—... -
me I
DESTROYER
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
CHAPTER THIRTEEN (Continued.)
Almost at once came the CQ, CQ,
CQ, ZZ, ZZ, ZZ, which told that
Poldhu was calling for all sta
tions and on every ship within 1,
000 miles of that point of rock,
the wireless man tuned up his in
strument, and waited. The com
mercial messages came first, and
' there were a lot of them; four for
the Ottilie, three for the Adriatic,
five to be relayed far ahead to the
Mauretania, one for the incoming
Majestic, and one for the Rotter
dam. Then the Poldhu man an
nounced that he was ready to re
ceive, and as jnany more were
sent out into the night to him, for
relay on to London, and from there
to far separated points on the con
tinent,. At last there was a mo
ment’s silence, and then the SP,
SI’, SI’, which told that the news
service was about to start. And
•very man within hearing picked
up a fresh pencil and made ready
to write, as from dictation.
“SP. SP. SP,’’ snapped Pold
hu. “Time 12:45 G. Three hun
dred wds.
War between Italy and Tur
key seems inevitable stop Italy
Italy gives Turkey 24 hours to
agree to Italy’s occupation of Tri
poli stop Six thousand troops at
Palermo ready to embark stopi
Turkish munitions and reinforce
ment already landed stop Board
of inquiry into La Liberte disas
ter goes into secret session stop
Rumor of attempt to destroy La
Patrie also stop Moroccan situa
tion grows more serious stop Ger
many demands equal rights with
Prance abrogating Algeciras
treaty stop Directors steel trust
declare company is legal corpora
tion and will not take voluntary
steps to dissolve stop Officially
announced at Chicago that 100,000
men on Hafcriman lines will strike
Saturday stop September coffee
■ells at $12.98 New York exchange
record price stop Boy Scouts
called out to fight plague of wasps
in England stop • • •”
And so on to the end of the mes
sage. And when the end was
reached, the man at Poldhu waited
15 minutes and then started all
over again, and sent the message
a second time, so that every one
would be sure to get it all. Then
ke shut off and went to bed.
Thursday dawned clear and
warm, and the Ottilie’s passen
• gers, appearing on deck by twos
and threes, rejoiced that the day
was to be a fine one. They found
the world news of the day before
awaiting them on the bulletin
board at the head of the main
companion way, and had great fun
deciphering it, very few of them
stopping to think how wonderful
it was that it should be there at
all. And then some of them cele
brated their first morning at sea
by a three mile tramp before!
breakfast; others, less strenuous,
lounged at the rail, waiting im
patiently for the breakfast gong;
a few, finding themselves dis
turbed by the slow and even mo
tion of the ship, bundled them
selves up im their steamer chairs
and hoped that nature would soon
readjust itself. Then the gong
sounded, and the deck was de
aerted, except by the bundled up
occupants of the chairs, to whom
the solicitous deck steward
brought, more or less vainly,
various light articles of food.
Ah hour later, the, decks -were
full again. From the upper deck
came the clack of shuffle board;
on the promenade deck the chairs
were full of novel readers, and
little groups here and there were
making each other’s acquaintance.
The life of shipboard had begun.
On the boat deck, various pas
sengers, singly or in twos and
threes, paused to listen to the
Crackle of electricity which came
from tire little wireless house. The
door was closed, hut by standing
on tip toe they could see over the
sc«een at the window, and catch a
glimpeo of a blond young man,
with a receiver clamped over both
ears, bending above his key, from
which came a series of * vicious
looking sparks. The sound was
vaguely disquieting, suggesting
lightning to the more timid, or
some strange and dangerous force
of nature not to be trifled with
ho most of them preferred to de
scend again to the upper groin -
• cnade, or to sit down some dis
tance away. Presently two men
climbed the ladder from the deck
below, and looked about them.
‘ Let us sit here. ’ ’ said the
_
u
younger of them, in German, and
motioned toward a bench which
had been built against the cabin.
“Very well, your * • •” He
stopped himself abruptly. “It is
difficult to break oneself of a long
habit,” he said, with a little
laugh; and, waiting for the other
to seat himself, sat down beside
him.
They lighted cigarets and sat
for a moment without speaking.
