.
Harris had spoken confidently of
gaining possession Of a large sum-a
million dollars, surely a stake worth
daring much for-but how, by what
means, did he expect to get his hands
on such a fortune?
My mind reverted to the fragment
mad chase, to it's 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
the result hoped for must be proper
tiOnately important. To whom had
this letter been sent-Alva, who ap-
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 Alva, 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 / read the
message right. in the purchase of arms
and munitions for shipment to South
America; perhaps the enlistment Of a
body Of fighting men.
so far 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 80.
K" of the man higher up-MendeZ.
ton; that made no difference, but now
the time had come. Mendez, unable to
be present in person, and 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 unsuspected, to deliver
to the coDspirators 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
man Harris. She was not criminal, not
even Of the insurrectiOnary class to my
eyes, and / could not imagine what in
fluence had ever induced her to accept
her personality, some underlined quality
Of wOmanhoOd, had made definite i'm
preston upon my mind, not to be eff
faced. Everything was against her
the saloon in Ghich 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 ber as un-
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 her direct from Washington those
final instructions for which they wait
ed-instructiOns, no doubt, involving
unneutrality, destruction, death, fright
fulness, the extinction of a 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 unnOticed, and to see this
gang to whom she brought her mes
sage. Almost without realizing my ac-
tion l crept in the dark out into the
narrow passage, and felt my way
along the rough board walls. AS ad-
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 followed, my hands touching
either wall, was not straight, but
curved to the right, and it dawned
"a