Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1921-06-23
Continued from last week.

Unless it might be the intense bru-
nette blackness of hair and an ex-
tremely clear complexion there was
nothing typically Spanish in her APP
pearance. Indeed she impressed me
as thoroughly American in features,
dress ord m"nner. somewhere in the
tventieS ShNid judge, with brown
eyes, and face decidedly pleasant to
look upon, although with firmneSS
to it, expressed by mouth and chin, not
to be mistaken. IAnoted 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 well.'
He fingered, tempted to question me.
"You have not been in before? Per-
haps you do not live near?"
81 do not" | replied frankly. y
travel out of Boston, and sell lumber.
the yard down below"
81 see. You are not from New York.
| make it,"
No; Boston has always been my
home"
"Once | live there too; when first
come north from Rio. What you think
about this war? We lick Germany
heyY
"Oh. L. don't know; she seems to be
more than holding her own
"Ach. yes. But now this country go
in; what then?"
looked up quickly into his face.
with swift desire to test his real
sentiment.
'This country Why should it go
in? There are Germans enough over
here to stop that"
"Not Germans-no. But Interna-
tionals, revolutionaries. They are
more than you think. TITS time for
them to strike a great blow"
"You are Polish, are you not?'
"Yah, from Warsaw. come over
six years"
"Naturalzed"
Il have first papers-why you ask?'
suspiciously.
Il merely questioned from curios-
ity." My eyes wandered once more to
the girl across the room. and he no
ticed the glance.
"Y0u wonder what she do in here?"
he asked. Il tell you. She was my
niece, an sit here to wait for a TREND
to walk home with her. 1t is not
good neighborhood. this, for woman
alone in the dark"
"Her home is some distance?"
"Five-six blocks. 1t is dark. bad
way"
He moved back toward the bar, APP
parently satisfied with his examination
of me, as well 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 a while longer.
What was the party like who was to
call for the girl? I did not have to
linger long to crafty my curiosity.
The side door opened silently, and a
man stepped briskly inside, shaking
the raindrops from his coat as he
greeted the barman cheerily.
"A dirty night, JAMS" he said. glanc-
Ing swiftly about, his eyes sweeping
over me sharply. Business not very
good, | supposeT"
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
nothings.r
The newcomer laughed, evidently
put quite at ease by this quick expla-
nation. was watching him. A rather
thick-set fellow with turned-up mus
tache and disfiguring scar on one
cheek, which gave to his eye peculiar
expression. Watching the fellow
must have missed some signal. for he
whirled about suddenly and confront
ed the girl, who had already risen to
her feet and stood expectantly. one