Show low AIO adventurers CLUB HEADLINES FROM THE LIVES 4 OF PEOPLE LE LIKE 1 YOURSELF 1 behind the curtain VOU OU know bo boys ys and girls old lady adventure has some 1 funny ways of sneaking up on an a guy sometimes she just comes up behind your bachand back bac kand and sometimes she drops enyou on you from above and there are times too when she comes walking right fight up bip to you from the front and you dont try to get out of her way because she is in disguise and you dont recognize her the way it wa was with john hoven new york city you know john started his adventuring career as a sailor before the mast and every sailor has half a dozen oi or more adventures he can tell you about but theone the one john remembers best is his first one a thrill he got in 1894 and still remembers it happened when johns ship called at the port of san lucar spain to take on a cargo of lead etwas it was the of november when they arrived there but the weather was still warm and balmy in the evening most of the crew went ashore to see the sights sight of the town john went too toland when old lady adventure walked up and grabbed him bim you know knowd I 1 said that the old girl with the thrill bag sneaked up on john in disguise she did she came in thi the clothes customarily worn by another lady known to the world is as little attla rosie romance and john never fer knew the difference until it was too late on their way into town the sallon from the ship stopped to watch a group of spanish seno senoritas ritas and senors dancing their native dances john says he thinks the he dance they were dolne doing was the fandango anyway it was the sort of dance in which a senorita who wants a new partner just throws her shawl around the neck of some bird on the sidelines who looks good to her john was standing pretty close to the platform where the dancing was going on and the first thing you know a shawl was looped around his neck john adds fandango to his accomplishments now john says he never was much of a dancer and fandangos fan dangos were way out ot of his class but this girl was a beauty and one look from her big round eyes had john feeling that hed dance in a barrel of red hot nails if it would please her any 1 I got away with the dance on that bed lay jay a dead man his throat slashed and blood dripping all over the floor somehow he says iad and then she left the me come along she led me to a little cafe a two story building with a lot of tables and chairs out in the open and a big canopy sloping down the tilde side of the wall there was a a big bay window above this canopy and a small mall side entrance led to the room above the girl led john into that side entrance ho followed her up the stairs and into i a big room on the second floor she spoke to me in spanish john says but I 1 understand a word however I 1 said si ISI si 1 to every everything she said she smiled and so did 1 I then she opened a cupboard brought out some wine glasses and an empty bottle and made a motion meaning that she was going to take the bottle and have it filled then she left the room i john could hardly believe his luck when the girl was gone cone he began be ganto to look around the room there was an alcove at t one end with port portiere por tiers lers drawn across it he walked over and peeped through those curtains and right there john got the shock of his life in the alcove was a bed and on that tied bed lay a dead man Ws bla throat slashed and blood dripping all over the he floor 1 1 1 I felt a chill run up my spine he says and for a minute I 1 was so stiff I 1 move I 1 turned turne daway away from the grisly sight in the alcove and ran toward the door I 1 turn turned edthe the knob but the door give it was loc kedl john ran to the window and what be saw there made the hair stand straight up on his head down below in the street was the girl coming back and with her were were two big husky spanish policemen john says that thousands of thoughts ran through his bis head bead then but bit the principal one was the realization that hat he be was the victim of a frame up that girl had killed a man and was going to put the blame on himl him says he be 1 I knew my only chance lay in getting out of that room the girland girl and the policemen were almost to the door now I 1 waited until they th eyere were all in the hallway and then I 1 threw open the window they would be opening the door of the room at any ank moment and I 1 ha had to hurry swiftly climbing through the window I 1 slid down the canopy below it john finds dagger in coat it was only a drop ot of about ten feet to the ground and the m minute anute I 1 felt earth under my teet feet I 1 ran like a deer for or the waterfront I 1 reached it all out of breath tor for I 1 had never stopped running the entire distance of almost a mile I 1 went aboard ship and sneaked below once in the forecastle I 1 stopped to catch my breath again I 1 was still shaking g like ike a leaf I 1 started to remove my coat and felt something in t the h pocket I 1 took it out it was a double edged dagger about eight inches long with a hollow groove in the middle just another link in the chain of 0 01 evidence dence against john the girl had bad planted that knife in his pocket to make aake the case against wm him all the stronger he hid the thing ander adder his mattress and tried to calm his jumpy nerves and just then one of johns shipmates came into the forecastle say what the matter with you he wanted to know you sou look pale as a ghost host and I 1 saw you running sing 11 well str sir john says he knew he could trust this pal of his so he blurted out the whole story and ad his shipmate laughed why he said you just fell for en an old swindle I 1 thought it had been played out long ago in these parts that was only a dummy you saw in the room and the blood was probably catsup or something the p police were e takers andall they wanted to do was make yov you give them all your money to keep them quiet dont play around with any ot of those spanish senoritas seno ritas youre playing with fire if you do released by western newspaper union |