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COPYRIGHT, BY 1 SYNOPSIS. CHAPTER I.?In a New York jewelry store Philip Severn, United States con- , sular agent, notices a small box which attracts him. He purchases it. Later he discovers in a secret compartment a writ- ! ing giving a clew to a revolutionary move- 1 ment in this country seeking to over- j throw the Chilean government The writ- | ing mentions a rendezvous, and Severn | decides to investigate. CHAPTER II.?Finding the place men- J tioned in the writing apparently deserted, j Severn visits a saloon in the vicinity. J A woman in the place is met by a man, seemingly by appointment, and Severn, his suspicions aroused, follows them. They go to the designated meeting place, an abandoned iron foundry. CHAPTER III.?At the rendezvous Severn is accepted as one of the conspirators and admitted. He meets a stranger who appears to recognize him onAffEK IV.?The stranger addresses Severn as Harry Daly. The incident plays into Severn's hands and he accepts it. His new acquaintance is a notorious thief, "Gentleman George" Harris. Concealed, Severn hears the girl he had followed address the conspirators. She urges them to hasten the work of revolution. CHAPTER V. A Strange Appointment. I must have failed to grasp the full meaning of what she said, or else It never occurred to me that her retirement would be made through this parIfcular door. At least she had pushed \ it wide open before I realized the necessity of retreat, and I was hemmed in behind its barrier, fortunately securely hidden from the eyes of those in the larger apartment. Some one? Alva, no doubt, from his words and voice?was beside her as she emerged, and, indeed, it might have been his hand that swung the door back against me. I stood there startled, unable to move, afraid that my very breathing might be overheard. "You leave at midnight, you say, senorita." he protested in Spanish; "but surely you intend to remain at present?" 1 "Until you reach some final decision ?yes; that is my mission." "I shall see to that at once; we will draw lots. You can wait either in this room, or another just beyond. Promise you will not go until I see and talk with you again." "I promise thaP? so you are not too long. I must make that train." "You shall make it. My car is only two blocks away, and I pledge myself to have you there on time. All this business can be attended to in half nn hour." He stepped back, partially closing the door, while she turned, her own hand on the latch, facing me. Her eyes stared directly into mine, her face whitening under the light, her teeth shutting down close against the red lips as though to repress a scream. She was startled almost beyond conrof mootoroH the fright instantly. ! 14 J t L LUUWCVl VU -O*-* w She glanced about at the partially open d4>or, and silently closed it tightly. "What?what are you doing here?" she gasped in English, her voice trembling. "Listening?" "No," I lied, seeing but one pos- ! sible means of escape, and hoping i thus to prevent her sounding an im- } mediate alarm. "I was waiting for a friend who is inside. I just came into ! this room." "You actually belong here, then? j You are one of these men?" "Not exactly," I had to admit. "I know one of them very well, and he ! stationed me out here." She appeared puzzled, doubtful, yet j to my surprise still held the door tightly closed, her eyes searching my face. "Who is the man you know?your particular friend?" I hesitated an instant, the name es- j caping me. "Horner." "Oh. indeed; you were not very j prompt to answer." "Well," I said, and managed to , smile, as though it was of little conse. quence, "you see I have not always known him by that name. There are times when names need to be changed occasionally." "True," she admitted soberly. "Do j you mind gratifying the curiosity of a j woman as to what his real name j might be?" "I could not, .if I so desired. Ever since I knew him he has been called Harris. That is all I can sav." "TTnrris! Then he is not Chilean, and never before pretended to be. I thought that from the first. Is the man American, English or Irish?" I shook my head. , "You won't answer. That may be ignorance or it may be pretense. Never J mind. I recognize your face now. You were the man eating in the saloon an hour or so ago. Were you waiting for this Horner?alias Harris?then?" "We met later." Her lips smiled a little, and her eves. _ ? 'OR OF ? MCE CASEf CAVENDI . o IllustrationsANDtSL RANDALL PAR.fi!SH ' n i ii i mi II i ?" "Did I merely dream that you ap peareu somewmu mifrwieu uj iue m < the time, or was it true?" "It was true." I answered honestly. "You did interest me. You didn't apf "You Did Interest Me." pear the sort to )e making a rendezvous out of a saloon, however respectable it might be. The proprietor even volunteered the information that you were his niece.