The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-06-25

such discovery brought with it de-
But what could | do? What further
steps might be safely taken alone?
The night was dark, a slight driZzle
in the air, no one abroad except from
necessity. No sign of life was visible
for the full extent of the block. until
the saloon on the further corner came
into view. Its cleaning hospitality in
vited me, and l strolled along the OPP
pOsite walk, my coat collar turned up
To shut out the driZzle, and finally
crossed over to where l could peer i'm
through the dingy windows. The man
behind the bar was Enthusiastically Pol
ish, and Of no high type, and at first
l saw no other occupants of the place
table just inside, who were playing
cards silently. The room was clean
enough, and quiet, yet felt no incli-
nation TO enter. Those were not fell
lows it would be safe to question. and
l would have turned away, but at that
instant l perceived the indistinct fig
ure of 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
a place unattended rendered her of
some interest. 1t surely could do no
harm If | dropped In for a sandwich
and a 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.
spoke to the barman in English. We ex-
changed a few wOrds-his own speech
very brOken-while he prepared the
sandwich, and the only thing unusual
| noticed was the passage of a slight
signal between him and the woman
across the room. | 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 APP
pearance. Indeed she impressed mo
as thoroughly American in features,
dress and manner, somewhere in the
twenties | should judge, with brown
eyes, and face decidedly pleasant to
look upon, although with a firmness
to it, expressed by mouth and chin, not
to be mistaken. l 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 i'm 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 2" he asked.
NO, this will answer very WELL"
He fingered, tempted to question me.
You have not been in before? Per-
haps you do not live near?"
Il do not" l replied frankly. 81
travel out of Boston, and sell lumber.
l have been doing some business with
the yard down below"
Il see. You are not from New York.
l make it?'
mo; 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
heyi"
'Oh, l don't know; she seems to be
more than holding her own"
Zach, yes. But now this country go
in; what then"
looked up quickly into his face,
with a swift desire to test his real
sentiment.
"This country! Why should it 90
in? There are Germans enough over
here to stop that"
"Not Germans-no. But Interna-
tionals, revolutionaries. They are
more than you think IT'S time for
them to strike great blow"
you are Polish, are you not?
Yah, from Warsaw. / come over
six years."
'Naturalized"
Il have first papers-why you ask?"
81 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. Il tell you. She was my
niece, an sit here to wait for a friend
to walk home with her. 1t Is not a
good neighborhood, this, for a woman
alone in the dark"
"Her home Is some distaucer
'Five-six blocks. 1t is a dark, bad
way"
He moved back toward the bar, ap-
satisfied with his examination
of me, as well as his explanation. L
grimly why he had taken
the trouble to tell me all this, and or
iered another glass of beer as an ex-
cuse to linger there a while longer.
What was the party Ike who Wa 10