Show r AX A STORY OF T T V FREEING OF cuba A r N r s V Law laurenco A renco perry anchor bf D renej or ear I 1 1 l aa x rg vs i nr ars T r st 77 1 V SYNOPSIS lieutenant holton la Is detached from hla his command jn in the navy at the outset of the spanish american war and assigned to imp important 0 secret service duty achile din luff a at t n Wash luxton hotel he detects a walte waiter r in the act of robbing a beautiful young g lady she thanks him tor for hla his toun aco co a and n d gives her name as miss la iii I ii tonga cuban patriot later he meets her at s ball A secret service mma man warns hoi 1101 I ton ion on that the girl Is in a spy senor la ia I a tossa chides his daughter for or her failure allure to secure important information from holton ho tom she leaves for her home in cuba la is ordered to follow her i CHAPTER IV 1 r aa A frank admission holtons requisitions were promptly attended to and by the time tie he had completed hla his packing at the club hla his tickets tor for the florida special had bad arrived ile he lunched with billy holt ot of the ordnance department and then took a hack to the station where he found the train made up he had bad several magazines in his hands and settled down to read with his feet feel luxuriously testing resting on tho the other seat of 1118 bis section it was not many minutes however before he yawned dawned broadly and five minutes ml thereafter his magazine had tumbled from hie hand and he be was fast asleep y As aado fell into slumber two men approached the porter and thawing open their coats displayed secret service shields while their english was perfect perte ct they wire were surely of the latin race ya as suh sub all right genT gentgen men the porter was waa very much impressed ya as suh sub go right along As they approached holtons Hol tone section one of them stopped well here he is he r remarked e arced IT yes and asleep too hes I 1 os bound tor for tampa tor for a surety yes but now that he ha kindly sleeps bleeps wo we might as well go farther ile he bent down and carefully drew holtons bag out into the aisle quick he said bald locking up the keys his Ills companion drew from his bis pocket bocket a large bunch of keys and the man tried several without success VI finally nally becoming impatient he drew the bag to the seat behind holton mud bud dr drawing wang his knife cut a long hole near the top then inserting his hand and arm he fished about for several beveral minutes but without feeling anything other than wearing apparel and toilet articles finally h he e straightened up and pushed bushed the bag into the place whence it had been withdrawn with the frowning re remark marli I 1 well well have to let him go weve done dono our part the two men spent some time in the station Bt atlon framing a telegram tele giam in cipher which when completed was sent to tampa then they disappeared holton in the meantime slept and was still asleep when the train moved out awakened by a sudden turn of the cars he started bolt upright and he hc cut a long cole looked about him with only a vague ldoa idea as to where he was wall when ha came to a realizing sense of hla his situation he looked at ills watch and then tried to resume his bla nap but this time lie le did not tall fall iL asleep sleep and so after fidgeting about tor for half an hour bo decided to go into the si ile he had some very excellent cigars ft n hla his grip aud and pulling out the bag hi he leaned down to unlock it when he be saw the long hold which had haa been cutin cut in the shining pigskin lie ito regard regarded edthe the damage for a sec ond with rising anger and then un locked the valise and searched search pd it thoroughly to sen what had been stolen far his only idea was that toma sneak thieves had taken advantage of his blumb clamber ar dut but finding everything intact he wits obliged tc cast about tor for another I 1 it wai waa then that the thought of spies occurred to him thus thinking he bo rose rosa from hla his seat beat and looked searchingly over the oo oc C cupanna ot of hla his car almost the first person his eyes lighted upon was a girl in the section diagonally opposite him one glance at her profile was sufficient to send holton stumbling and gasping back into his bis seat beat the girl was miss alias la tossa team ile he thought for a moment oh ob to be sure he had risen to find out who had maltreated mal treated his bla bag then good heavens holtons hands bands flew to his head after the most moat app approved royed nian manner ner of 0 tragedy and for a moment he tried to dismiss the surging thoughts from his mind dut but noo no the facts were largo large and luminous and not to be denied and these facts were as follows ile he had gone asleep in the car his bag had been cut open and now then miss la tossa had been designated by men who should know whereof they spoke as ft a spy epy miss la tossa was the only other person in the car he ha paused lie he just would not think it that was all eft picking up a magazin ei ho he settled back in hla his seat and tried to lose himself in a serial story for a while he kept his mind fairly