There was a considerable dif
ference in the ages of the two. Oue
was past middle age, heavily built,
and with a face brdnzed as, only
years of exposure to wind and rain
could bronze it. His upper lip was
a shade or two lighter than the
rest of his face, and spoke of a
moustache recently removed. The
other man had also an outdoor
look, but he had not been hard
ened by long service as his com
panion had. He was softer, more
effeminate. He seemed to be not
over 21 or 22, was taller, a little
too much inclined to plumpness,
but with an open and ingenuous
countenance, lighted by a pair of
honest blue eyes.
It is good,” said the older
man, at last, speaking in German
and in a tone carefully guarded,
“to sit here and listen to the
crackle of the wireless—it seems
to fit in, somehow, with this beau
tiful morning. I have grown to
love, it; and I have never con
quered my wonder—it is so mar
velous that one can throw into
the atmosphere a message to be
picked up and understood hun
dreds of miles away. It seems even
more wonderful on the ocean than
on the land. A message that trav
els as fast as light travels. Think
of it, my prince!' ’
“It is, indeed, wonderful,” the
vouqger man agreed. “But it
Seems to me, my dear admiral, that
if what you tell me is true, there is
in the world at this moment some
thing more wonderful still—a
force which even you do not un
derstand.”
“You arc right,” agreed the
older man, gravely. “But we
must understand it—we must con
trol it. It means world empire!”
Both their faces were set and
serious, and they Spoke almost in
whispers, with a glance from time,
to time to make sure no one was
near, or a lapse'into silence when
any one approached.
' “If we succeed,” the younger
man began: but the other grasped
him by the arm.
‘ There must be no ‘if,’ ” he
protested. “Do not permit your
self to use that word. There must
be no failure! Think, for a mo
ment, of the rernendous issues
which hang upon it! And, after
all, the game is in our hands.”
“1 have not yet met the inven
tor,” said the younger man; “but
from what you have told me, I
fear he is an enthusiast who will
make difficulties. However, as
you say, we must succeed at any
price.”
“Yes; at any price!” ami as he
uttered the words, the admiral
glanced at his companion’s face.
But the other was gazing out
across the water, and did not seem
to notice the other’s peculiar em
phasis.
Again they sat silent as three
or four persons, passing, paused to
peer in at the window of the wire
less house,
•‘Are you sure the French do
net suspect?” asked the younger
man, when they had gone.
‘ How could they?”
‘ The inventor must have left
r.ome trace—that wireless station
in the grove.”
“A small affair, well hidden.
Even if it is discovered, it cannot
possibly he connected with the dis
aster."
‘' Perhaps not. But the other in
stallation?”
“The other installation was
brought away by the inventor. He
left nothing behind except some
batteries, which can betray no
secret.”
| And. lie has the mechanism
| with him now?”
| “Yes- in his baggage. You see
I how complete our power is.”
| ”1 see,” nodded the other hrief
ily. ‘‘You have arranged a confcr
jence with him?”
i “I will do so. There is plenty
[ of time.”
i ‘"Why do we go to America?”
I “It is a whim of his—that this
I great tseaty should be signed
[there. We had to humor him, or
he might have grown suspicions. I
think he is a little mad.”
Again there was a moment’s si
lence. Then the older man threw
away his cigaret and rose.
“The wireless man is an oh! pro
tege of mine,” he said. “I spent a
very pleasant hour with him last
night. Jf you do not object, l will
go in again to see him.”
The other nodded* and Pach
mann opened the door pf the wire
less house and disappeared inside.
His companion lighted another
cigaret and smoked it gloomily, as
his thought reverted to his own
affairs. It was flattering of course,
that she should have been se
lected to accompany Pachmann on
his mission ; but, nevertheless, he
regretted Berlin—or, rather, he
regretted a certain blue eyed, flax
en haired girl, with a figure like
Juno’s * * * Confound it! It was
only to separate him from her that
he had been sent with Pachmann!
Why eouldn't his father leave him
alone! He was old enough to
manage his.own affairs! And be
sides * * *
The door of the wireless house
opened and Pachmann appeared.
Very quietly he closed the door,
very quietly he sat down beside his
companion. And then he mopped
a shining forehead with a hand
that trembled, and the younger
man saw with astonishment that
his face was livid.
