OCR Text |
Show Wip pffife WF i VfY 0 AUTHOR OP . W lttfm THS3'rRAH( CASS tfCAVZNDISH WW'j!',, HF Illustrations- -jJI v COPYRIGHT, BY RANDALL PARttlSH much, but I do not know. They trust her is it not enough? 'Tis my guess she come special for to do this." "She is a Chilean then?" "Maybe ; maybe American, Spanish. What difference if she be in our service? serv-ice? They know what she is; tonight she is Marie Gessler it has the sound of Switzerland. Beyond this I care nothing." "But you have seen her, perhaps?" "Not a sight ; none of the boys have. She was to meet Alva at Times square this noon. I went with him, but no girl Just a messenger boy there with a note in code. Something had frightened fright-ened the lady, and she made a night appointment over here." "Here ! How did she know the way out?" "She didn't, for the matter of that ; But she had been piped off on Jans' place, and agreed to be there as soon as it was dark. I'm wondering if she showed up; let's go in and see." The three moved off down the passage, pas-sage, still conversing in subdued tones, the sharp accent of the Spaniard most prominent, and I became acutely aware of the black silence in which I stood. There was no occasion for me to risk my life farther in an effort to learn more. I had located the secret rendezvous of this gang of revolutionary revolu-tionary plotters. I was aware of their connection with the Chilean Junta at Washington, and It would be a comparatively com-paratively easy matter now to capture them red-handed. I saw therefore no reason why I should venture further, or endeavor to learn In detail the nature na-ture of this message intrusted to the girl for delivery. My duty now was I supposed I was moving wilh the utmost ut-most caution, every nerve on edge, feeling a way forward with hands and feet. Once I stepped upon a shell of some kind which crunched beneath the weight, and again my groping hand dislodged a small blcck of wood, which fell with a slight clatter. I halted both times, my heart in my mouth, yet nothing happened, and I moved forward for-ward again confident of not being overheard. over-heard. I could not have told what it was that halted me. I remember I stopped as though shot, my very breath suspended, sus-pended, one foot still uplifted in a step forward, my eyes staring helplessly into the black void. The silence was that of a tomb. I could feel the perspiration flow down my face in a stream ; it was- an instant of torture. Then an unseen hand gripped me and an electric flash-light glared into my eyes. CHAPTER IV. I Become a Weil-Known Thief. The sudden, unanticipated attack, the burst of dazzling light in my eyes, rendered me for the moment utterly helpless. I was blinded, and so tightly grasped at the throat as to be nearly strangled. I only dimly realized that my assailant was a man, his grip that of a giant. Then, to my surprise, the fellow laughed oddly, snapping out his light, and releasing his grip. "Well, if this don't beat h 11," he said, in the tone of cheerful disgast. "Come in here and let me leem you over." His hand closed on the sleeve of my coat, and before I scarcely found time to catch my breath again I had been dragged through a narrow opening and became aware that a door shut silently silent-ly behind me. The fellow gave me little opportunity opportuni-ty to either act, or think. A match flared, and was held aloft to a gas jet which instantly broke into a dull flame, sufficient to render visible the full extent ex-tent of the small room in which we stood. In some semi-conscious- way I was aware of bare walls, of a small table opposite with some writing materials ma-terials on it, and a short bench covered by a blanket. I suppose I saw these things, yet all that I seemed to perceive per-ceive was the man fronting me, who stared in my face, a quizzical smile co his lips, as though still half uncertain of the reality of my presence. He was tall, a trifle angular, but exceedingly well-dressed, with closely trimmed iron-gray beard and peculiar eyes deeply set in a rather chalky face. He broke the silence, evidently inclined to look upon this meeting as a joke. "Don't recognize me, I reckon? Well, that ain't to be wondered at, for likely enough you never saw me before. Beats the devil though ' why you should drift in here ; now I suppose it will have to be fifty-fifty." His words and manner gave me a new lease on life. Whoever the follovv might be he was seemingly friendly. I must meet the fellow in that same spirit and endeavor to extract from him some knowledge of whom he supposed sup-posed me to be. "I do not quite get the drift of all this," I ventured. "You imply that you know me." "H II, yes. Over in Bow Street, on the other side. The Hartlebury robbery rob-bery case. I'd been hearing about you for years', and when that came on, I took a chance and drii'ted into court one day just to see what you looked like. You've shaved your mustache, and look ten years younger, but I knew you, all right. I never forget a face. Say, who put you onto this game Waldron?" I nodded, taking a chance. "I'd have bet my life he was the guy. I might have known he would double-cross me some way. Of course a tip's a tip in this game, and I don't blame you for horning in. Naturally you never knew this was my game how could you? Waldron never said a word about me, did he?" "Not once." "That is how I had it sized up, so I don't hold any grudge against you. Now listen," and he bent forward confidentially, con-fidentially, lowering his voice, so I could barely distinguish the words. "We'll talk It all over later, when we're alone. 'Tain't exactly safe here, for these walls are thin, and there is quite a bunch around tonight. There's plenty for the two of us, if we play the cards right, and we'll let Waldron hold the bag. What do you say, Daly?" So my name was "Daly." Well, that was interesting at least, although it gave me no new light. However, nothing noth-ing remained for me to do except agree to his blind proposition. "That's mighty handsome of you. What's the figure?" "A million!" enthusiastically. "Wait until I get a chance to explain the plan ; it looks' like Providence had just handed us out the money." "Why not explain the scheme to me." "Not now; there ain't time." He glanced at his watch, "and besides, for all I know, some guy might be listening listen-ing in to what we say. You see there is a hunch o' hell-cats in there waiting for mo to give them a song and dance. I'm the big end right now, but I've got to sing low until I'm sure what word these guys have got from Washington. After that I'll know how to trim sail. You wait until I come hack, Daly, and then we'll plan this thing