well upon the tale but eventually he be found his thoughts straying to the girl in front of him eventually he be flung the magazine aside and shifted about uneas uneasily lly after all was he playing the tha game as he should silent contempt was all right it it were only noticed but silent contempt when the person against whom it Is la directed does not feel it is hardly a satisfactory course to pursue with this thought holton arose from hla his seat and with a self conscious smile bustled up to miss alias la TOM as though he hid bid lust just discovered her presence why ot of all he be exclaimed how do you do miss la ifer her book fell to the floor and she looked up mr holtonz Holto nl she cried the very same bame laughed holton anamay and may I 1 ask what strange circumstances stas have brought us together again 1 I was just going to sat ask you that holton looked at her curiously hardly knowing what reply to make after such a check where are you going goine he ha inquired at length to tampa and thence to my home she responded ohl holton shifted doubtfully im going to tampa too really 1 I trust it I 1 I 1 can be of any service you will avill avail yourself of my presence alias la tossa he be added somewhat formally thank you wont you sit down one service you can perform talk to me im dreadfully bored holton seated himself obediently beastly raw and windy it today yes then she laughed at him unaffectedly what are you iou laughing at at your brilliancy oh you are master masterly lyl I 1 and yet she added they told me you were so clever 1 I cannot help what people say ho he began and then impatient at hla his ob alous disadvantage lie he changed the subject 1 I had bad the most curious thing happen to me on this train he went on now she sha laughed you promise to bo be really entertaining what was it do tell mel me 1 I boarded the car said holton and fell asleep she giggled and he raise t his hand impatiently 1 I fell and while I 1 slept some rascal cut a hole in my bag and rummaged through the contents ile he glanced at her sharply but her face revealed nothing except polite concern indeed she remarked nothing was stolen co inked the officer and I 1 cannot ima imagine girie why the thing was done 1 I think perhaps I 1 can tell you she said calmly you were attached to the scorpion she had been testing out some new torpedo you came to washington on the eye eve ot of war and now you hurry away again to tampa tain pa certain persons were desirous to know whether your departure concerned the scorpion and your bag was searched for orders or other writings that might throw light upon the subject YOU are frank holton looked at her admiringly but how bow do you happen to know all this because im a spy holiona Hol tona face assumed the color of at a perfectly ripened tomato you you hotl her hearty laughter brought him to a pause I 1 ilow how astonished you seem deem to bl 1 she regarded him humorously why ere ehe added 1 I really believe he thinks now how I 1 cut open nil his bag I 1 I 1 holton brought himself up with a J irk rk litif kl la Tos toasa ss he said eald 1 I tor bow to you you can deprive a man of speech about as aa handily as aa any poison person I 1 ever know of 0 course youre 1 not a spall do you really bellave believe that her eyes were serious now do your you yes he returned desperately then mr air holton I 1 beg to inform you that I 1 am a spy holton received the girls announcement with bowed head and as he ha speak she looked at him with defiant eyes 1 I am a cuban I 1 am not a professional spy as you may imagine I 1 fear ear I 1 api not p a spy qt at all allan in the high sense boned j ot ch tha a term bul bu i uve have tried to serve my country I 1 shall continue to do so BO my country Is in peril I 1 could be I 1 was born to be I 1 fear a pleasure loving butterfly but I 1 have found that there are ways in which my country has haa need even ot of poor me yes but wo we need not bo be enemies holtons lol tons voice was very earnest sho she did not reply and holton added 1 I applaud your motives but surely you do not imagine cuba to be in danger at the hands bands of the united states I 1 should think spain would be your object and it if the united states I 1 ask you why still she did not answer and hotton sh shrugging his bis shoulders impatiently repeated his question why chyr do you know mr holton sho she said after a moments pause that every mile southward this train flies increases my happiness it to Is so pleasant to feel you are nearing home you have not answered my question atlas la tossa and I 1 do not intend to answer it indignation was coloring the tha naval 0 officers meers mood look here miss la tessa I 1 like fike you it if the honest admiration of a m man an is anything to you you can make mace the most ot of that statement and so ao I 1 ask you with the why should you think it necessary to pry into the affairs ot of the united states ill 1 I am an enemy to any enemy ot of my country and by enemy I 1 mean any person or group ot of persons whose goodwill good will toward us ua may be questioned then you inter infer that the united states Is not acting in a way