“What is it? What has hap
pened?” he asked.
Pachmann tried twice before he
found his voice. When he did
speak, it was in a hoarse whisper.
“I was wrong,” he said.
“France does suspect!”
CHAPTER XTV.
THE MESSAGE.
' __V
A little; group of laughing young
women came scurrying up the
ladder from the promenade, and
the adiniral and his companion
sat stonily silent until they had
passed. Then the admiral spoke
again, still in a whisper, but his
voice was under control. v
“The most astonding thing has
happened,” he said. “I cannot
understand it. The operator, in
there has just received a message
frepn Cherbourg, asking if there is
not on board, in stateroom 514, a
man named Ignaee Vard, accom
panied by his daughter. It is
signed by Lepine, chief of the
French secret service.”
The younger man drew a quick,
sibilant breath, and his face, too,
turned pale beneath the tan.
“But how could he know?’- he
gasped. “How could he suspect?”
“Lepine is the • very devil!”
growled the other. “Perhaps it
was that wireless installation, as
you suggested.”
l,But that could nbt betray the
man’s^ name—the boat—even his
stateroom! ”
“No; I cannot understand it,”
said; Pachmahn, and mopped his
face again. Then he thrust his
handkerchief back into his pocket
and sprang to his feet. “However
it occurred, we must stop it,.” he
said. “Come.”
Stop it—but now?”
1 ‘Theft} is only one. way. Come!’’
The admiral hurried down the
ladder, his companion at his heels.
From the upper promenade he de
scended to the deck below, and
then, without hesitating, climbed
another ladder and stepped over a
low gate which gave entrance to
the first class promenade. The
gate, it is true, bore a sign stating
that second class passengers must
not pass it; hut Paehmann did not
even glance at it. He seemed to
know the ship, for he pressed on,
disregarding the curious glances
cast, at himself and his companion,
mounted again to the boat deck,
and did not pause until he had
reached its extreme forward end,
just under the bridge* There he
stopped at a door just abaft the
ladder leading to the bridge and
knocked sharply.
“Enter!” cried a voice, and the
younger man, following the ad
miral, found himself in a large and
handsome stateroom, whose win
dows looked straight forward over
the bow. At the desk a bearded
man of middle ag1' was glancing
through some papers. lie looked
up at the intruders with evident
astonishment- “Really, gentle
men," he began, and then he
stopped, his gaze shifting from one
face to the other and back again in
fraidc bewilderment.
“Captain Ilaiismann,” said the
admiral, stepping forward, “prob
ably you do not remember me,
since we have met hut once. But I
think you know the prince.”
Captain Hausmann's eyes wid
ened, and. he sprang quickly to his
feet, his hand at the visor of his
cap.
“Your highness," he began, but
the prince stopped him.
“I am not a highness at present,
captain,” he said, laughing; “on
ly a humble passenger of the sec
ond class. I am very glad to see
von again,” and, holding,out his
hand, he gave that of the aston
ished mariner a hearty clasp.
‘‘A passenger of the second
class!” stammered the captain.
“But I do not understand!”
“It is not necessary that you
should,” said the admiral, curtly,
and at the words, the captain red
dened a little.
“All, now I know you,” he said,
quietly. “Admiral Pachmann,”
and again lie saluted.
“Yes,” said the admiral, ac
knowledging the salute. “We had
not intended to betry, even to you,
our presence on board, but an un
foreseen circumstance has made
it necessary. No one else, of course,
must suspect it. All that you need
to know—indeed, all that we are
permitted to tell you—is that his
highness and niysejf are at this
moment engaged upon an affair of
state of the first importance. Here
are my credentials.”
He took from an inner pocket a
long leather pocketbook, extracted
from it a heavy envelope scaled
with a great black seal, and
passed it to the captain. ^
The latter took it, glanced at
the seal and hesitated, for it bore
the imperial crown.
“Do you intend that I should
open this?” he asked.
“I wish you to do so,” an
swered Pachmann.
