10
TWICE-A-MONTH MAGAZINE SECTION
4
"They Bay the English are obstin
ate, but commend me to a French
man. However a few hours may work
wonders, and meanwhile 1 have other
' ""- " yl CofJeo Perfection h reached
' when Fouat Cotraa i
'H A prepared in
fULJl
;xup,.ortOFFtt'
BLANKE'S
Sanitary Drip Coffee Pol
MORE SANITARY.
MORE HEALTHFUL,
MORE CONVENIENT,
GOES FARTHER.
Tf your rVt Ann not huxlln
Faut fn'- iTnl hl namft
nd tl M (feast of Rncklm) and
w will arnit a pound nt Fault
and a tlx-cup Pot parcel! P it.
Bookto on tottrr making lOc.
C. F. Blank Tea fc Coffaa
Company, ft. I oi. Mo
KIMIrMaurUaf to I
m4 mvmrj tor fmr i.rrll.rjp.'
Kiua in a liuan vmr. ray ror 11
out of jnurconiniiNiionB
MHm iinfiniifiiia
icrapmpprd
inMtrrh. Va
munltw IU
aMnta in fa
' In April. Bt proflui tm
you. writ mt our. roc
AMmi. II. HUHH. hoMnt. DpL
J tSU BOTUB IOMFAM, lla.k Infk, Cklf, hb T
strings to my bow. Is the room ready,
Swigcrt?"
"Yes," answered the man stolidly
in German, his face showing in the
open door beside Franzen, "I have it
ready."
Brandt bowed to mc in mock polite
ness, his hand over his heart. .
"A night's rest, Monsieur, together
with an hour devoted to thought in
the morning may be sufficient to show
you the error of your ways. If not,"
and I felt the sudden grip of his fingers
onmy arm, "I will have to convince
you by sterner measures. Come."
There was nothing to do but obey,
faced as I was by the three of them,
all probably armed. However they
might fear to use their weapons else
where, all danger of alarm was now
nullified by the thick walls, and iso
lated situation of this house. With
Bwigert leading the way, and Brandt
and Franzen close at my heels, I pro
ceeded into the dimly lighted hall.
The caretaker turned to the left, his
footsteps noiseless on the soft carpet
ing, and then descended a stairway into
the basement. A single small electric
bul!t gave mo glimpses of the sur
roundings. It was all cement, even
to the dividing walls, to the right
open, merging into darkness forward,
while on the other hand were rooms
of different sizes, arranged conven
iently for household use. The first
was evidently the laundry, as I caught
f;limpso of stationary tubs; the second
icld a riff-raff of discarded furniture,
and at the door of the third my guide
stopped, motioning me to enter. The
door, which to my surprise was of
iron, opened outwardly and was made
to be secured by a heavy bar. Within had been pierced sufficient for the
I saw a bare cot and single stool, the admittance of air. The place itself
walls solid and unbroken, save for a was solidly set in the wall, imbedded
small round opening directly opposite, in cement. Finding not even so much
I turned inquiringly to Brandt. as a loosened corner at which I could
"Rather a neat arrangement," he pry, I began a slo"w testing of the wall,
commented dryly. "Absolute quiet using the butt of my unloaded revolver
assured. Tradition has it that the with which to sound. There was
owner's brother became insane from brick beneath the coating of cement,
drink, and this room was originally a hard, glazed brick, as I discovered
prepared to keep him in until he re- by painfully gouging out a cracked bit
covered, thus avoiding an unpleasant in one corner, set solidly in mortar,
notoriety. You will kindly enter, Mon- so hard it turned my knife-blade. I
sieur." dared not venture striking with any
His tone, the expression on his face, force, but with ear against the wall,
was a command, and I stepped over convinced myself that it was both
the threshold, still facing them. solid and thick. I made the circuit
"I believe there is nothing more of the room twice, testing it every foot
we can do for your comfort," he went or two, without reward. No hollow
on, rather enjoying the situation, sound disclosed any weakness. For
"There is running water in the corner; the first time I despaired, and sat
no luxuries, of course, but all that a down upon the couch, not knowing
soldier requires. If the bed is hard what else to attempt,
you may have more opportunity for No sound reached me through those
thought. My offer remains twenty- thick walls, and if, as Brandt had
five thousand, Monsieur, and a guard intimated, a guard remained on duty
will remain without." in the basement, the fellow possessed
I did not answer, and he laughed, no means of observing my movements
signaling Swigert to close the door. It within. The door was a solid piece
swung into place with a clang, and of iron, and, while it might bo possible
I heard the bar forced down into its for one outside to uso the small holes
sockets. For an instant I stood mo- pierced in the grating over the window,
tionlcss staring at the painted iron, I felt confident 1 was not being spied
half suspecting I was in a dream, upon. Beyond doubt my captors were
Yet this stupor was but for the in- thoroughly convinced that the cell in
st ant; strange as the events of the which I wat confined was absolutely
night were, rapidly as they had oc- Bafe. But I was far too restless to
currod, it was impossible tor me to remain quiet; too desperate to yield
ignore their reality. The warning of without further effort. Even as my
my superiors in r ranee flashed across mind reviewed the night's adven-
my brain; they had appreciated, as tures, and speculated on what Brandt
I had not, the desire of other nations might attempt now, he had me safely
to appropriate our secrets. Yet, even under lock and key, my eyes were
now, it was almost impossible for me anxiously studying ceiling, side walla
to conceive that such ruthless tactics and floor.
