American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-06-10

CHAPTER LIN a New York jewelry
store Philip Severn, United States con-
sular agent, notices a small box which
attracts him. He purchases 1t. Later he
discovers In a secret compartment a writ
ing giving a clew to a revolutionary move
ment in this country seeking to over
throw the Chilean government. The writ
ing mentions a rendezvous, and Severn
decides to investigate.
u.-Ffnding the place men
TONED in the writing apparently deserted.
severn visits a saloon in the vicinity.
A woman in the place is met by a man,
seemingly by appointment, and Severn,
his suspicious aroused, follows them.
They go to the designated meeting place,
an abandoned iron foundry.
The silence was profound, stupefy-
Ing, uncanny. Against the lighter lead
Of the upper sky | was barely able to
trace the upper story of the building.
but 1t was all black, a gloomy, desert
ed hole. Any faith l might have had
that the two I had attempted to follow
had come there vanished as I strained
my eyes for some CLEAN Of light, or
any other sign to denote their presence
within. I still believed they had
turned down the alley. but this was not
their goal; beyond doubt they had en-
tered some gate along the way, and
thus escaped me entirely.
l hardly know what impelled me to
grCpe my way back along the fence,
blindly feeling for q gate. Curiosity,
no doubt, and a lingering desire TO
make certain of what was inside the
barrier. The entrance was easily
found, a mere wooden door, held by an
iron clasp, which opened instantly to
my touch. l stepped inside, closing 1t
quietly behind me, and stared ~uneasily
about through the ~enshrouding black
ness.
My eyes, grown accustomed to the
gloom, made out dim outlines, encour-
aging further exploration. Discover
ing ample space, and what felt to nay
feet like a walk, I turned the corner in
search. At that moment the gate latch
clicked sharply, and / sank down lnte
the black ground shadow, every nerve
tingllng with alarm. The gate oper-
ated almost nOiselessiy, yet my strain
ed ears could detect Its stealthy move
ment, and hear the crunch of a heavy
foOtstep on the cinder path within.
The fellow evidently knew his way
ever In that orrkness. for there was no
hesitancy In his movements, no zncer-
tainty. He faded sway along the rear
wall, and | became aware that he had
turned about the further corner. That
would naturally mean there was a
door there. I had evidently been
searching the wrong side.
Assured the mar had vanished. and
that he sought entrance to the build
Ing through some passage we'll known
TO him, | crept forth along the end
wall, crouched low In the shadow,
using every ~precaution against dis
covery. All that was venturesorse In
me held high carnival and nothing of
danger now could have held me back.
/ reached the corner around which the
FELLOW had disappeared, but, in the In
n blackness, could perceive no
movement beyond, no sign of any pres
ence. / listened eagerly, scarcely ven.
turing to breathe, and la another mo
ment was rewarded by hearing the gen
tie tap of knuckles on wood a few feet
away there could be no doubt Of the
number-twO raps, a pause, three
raps; the very signal mentioned In the
letter. I waited, still b~reathless, un-
certain what had occurred, yet con
WINGED the MAI ahead had been given
entrance.
Unable longer to withstand the
strain | took a step forward into the
darkness. At that instant the latch OF
the gate clicked behind me.