* "Did he, indeed? That was very nice of him, wasn't it? Rather odd, is it not, that you should later drop in here, and find me ag^in. What dc you think of me now?' I looked at her for a moment before T ? o...unnlilQ 1-r\ -ft-omd mv wnrrlc I X tlliS ? CI CVI. UUtU'lC IV uumv ?.i-V ? v... . to any satisfaction. What did sh mean? What exactly was she driving at? Her whole manner puzzled me exceedingly. Was she playing me for 8 fool? Was she attempting to lead mi on for some secret purpose of hei own? Did she believe my explana tion? and if not, why did she fail tc throw oven that door, and denounce me at once as a spy? . There, in thai soft light, she appeared more attractive than ever, and so peculiarly womanly as to seem utterly out of place in this scene of plot and crime. It was a 1 young face, bright, animated, which fronted me, the dark eyes smiling and unafraid, gazing straight into mine, with a challenge in their depths. Her very attitude piqued me, aroused me i to defense. I desired to hold her respect, her interest: nothing she might say, or do, served to lower her in my estimation to the hideous level of a political conspirator. Yet what else I could she be? How could I account for her presence in this place on any ] other theory except that she came as 1 a representative of Chilean intrigue? ] As the trusted messenger of that se- ] cret conspiracy at Santiago, under or- i ders of the revolutionary Junta at ' Washington? I had heard her words spoken boldly to this band of plot- i ters, words of authority?demands they dare not ignore. No, there was no doubt as to who she was. or what she was. In spite of her face, her pleasing manner, her attractiveness of person, she was a dangerous enemy to this government which protected her, a despicable snake crawling through the dark to strike down a victim?a thing to be crushed without mercy. The very softness, womanliness, only made her the more to be feared. She should cast no spell over me. I would harden my heart, and forget all extiio rlnt-r T nwpfft mv rnnntrv. and LilV UUCj a v vv. -?? ? ^ 7 that neutral nation to the south with whom we were at peace. "Frankly. I do not know what to think," I answered at last. "Your mission here tonight as I understand it, somehow does not fit in with my natural conception of you as a woman." She laughed, but so low as to be inaudible to those beyond the closed door. "You amuse me. Cannot a woman ?even a womanly woman, if you please?love her country and be willing to sacrifice in Its behalf?" "Not to the extent of treachery and deceit; not to the end that innocent men and women suffer," I returned hotly, forgetting caution. "And is that my purpose here, you ' < think?" ' | "Is it not? This is a neutral land. J yet what else can this conspiracy con-' j 1 template but cowardly destruction?" "I refuse to answer?here and now, j 1 at least. Nor do I know why you j should ask. Why are you here, and ; how? Do you realize the ease with j 3 which I could open this door, and give i you over to the mercy of those men 11 in there? After what you have just j < saidt why do you suppose I fail to do 1 so? Because I am "such a womanly woman, perhaps." "Rather because you have no reason to so act. I may denounce your connection with this affair, believing it no fit work for any true woman to he engaged in. and yet myself be no rraitor to the cause." "You still hold me a true woman then ?" "Yes; I may be blind, but I retain faith." "That is pood?yet do not trust too pinch in any woman. What is your name?" "D-Daly, Harry Daly." "You seem to have some difficulty tonight in remembering names. Does this mean you also possess a variety?" She stopped, listening intently, her head tilted back so as to better hear what was occurring behind the closed door. "Be quiet," she whispered, one hand held forth in swift warning. "They are through in there, I think, and Alva will be out in a moment. Now listen! Don't ask any questions, but listen. Will you pledge yourself to do what ever I say?" "Within any reasonable limits? yes." "Limits! Don't talk limits," impatiently. "You say you are blind, but retain faith. Act on that faith blindly. I cannot speak here: there is no time, no opportunity. Tomorrow at two o'clock, come to 247 Le Compte street. Will you?" "Yes." "Do not mistake the number. Ask for Miss Conrad. Now go back ttiere and wait for Horner. Quick?they are coming." I plunged hastily , into the passage, and groped my way back between the narrow walls to the secluded room in the rear. I was too confused, too startled, to even think clearly. My conception of this woman, her nature and her purpose, had been changed a dozen times during this brief conversation. Even now I was utterry in the dark. Did the woman know me? or suspect toe reason of my presence7 That was manifestly injposslolc, She was utterly strange to me, and she was not cne to be easily forgotten. Why, then, did she trust me?if it