would be resorted to. I his was the
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twentieth century, not the seven
teenth, and the heart of a great city.
Outside, almost within reach of my
voice, was modern civilization law,
the police, the newspapers, the quiet
home-life of millions. Yet here I
was, a prisoner in a dungeon, as com
(To be Continued in Next Issue.)
The
pletely in Brandt's power as though MySttCITy 5 SMS (USQl2I38WSiy
a captivo ot the Miduie Ages. 1
had read of such things in fiction, (Continued from Page 4.)
and laughed at their improbability.
I had supposed the War Office, in Warner's cottage was a straw-thatch-
their warning, had merely meant that ed, ivy-covered little place, built on
I should beware of spies. To that the slope of the park. Beneath it a brook
end I had taken every ordinary pre- that carried the overflow from the
snoflnnatPhThangna? le gurgled monotonously by. A
guarded night and day. But 1 had thin, long-legged man, who was digging
never anticipated a situation like this. a patch of garden, stopped his work
Keen as was the rivalry in aeronautics at sight, of us and waited, leaning on
throughout Europe, it had never once his spade.
occurred to me that my invention was "Jake Warner, isn't it?" Pence ii
of a great money value to a rival quired over the low fence of split-pine,
nation, or that its representative would "Yes sir"
Thet. fBCut fkVanTS t, " 1.- Aldington Peace of
shock of discovery waa like a blow. the Criminal Investigation Depart-
Brandt was in deadly earnest, and had ment.
already gone too far to hesitate at Warner said nothing, but I saw his
going further. His were no idle threats, fingers clench upon his spade, as he
however smilingly uttered. His repu- gave the detective stare for stare,
tation convinced me of that, even if " fairly good breeding season for
I had not read the truth in the face the duck 1 Bhould imagine con.
of the man. He had the name of re- ,t, i;,,i . ' , ,
sorting to desperate means, and more tued the little man, with a benevolent
than one whispered Btory of his deal- interest.
ing in such matters, came hauntingly to there waa still no reply.
memory. Some of these even hinted "I understand the foxes are very
vaguely at murder, at mysterious dis- troublesome."
appearances, at actual robbery. In Warner threw down his spade and
Paris some wag had nick-named him strode up to where we stood. His
"the last resort. Then-then I as cye9 had in them the dumb of
not only battling for honor, for the wilJ thj . t
safe-guarding of a French secret . i i. i
my very life was in peril. ' 1 am a nmed man, sir he said.
I seemed to awaken anew at the For my wifes sake take me away
thought, and my eyes, which had quietly."
been staring, unseeing, at that iron "I have not come to arrest you,
door, glanced about over the gray Jake Warner," said Peace. "If you
walls of cement. I was trapped like are responsible for your master's death,
n ri, uut uui ,o uujnacos, ur ura.r mB. ,t wa8 by eheer accident But the
?i" mcohmrsSong't n "? U "Tift V
aimeared. secure aa Brandt evidently No 8lr 1 am no- But 1 can
believed it to be, yet there might be nevr Prove
a weakness somewhere to yield to " 1'ernaps it would be best n you
ingenuity and patience. It waa worth explained."
the try. I sought the round opening We remained where we were, with
firt; small as it was, far too small for the fence between us, while he told
my body to ever squeeze through; it hig story,
was effectually blocked by boiler
plate, through which small apertures (To Be Concluded Next Issue.)
V
t 1'LINUKKIIS SKT
- pnavuuui-
"tie CLASPS I 31