With fingers that trembled a
little, the captain loosened the
seal, lifted the flap, and drew out
the-sheet of paper which lay with
in. It was an ivory finished white,
almost as stiff as a card, the entire
upper left quarter occupied by the
imperial crown and monogram, the
other three-quarters covered by
writing in a large anckrather stiff
hand, with a scrawling signature
at the bottom. The captain glanced
at this signature, then, his face
very grave, read the missive slow
ly and ttarefully. Finally he re
turned the sheet to its envelope,
and handed it back to Pachmann,
his eyes rheeting the admiral’s
with a kind of awed wonder.
“I am at your service,” he said.
“Will you * * *”
There was a tap at the door. The
captain went to it and opened it,
standing so that his body filled the
doorway. He exchanged a wrord
with some one, and then closed the
door and turned back into the
room, a sheaf of papers in his
hand.
“ Will yon not sit down I” he
asked.
“We will be but a moment,”
said Pachmann. “That was the
wireless man, was it not?”
“Yes.”
“Among the messages you have
in your hand is one from Lepine,
prefect of the Paris Service *du
Surete. He asks whether you have
aboard in stateroom 514 a man
named Ignace Vard, accompanied
by his daughter.”
Captain Haustnann, with an ad
mirable composure, glanced
through the messages.
“ Yes, here it is,” be said.
“I will dictate the answer,”
said the admiral.
Without a word, the captain sat ;
down again at his desk and wrote !
to Pachmann’s dictation:
Lepine, Paris.
No record of Ignace Vard and daugh
ter on Ottilie. Stateroom 514 unoccu
pied.
Hausemann, Captain.
“It would be well to have the
message sent at once,” added
Pachman. “You will also see that
the uamc Vard and his daughter
do not appear on your passenger
list, and that they are'moved from
the stateroom they now occupy to
some other one. The records for
the voyage must shop that that
room was indeed unoccupied. You
will also instruct the purser thati
the tickets surrendered by Vard
and his daughter are not to be
turned in, but, in case of inquiry,
to be reported unused.”
The captain had listened care
fully.
“On what pretext will I move
these people?” he asked.
“The pretext must he found.”
The captain stroked his beard
with a troubled air.
“I fear there is no Second cabin
room empty-—we are very crowd
ed. Would it matter if I brought
them forward?”
Pachmann pondered a moment.
“No." he said at last. “On the
whole, that might be better. You J
will enter them on your "passenger
list by-some other name—or, bet
ter still, omit tlnun altogether.”
“But the immigration authori
ties!” protested the captain. “You
have forgotten them!”
“We will think of them at the
proper time,” said Pachmann, im
patiently. “This is ivU the moment
to make objections. 1 think you
understand?”
llausmann bowed.
(CONTINUED NEXT WEEkT) ’
It Paid.
"Has vow husband quit work?”
"Tea. Hr has figured it out that ho can
save more by staying home and running
the furnace economically than he can
earn by jtolafi down town."
(
Many Women in this Condition Re
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Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound.
r Convincing Proof of This Fact.
Ridgway, Penn. — “I suffered from feraalo
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was treated by three different doctors and was
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— Mrs. O. M. Rhines, Ridgway, Penn.
Mrs. Lindsey Now Keeps House For Seven.
Tennille, Ga.—“I want to tell you how much I have been benefited -
by Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound. About eight years ago I
got in such a low state of health I was unable to keep house for three in
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be an invalid, but I told him I wanted to wait awhile. Our druggist
advised my husband to get Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound
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|f you want special advice write to Lydia E. Pinkham Medi
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feed the Fighters! Win the War 1!
f Harvest the Crops — Save the Yields
On the battle fields of France and Flanders, the United States boys and the
Canadian boys are fighting side by side to win for the World the freedom that Prus
sianism would destroy. While doing this they must be fed and every ounce of
muscle that can be requisitioned must go into use to save thi3 year’s crop. A short
harvest period requires the combined forces of the two countries in team work, such
as the soldier hoys in France and Flanders are demonstrating.
The Combined Fighters In France and Flanders and the Combined
Harvesters in America WILL Bring the Allied ^Victory Nearer.