was trust? It must be either that, or treachery of the foulest type. "247 Le Compte street"?I could not recall the neighborhood, only a vague conception of red brick buildings of exactly the same general style?pronaniy tairiy respectable boarding houses. And I was to ask for "Miss Conrad." Who might she be? Not the lady I had just " left, surely, re? she was scheduled to take the midnight train for Washington. "Miss might be anything?a strange woman, an accomplice. even a disguised policeman. It masked some trick surely, of which I was quite liuble to be the victim; behind my lady's smiling eyes, and cheerfulness, there was surely some marked purpose. This was the Impression with which I ended?that for some end unknown she was coldly playing with me, leading me on. I began to think Harris had gone away with the outers, and left me there alone. I heard voices speaking earnestly in the distance, but without | venturing forth from my hiding place. \ Then he appeared suddenly, bringing j in his arms a bottle and a box of cigars. "Touch a match to the gas-jet, Daly," he said, feeling for the table in the dark. "That's better. 1 hung i around until the gang all got out, so : as to be sure we were safely alone, j Have a drink, and light up, old man. I We are as secure here as we would be j at the bottdm of the sea. This is j Alva's whisky, but good?I sampled it before." He sat on the table, nursing his j knee, rather pleased with himself, I i thought, a cigar thrust between his ! lips, the blue smoke curling up before ? bis face. I ignored the invitation to , drink, but helped myself to a weed, waiting for him to open conversation. "Well," he said finally, "everything TT 1 ~ IS fTOinj: according iu n<\\ie, UUL iiicic 'There Is a Knot or Two Vet to Be ' Untied." is a knot or two yet ro be untied before we squeeze that million. Did you hear what was said in there?" "No; you told me to stick here." "Still in a way you're on?AValdron must have spilled part of the scheme to you, that's what got your foot in the mess. H?1! I know Ivan Waldron, the d?d Russian Jew; he'd double-cross his best friend. What was'iOie told~you~?" "Not very much," I said, wondering j how far I had better go, yet feeling it i necessary to relate enough to convince him that I was really conversant with j the situation, and endeavoring to imi- j tate his style of speech. "According to his story there was a gang of con- | spirators here?birds from South j America mostly?who had been rounded up by this fellow Alva to pull off some frightfulness, or other. I didn't catch on to just what it was. and perhaps Waldron himself didn't know, or care. Some revolution, I took it to be. Waldron explained how he got hold of the scheme. It seems he's in with the bunch to some extent; that is, they use him whenever they need to, and occasionally hand him a bunch of money?it's never too dirty for him to touch. Anyhow, he knew enough to put me wise to this dump, gave me the pass-word, and all that. It looked as though there might be something in it. so I blew over here tonight just tolro o IaaC- T wns rnpndv nrowl tv I WikV U A V/\/ 4.V. A ?T ^ A * A ^ X' ~ - - - ? ing around when I ran into you." "I see." he muttered, as I came to an end. chewing savagely on his cigar. "Did the Russian say anything about me?" "Not a whisper. I supposed I had a clear run for the money, except his rakeoff." "The dirty dog. Because I didn't show up on the dot. he was ready to ditch me. Now listen, and I'll tell you the straight story. I'm going to need you, and we'll divide fifty-fifty, leaving this guy to suck his thumbs, is that a go?" "He's sure nothing to me?shoot." Harris poured out a stiff drink, and put it down; then touched a match to the extinguished cigar. "Waklron sent me a cable in England about a month ago," he explained briefly. "He didn't make the thing very clear, only that he had a big deal on. and wanted me in on it. I had made enough to get back on, and took a second-class passage on the Vulcan. It was not a big boat, and, to escape close inspection, I went aboard at Queenstown. At that time I had no more notion what was up than a blind rat. I was just desperate enough to take a chance." He paused and relit his stub, with an oath at finding it again useless. 