The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-06-24
CHAPTER EIGHT


Examined in the cold light of a
new day, Ellen Anvers wondered
why she had worried the previous
night about whether Rick Leslie
was in love with her.
She was not flirtatious girl.
Neither was she tickle nor shallow.
While she might, momentarily, re-
greet it IL such thing had hap
pened, she resolutely put any
thoughts Of a romance with him
out Of her mind.
Suppose he is in love with
me ?" she asked herself. I'm not
in love with him. I've done moth
ing to make him love me, and
certainly could never love a man
who is betraying his country
man who puts money before honor
and patriotism. A man who, in
time of war, would promptly be
marched out and lined up against
stone wall before a firing squad"
Mental Pain
She felt a slight twinge of men,
tai pain at the thought, and then
put it aside.
Suppose he is a friend-he con-
siders me his friend. but I'm not"
she continued. I'm working for
the government-it's my job to
establish proof of very strong sus-
picions involving him in terrible
plot. If I'm betraying a friend
ship, it certainly is no worse than
a man betraying his native land"
BY such arguments, she con-
WINGED herself that she was duty
bound to Continue with the assign
ment Major Barringer had given
her. She must do her bit to ex-
pose this plot which was threaten
ing the very existence Of the Hen
don Aircraft Corporation
She phoned Barringer immedi-
ately after breakfast, and few
minutes later he dropped by her
house and picked her up in his car.
Together, they drove down the
beach, finally coming to a stop on
high cliff overlooking the ocean
front.
Now tell me-" he urged, every
thing that happened"
Obediently, she reviewed the pre-
vious days experiences. Barringer
was greatly excited when she de-
scribed the cabin and told him
about the dark room.
Secret Plans
IT think you've stumbled on the
secret of how they get copies OF
the plans" he said. Somehow
Leslie has been able to smuggl'
the secret plans out Of the plant
take them to the hideout where
Caithness copies them. It's sim
pie Photographic process, yo'
know. Then Leslie brings then
back. and no one is the wiser"
But everything is so carefully
checked in at the end Of the day,
Ellen protested.
ut is now, but it wasn't before
A week might go by without
check-up. He was lucky, that's
all, in getting things out Of thu
plant, copying them, and getting
them back again without beins
discovered. Why else would the,
need a dark room in a shack way
out in the desert?"
TT seemed very peculiar to me.
she admitted. That's why ! tolc
you about 1t first"
Did you locate the place so yot
could find it again
She told OF her efforts TO fl'
some landmark, and how she nae
failed.
"An those ranges looked alike
To me from the air Besides. We
circled quite a DIT peiofe aii iht
there and after we left, so l be-
came confused"
Check Mine
Never mind. Wen look up that
mine to see if. by any chance
Leslie actually recorded ii in his
name. II he's the clever boy
think he is. l don't expect to fino
anything, either under his name OF
anyone else remotely connected
with him."
He asked her to tell him more
about Caithness. She described
him as accurately as she could
and when she had finished, ne
shook his head.
No one recognize he SAID
AT least. he's not anyone we nave
under suspicion now. Suppose We
go and look up the mine record
ings. Wen see if Leslie has mace
such a silly error"
He drove back TO town sno
q