A reciprocal arrangement for the use of farm workers has been perfected between the Depart
ment of the Interior of Canada and the Departments of Labor and Agriculture of the United States,
under which it is proposed to permit the harvesters that are now engaged in the wheat fields of Okla
homa. Kansas, Iowa, North Dakota. South Dakota. Nebraska. Minnesota and Wisconsin to move
over into Canada, with the privilege of later returning to the United States, when the crrps in the
United States have been conserved, and help to save the enormous crops in Canada which by that
time will be ready for harvesting.
HELP YOUR CANADIAN NEIGHBOURS WHEN YOUR OWN CROP IS HARVESTED ! 11
Canada Wants 40,000 Harvest Hands to Take Care of Its
13,000,000 ACRE WHEAT FIELD.
One cent a mite railway fare from the International boundary line to destination and the samsl
fate returning to the International Boundary.
High Wages, Good Board, Comfortable Lodgings.
An Identification Card issued at the boundary by a Canadian Immigration Officer will guaran
tee no trouble in retu: ning to the United States.
AS SOON AS YOUR OWN HARVEST IS SAVED, more northward and assist your Canadian
neighbour in harvesting his; in this way do your bit in helping "Win the War". For particulars a-j to
routes, identification cards and place where employment may be had. apply to Superintendent
of Immigration, Ottawa. Canada, or to
M. J. JOHNSTONE. Drawer 107. Watertown. S. D.tW.V. BENNETT. Room 4.
Bee Bldg., Omaha. Neb., and R. A. GARRETT. 31 I Jackson St.. St. Fanl. Minn.
Canadian Government Agents.
HIS OLD DREAM CAME TRUE
Miner Was Killed in-the Manner That
Was Foretold in Vision Twenty
Years Before.
In n lecture at Blackwood Ilev.
M. Uriffle of Cross Oak, a minister
who. after lorry years’ preaching, is
as vigorous as-ever, referred to sub
consciousness. the mysterious power
(hat controls us even when asleep,
says a Cardiff Mail writer. Outside
the chapel one of ids hearers narrated
a curious incident which happened to
a Blackwood man. He lived near the
present railway station, and dreamed |
one night that while working on Ids j
stall as a minor a stone fell on him j
| and killed him.
The dream was so vivid that he gave
| up his work at once and emigrated to
America. Twenty years later he re
turned to Blackwood and sought work
in his old colliery. He was told that
no one hud been working in Ids old
stall since he had left, and work was
found for him in the adjoining stall.
While engaged there his' pick acciden
tally struck through the coal which di
vided litm from Ids old stall, there
came a fall and the twenty-year-old
dream was fulfilled. .
It takes a homely girl fully ten sec
onds to forgive a young man for hav
ing stolen a kiss.
A go<*t many so-culled matrimonial
knots lam out to he serious tangles.
It Is sometimes safer to throw kisses
nt n girl than to baud them to her.
Who wants bread and
■^ller
Still Worse Punishment.
Weary William—This paper tells
about a horse running away with a
woman, and she was laid op for six
weeks.
Boastful Ben—That's nothin'. A
friend of mine onee ran away with a
horse, and he was laid up for six years.
—Stray Siories.
Money back without question
if HUNT S CUKE fails in ilit*
treatment of ITCH, ECZEMA,
RINGWORM,TETTER or other
itching t-'kin diseases. Price
50c at druggists, or direct from
i. i. Blelrauh Bedicfoe Co. .StormM lei.
hair OAtsArii
l$*3cr-:-r/A toilet preparation of tr.e-ft
Jgtj He i pbito era* irate d.tadrfi\
for Restoring Color wi^
Beauty to Gray or Faded H\ *j*.
____Wg^a?icl$ LOO I>rugy*.Bta
The Plain Truth.
“Wt> aru going to entertain company
tonight.”
“Some people you like, 1 presume.**
“Mercy, no! We would lose mic
social standing if we entertained i.
pie w*> like."
Not Very Good.
Mistress—I am not quite e;**A‘! (
with your references.
Maid—Neither am 1. hut tine ,
the best I could get. (
When Your Eyes Keed C.
Trv Murine Eye Fenvsd
Mo 8rr.»oln*-Ju»t Kt« CouiOirl. M cv
OroMitti or mail. Write for ¥>ac fr>
■IfBIMKBYKIUEjaEUY cX!tAlLd.w