'JThen things begun to happen. I was room-mate with a bird named Horner, who claimed to live in Detroit. He must have cottoned to me, for we got a bit chummy, and in that way I picked odds and ends out of him which set me thinking. He was quite a foxy bird?one of these tall, rawboned, secretive cusses, who talk a lot, but never say nothing, and he came near getting my goat. I went through his baggage, of course, but that was just ordinary stuff?he only had one grip, which he teft unlocked; but I did get onto a pocket belt the fellow wore around his waist. He never let that get away from him night or day. I studied every d?n way I could think up to get a peep at it, but nothing gave me a chance. I came near going bugs over the thing." He laughed, exhibiting a row oi rather ugly teeth behind his tbir lips, "Thee the devil must have helped me. One night?five days out, for we were a slow boat?we ran into a h?1 of a storm. We both of us tumbled out, and began hustling on our duds. He was trying to get a shoe on, and went plunging head-on into the side of the ship. I reckon it nearly brained him, but, to make things sure, I handed him one to the jaw before ne got his senses, and he went out for the | count. Then, believe me, I didn't lose no time in frisking the guy?and, say, j what do you think I found?" I shook my head, unwilling to interrupt, fascinated with his description. "The fellow was a revolutionary agent. I didn't get onto all of it then ?I didn't have time, but I found a letter of credit for a million dollars, and a memoranda of how it was to be de1 - ? ^ ,1 TV,/, A ? fVi l" n nr ivocn't flnv UNfiCU. JL1IC U. 11 111111,, * Cl *s n v v..,. good to me?it was to be paid to this fellow by a banker in New York named Krantz?but it sure made my mouth water just to see it?a million dollars, good old U. S. currency. Can you beat it?'' "Looked easy?you had It, and you didn't have it." "You said it, Daly. I didn't dare keep the thing, and it wouldn't have done me any good if I had; there was no way of my cashing the paper. Wfcai: the h?1 could I do? If I denounced him, the game was all off; if I held on to the stuff he'd report his loss soon as he landed in New York, and that letter of credit wouldn't be worth the paper it was written on . . . Say, I was in sctne boat; but, believe me, I had no notion of giving up that million?it looked darned good." "I should say yes," and I leaffed forward to show mv interest. "And from what I know of you, Harris, that guy had no show on earth. Did you croak him?" He grinned, evidently pleased at the note of admiration in my voice, and tossed down another drink. "That never ain't been in my line. Of course I was tempted to?a cool million would tempt any guy. But I just shoved everything back exactly where it come from, and fetched the steward. Between us we hoisted Horner back into the bunk and doused ! him with water till he came to. First j thing he did was to feel for that belt, and he never got wise that it had ever been touched. Anyhow, he never let on to no suspicion." i CHAPTER VI. Th? Deserted Automobile. I was impatient for him to continue, but he sat there chuckling to himself, and toying with a fresh cigar. "Well, what did you do?" _ i (Continued on page 7, culomn l.) 1 CHEERFUL W3RDS ^ Fop Many a Bamberg Household. To have the pains and aches of a bad back removed?to be entirely free from annoying, dangerous urinary disorders, is enough to make any kidney sufferer grateful. The following advice of one who has suffered will prove helpful to hundreds Ot Bamberg readers. James A. Mitchell, R. F. D. mail carrier, Calhoun St., Bamberg, eavs. *t*r i 1 - A ... 1 t "I always nave a guuu wuru l-ur Doan's Kidney Pills, because they cured me of disordered kidneys and the cure has remained permanent. Doan's are a fine medicine.'' 60c, at all dealers. Foster-Milburn Co., Mfrs., Buffalo, X. Y. IfesiHa M h~:' E / iWl&l i ^ The Expe IV/frvfU/D ItlUlllW \\ "The Shadow of ; | Coming Events" | often darkens the days of the expecI tant mother. e 0 Constipation, a handicap to the i health and happi; ness of every | woman, becomes j , doubly dangerous to the woman who is pre duty?maternity. s The expectant mother must n ; get rid of a double waste. v Fs I the child she is to bring into tl | Nujol will help her through th It works on an entirely new pi Instead of forcing or irritatin the food waste. This enables tK of the intestines, contracting ai to squeeze the food waste alo of the system. Nujol thus prevents constipati I j tain easy, thorough bowel mo\ | healthiest habit in the world. Nujol is absolutely harmless ai Nujol is sold by all druggists in jj ; trade mark. Write Nujol Laboratc 50 Broadway, New York, for book! The Modem Method of i mux SUN Seashore I TO CHARLESTON, S. C., VAN'S ISLAND A! j | . 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" v, Treating an Old Complaint ' For Constipation DAY 1 / Excursions , -I L 1 ISLE OF PALMS, SULLIND FOLLY BEACH. ? j . 1 SUNDAYS $3.00 BAMBERG TO ISLE OF PALMS And return plus war tax ILWAY SYSTEM \ :luding September 4, 1921. 'ALMS SPECIAL ? RDER r? tt o+ fVlfl PoopIioq rtl* ClltllC uaj a>u tug wuvuvw v* .rleston. t / * J (HOWN BELOW. 2:35 A. M. 6:25 A. M. 7:55 A. M. 12:15 Noon. PALMS SPECIAL. ' I Sunday Only. I 8:00 P. M. I 4:30 A. M. I m between Charleston, Isle of Palms, 1 >n sale to and including September 4th, I )d returning only on Isle of Palms Spe- I 3n date of sale. No baggage checked. j| AddIv to 4 / igffl 0 y Ticket Agent, or trict Passenger Agent, ? Ma ton, S. C. jl