to show goodwill good will to cuba holton was thoroughly outraged well ill be hanged banged it if that gratitude it if you dont mind mr air holton she said sweetly 1 I should like to yead read now holton hustled out ot of the seat in a great huff oh certainly by all means most assuredly he burst out and returned to his sea As he ant there thinking the train stopped at a small email station to change engines when it started again tho the conductor came into tho the smoker calling holtons name he responded and the conductor gave him a long official appearing dispatch the message ran I 1 as follows holton congress Con greas declared war today sampson will be ordered to blockade the cuban coast troops will mobilize at port tampa they will proceed thence in transports to cuba you will remain in tampa availing yourself of the gnat a small torpedo boat built for a battleship to carry to prevent any attempt to destroy transports you will watch cuban camp at tampa tor for developments regarding matters already brought to your attention and will hold yourself if in readiness to land secretly on cuban soil I 1 to perform intelligence work with regard to location and move movements menth of spanish warships you will work un der direct orders of the secretary long ROOSEVELT holton sat back irr iff ills to seat so war had come what aou would id happen bowl now so far as ho be was concerned WAS likely to be well in the forefront ile he was exalted thrilled la in every fiber of hla his being ile he put the dispatch in his pocket and walked back bach through the train to hla his car As he reached miss allas la section he ha found her folding up a bit ot of paper and putting it in her waist had she too received a dispatch 1 holton did not doubt it so ho he wasted no words well it has come to pass he be said eald war has been declared and within a tow few months cuba will be as tree free as 0 even v on you could wish god grant it she murmured holton held out his hand good night alias la tossa toasa he said I 1 sho she shook hla his hand cordially alln alix 9 ering 1 y even good night she replied her eyes sought bought his and for or a moment it seemed as though she were going to speak then she turned away holton waited an instant and then he too averted his face good night he said again and went to hla his own on berth where chero the porter had completed his preparations CHAPTER V it I 1 h U mysterious messages at tampa holton met ad and had bad breakfast with several army on ginters who had been engaged la in laying out camp sites in the pine alno woods bade back of tampa then in the afternoon he proceeded on to port tampa nine miles away ahead rising into the blue sky like some dream palace in sahara the tampa bay hotel with its brick walls and gleaming silver domes dome and minarets mina it brought hope to his hie heart and hla his steps were more springy as he hurried toward the immense structure ture A A negro hoy boy took hla his bag as he entered the lobby and tho the clerk smiled as aa ho he had not done since the winter throng left the hostelry early in march after a bath and shave he set out to the bay to view his new command lie he found her in charge of an ablo SI seaman eaman conroy who welcomed him with enthusiasm holton stepped aboard and chuckled when he recalled the comparatively largo large deck space of the scorpion the gnat was almost a toy craft and yet et her regulation torpedo gun on the after a after deck the machine gun forward and the little conning tower heavily plated with steel gave eava dd adequate equate hint that she was waa by no means built tor for pleasure 4 41 11 lma likely well to be busy buny before lorig long conroy conro he said bald ill have ray my luggage brought down from the hatol hotel and como come aboard at once II 11 how m many 7 men have we only howard the engineer and me was the reply all right the fewer ewer the better ill return shortly and perhaps take her but whereupon holton stepped out with a blithe stride in tho the lobby ot of the hotel he burled buried hla his face la in a washington newspaper and spent a half hour absorbing the tha war talk of the day ills reverie was interrupted by a hotel page who handed him a card bearing the name jose josa rodriguez havana bayana mr rodriguez wishes to know it 1 you will do him the honor ot of calling upon him in his rooms announced the boy and who Is he hes a very wealthy spaniard who has been here some time well then you willnell will tell mr air rodal guez that it if he be wishes to see me hell find and mo me here yes sir ill tell him that and the boy hurried away 1 I like the nerve ot of that growled holton returning to his paper in a few moments the page stood before him again PW well ell holton looked up impatiently tient ly mr air rodriguez said ald sir that he does not wish to speak to you in tho the lobby and that it will bo be best for you if II 11 you visit him as soon as you can in his rooms holton flushed angrily say boy get this straight you give mr air rodriguez mr holtons compliments ments and say bay to mr air rodriguez that mr holton says for him to go to the devil TO BE CONTINUED |