out. You .think I'm aiming to play fair, don't you ?" "Gentleman Georg." (TO BE CONTINUED.) "A MILLION!" Synopsis. In a New York jewelry store Philip Severn. United States consular agent, notices a small box which attracts him. He purchases It. Later he discovers in a secret compartment a writing giving a clew to a revolutionary movement In this country ostensibly seeking to overthrow the Chilean government govern-ment but evidently international In character. The writing mentions a rendezvous, and Severn decides to investigate. Finding the place mentioned men-tioned in the writing apparently deserted, de-serted, Severn visits a saloon in the vicinity. A woman in the place is met by a man, seemingly by appointment, ap-pointment, and Severn, his suspicions suspi-cions aroused, follows them. They go to the designated meeting place, an abandoned iron foundry. At the rendezvous Severn is accepted as one of the conspirators and admitted. admit-ted. He meets a stranger who appears ap-pears to recognize him. CHAPTER II! Continued. He pressed something in the side-wall, side-wall, sliding back a panel, and disappeared, disap-peared, the rough boards returning instantly in-stantly into place. . I was left alone, staring at the spot where be had disappeared. dis-appeared. Beyond doubt the entrance awaiting me lay straight ahead, concealed con-cealed by the hanging curtain. I stepped cautiously forward, listening for some guiding sound from beyond that barrier, afraid to draw it aside and take a blind plunge into the unknown. un-known. I could detect the murmur of voices, several of them speaking Spanish, Span-ish, yet in such low tones I could distinguish dis-tinguish only an occasional emphasized empha-sized word. There was no door between be-tween us : only that thick, hanging curtain, cur-tain, and I ventured far enough to draw this aside sufficient to peer through with one eye. Beyond was a reasonably large room, but so dimly lighted as to be scarcely visible from end to end. I could discern men present, pres-ent, a number of them, lounging about on chairs, their outlines being fairly revealed, but the light was not sufficient suffi-cient to give me any impression of their faces. It seemed quite possible that I might slip in unobserved, and pass among them unrecognized except through accident. But the risk of discovery dis-covery was too great. I must find some other point of entrance. The private doorway through which Wine ban disappeared gave me the thought that there might also be others. oth-ers. I dare not follow after him, but if there was another opening to be found I was perfectly willing to explore ex-plore into its mysteries. The senrch was brief, yet the very nature of the rough board wall made concealment impossible. Behind the dangling coats I uncovered what I sought, and not a moment too soon. Even as my hand touched the exposed latch, a murmur of voices in the outer entry reached my ears there were new arrivals being be-ing questioned, and admitted. The panel slid back silently In its grooves, and I peered through the revealed re-vealed opening into absolute darkness. AH I could be sure of, as exhibited by the dim light of the passage, was a single step downward, and then apparently ap-parently a strip of earth floor. I dare not wait and meet those entering; there was but one choice of action. I pressed through the orifice, forced the panel back into place, and stood erect in the Intense darkness and silence, listening for the slightest sound. I was still motionless, my heart beating fiercely, when several men entered en-tered the passage I had just left. Pressing my ear against the thin crack I distinguished words so as to piece together scraps of conversation. It seemed to me there were three voices one speaking Spanish entirely, the others using English. One of the latter lat-ter spoke first. P "'Tis a dirty night out, but good for our purpose. You came by motor, Alonzo?" "No. Wine said that was too risky. I walked from the car line. What's up? Do you know, Captain?" The fellow addressed exploded In Spanish. "Why you call me that? I tell you my name !" "It's safe enough in here, but I'll be careful outside. What was this meeting meet-ing called for?" "It was a message from Washington, Washing-ton, orders maybe, that we act soon. I hope it." "From Washington? Is Mendez here?" "Saprista, no! Can he move without with-out a dozen spit's at his heels? He find a messenger no one ever suspect. She bring the word." "She? A woman?" "Sure! that was better. No or.e know her ; no one ever see her with our people. It was a good trick, and ' it fool the pigs." "But who Is the woman?" The other uttered a gruff exclamation exclama-tion of disgust. "It I know, yon suppose I tell? Not So Tightly Grasped at the Throat as to Be Nearly Strangled. to report what I had discovered, when the prompt arrest of Alva, and a few-others, few-others, would end the whole scheme. It seemed simple enough, if I could only find my way out safely. -But escape unobserved was far from being assured. Any retreat by way of the lighted passage was Impossible.; there were guards there at both ends; the only hope lay in a blind effort forward. for-ward. I accepted the only course possible, and began to feel my way to the left, skirting the wall of rough boarding, until It widened out Into what was apparently ap-parently the larger room beyond. No sound reached me from any direction, the silence and darkness oppressing me, as though they had weight. Yet one fact became more and more clear the deliberate purpose with which this deserted Iron factory had been prepared for a secret rendezvous. Apparently, from without, It stood grim, desolate and deserted, yet the Interior arrangements were such that conspirators could meet securely inside, in-side, protected from observation, in rooms through whose walls no gleam of light might be visible from either street or alley. Only an accident, or constant vigilance without, could reveal re-veal the true use to which the building was now being devoted. This knowledge knowl-edge rendered the peril of my own position po-sition the more Intense. I could be killed, murdered, and no man would ever be the wiser. I would simply disappear, dis-appear, vanish, and that would he the end. At that moment I had no thought hut to discover some means of escape. The knowledge of the danger I was in robbed me of all courage. I was like a child afraid in the dark. I moved forward, inch by inch, feeling my way along the rough planking with one hand, my limbs actually trembling under un-der me. If I could only find some opening; see some gleam of light; break away from this terrible silent darkness. 1 |