The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-17
CHAPTER VIII fContinued
 The Truth About The Battleshtps. :.

CHAPTER VIII aContinued The Truth About The Battleships.
 Nora drew herself up and faced the coroner unflinchingly.
 Mrs. Sanderson leaned forward red spot g1owed on either cheek. The ton must reveal Morals secret, at last' filled her with intense excitement
 The coroner began his questioning.
 ''What is your name?"
 Mora May Heller
 Are you the daughter of the de- ceased man?"
 'I am,'' answered Nora faintly.
 Speak up," said the coroner was this man your father?"
 .Yes," said Nora more loudly.
 "I understand that you were the first to discover the body in the gard en of the Staten House. Is this so?" 'Yes,'' said the girl.'' tHow did you come to find it ?" q saw it from my bedroom window at six o'clock in the morning. thought it was my father, and went out to make certain Describe what you saw" Nora did so. every word cutting her like a blunt knife. What did you do then?" asked the coroner.
 .I went back to the house and told Mrs. Sanderson, and she sent for the police.''
 When did you see your father alive last ?''
 'tThe day before,'' answered Nora. "He came over from New York to warn me that was in danger" 'In danger of what?' "Of my life" Did he mention any one in par ticular? ?''
 | "No," she faltered. | Answer me carefully" said the coroner When your father gave you that warning did you not understand | whom he meant?" "Yes," she confessed. "Who was it?" | "I cannot tell you the exact person. said Nora, "I knew simply that I was ! in danger from the Japanese | And did your father include him. self in the same danger?" Yes"
 Do you know why?' "Yes,''. said Nora
 "Then tell us," demanded the cor oner.
 | Nora glanced around her ihuntedIy. | The handcuffed Jap looked over at with the eyes of a lynx. She turned | from them shuddering. | Why did you and your father fear I Litc JddHeSG! repeated the coroner. | Come, we are waiting.'' l My father had been working with with a Japanese company Nora | stammered out. And ha had left | them against their wishes | What kind of a company" Nora gazed at the coroner helpless
 What company was it?" he asked her.
 Something to do with ships" des- perately' replied Nora. l Where were their offices go
 "In Lower California;
 'Tn what capacity was you, father?"
 He was-I don't quite know" she fa1tered.
 You are hiding something from | us." declared the coroner sternly. "Bu you must understand it won't do. ws must get at the truth, and it is you1 her with eyes of a lynx. She turned ''I don't wish to hide anything" sait the girl in low tone On the contrary, have come-her. to tell-the truth"
 That's better" said the coroner more amiably. Now we can ge ahead. Suppose, Miss Heller, you tel us the truth in your own words first
 She drew herself up suddenly. | She swept her eyes over the iurv men.
 Yes" she agreed. Her face hard ened with determination. "I will must! For it means not only aveng ing my fathers death There ar, lives to be saved" she went on dra matically, land it is for that I mus speak"
 "Gentlemen," she said, "r-y fathe
 was murdered because he rerused t
 go on helping to destroy American
 battleships-because at the eleventl
 hour he repented of his sins"
 She paused to control herself. Ther
 was not sound from the crowd Every eye was riveted on the slende
 girl Every ear was strained for tn next word.
 In low, clear tones, Nora told tn
 story of her fathers life. Five years before, John Heller ha
 been a wel1-to-do builder and con
 tractor in San Francisco From hi boyhood, however, his main thought
 and ambitions had been centered O.
 a submarine which he had invented.
 Having at last perfected it, he spen
 his entire savings and morgaged hi : business to build his model, and the \ offered it triumphantly to the Unite ! States government. in the certain1
 that it would be hailed as a vaIuabI addition to the navy.
 The government, however, refuse to recognize anything extra ordinar the submarine. and Heller was lei
 stranded-a bankrupt His wife died in want, and hi
 young daughter, then girl of four
 teen, was growing thin and pale fror the lack of proper nourishnaent , Torn with grief and seir-reproac
 for having staked so much on his ir
 vention, and enraged at his country blindness and want of enterprise, h
 turned his back on America and weu to Japan, leaving the girl with l friend.
 , The Japanese government wa | | quick to see the good points in tn , | submarine. Heller soon came to a z arrangement with them whereby n l future was assured e | He returned to San Francisco an tvook up life once more with his chil. Wh hOTn he loved devOfad1u Mopox- ,.--