THE STORY SO FAR: More than
200,000 foreign troops secretly assembled
in Mexico by Van Hassek suddenly In
vaded the United States. Vastly supe
rior in numbers and equipment to the
American forces which opposed them.
Van Hassek's troops pushed relentlessly
forward. The U. S. army was not pre
INSTALLMENT SEVENTEEN
pared for this sudden attack, and could
only retreat In the face of overwhelming
force. Posing as a fellow agent, U. 8.
Intelligence Officer Bennlng accompa
nied foreign spies bound for the Panama
Canal. He learned that their ship car
ried dynamite which would be exploded
when they entered the canal, but was
hi hi hi .U hi JI. A
Imprisoned below deck when caught try
ing to send a warning. He escaped, but
too late to save the canal. It was de
stroyed by a terrific explosion which
trapped the V. S. fieri In the Pacific
Ocean and left the Atlantic sea coast
unguarded.
Now continue with the story.
L
fr iv ■»
CHAPTER xvn—Continued
Benning gave a groan and, as a
brooding silence settled back over
the night, hurried on. He knew now
that the worst must have happened.
On reaching Mindi, Benning got
a speeder to take him to Cristobal.
He got a military car to spin him
to Col. Cove. Reports were coming
In to Naval Intelligence. The dam
age at Gatun Locks was undeter
mined. Miraflores Locks had been
dynamited by an American steamer
that had put in past Balboa from
San Francisco. Dynamite had cas
caded huge slides of rock and earth
into Culebra Cut in the region of
Gold HilL Alhajuela Dam, at the
storage lake on the upper Chagres,
had been crippled.
When he reached Panama Depart
ment headquarters, Benning found
Cove feverishly taking reports from
half a dozen assistants whose ears
were glued to telephones.
“What’s the latest information on
damage to the Canal, Colonel?”
Benning inquired.
Cove tragically shook his head.
“Pretty bad from all reports. My
men make the guess it will take
months to make any kind of repairs.”
Benning asked, “May I get a code
message through to Washington to
night, Colonel?”
"The wires are swamped,” Cove
said dubiously. "The War Depart
ment is pounding the C.G. for all
details of the attack on the Canal.
I'll sandwich your dispatch in at
the very first chance."
Benning borrowed the Department
code book and prepared a brief re
port of eventualities for Colonel
Flagwill. Reports from over the
Canal Zone kept pouring in. Sus
pects were being arrested in grow
ing numbers.
It was after 3 A. M. before Cove
was able to put Benning’s report on
the wires. He offered Benning a cot
in a near-by office and sent Grimes
to the barracks. Benning fretted
himself to sleep at dawn and woke
to a hot sun. Cove was standing
over him, tense with excitement.
“Did any of our fleet get through
from the Pacific yet?” Benning in
quired.
The question brought an agonized
grimace from the G-2 chief.
“Part of our Pacific fleet was due
through the Canal next week, Ben
ning. Now check this over for your
self. In the Atlantic, four old bat
tleships, a few destroyer divisions,
and some submarines. Proud names
those battleships—New York—Ar
kansas — Texas — Wyoming. But
they’ve seen their day for fighting
purposes, and it’ll take weeks to
get some squadrons of our Pacific
fleet around the Horn.”
“While the matter is in my mind,”
Benning changed the subject, “I
want to know if you’ll enlist for me t
a man named Grimes. He was
turned down in New York for flat
feet, but otherwise he’s really a fine
physical specimen. I'm under ob
ligations to him, since there wouldn’t
be a finger-nail left of me except for
Grimes.”
“Glad to fix him up,” Cove agreed
promptly.
The morning summary came in
over the wires from the United
States. President Tannard was clos
eted with Army and Navy chiefs.
The country was in a fresh panic
over destruction of the Canal. East
ern centers of population were in an
uproar, demanding naval protection
for the Atlantic coast. War census
of males of military age was insti
tuted. First draft of a million men
was being planned. Volunteer en
listments, after passing the 400,000
mark, had slowed down. Another
thirty days needed to fill volunteer
quota of 500,000.
On the Texas front the Third
Army had finally halted Van Has
sek’s advance after five days of des
perate fighting in which American
casualties were estimated at twelve
thousand men.
An aide-de-camp came into the
room and spoke to Cove. Cove
jumped to his feet and went over to
Benning.
“The commanding general wishes
you to report to him immediately.”
he said.
Benning followed the aide to a spa
cious office at one end of which a
grave, weary little man sat over a
litter of reports and complications.
As the aide announced Benning, the
general looked sharply up and de
livered himself in a crisp, official
voice.
“I have instructions from the War
Department, Major, to drop you into
Mexico City. Colonel Flagwill
wishes you to find out what you can
about the enemy’s Guaymas troops
and the trouble in the Orient. You
are to report to Flagwill as quickly
as possible. Arrangements will be
made for a plane to pick you up at
a point designated by you in the vi
cinity of Mexico City. Your plane
will take off from Albright Field in
one hour. That is all.”
CHAPTER XVIII
Behind him, as Benning took off
from the Guatemala terminal air
port on the last leg of his Sight into
n »v rr nr "
Mexico City, reposed the camou
flaged observation plane that was to
pick him up on the second night
thereafter at a secret rendezvous
south of Chapultepec. These final
plans, as he checked them over,
seemed coldly academic in detail,
like the laying of a field gun for
indirect fire upon an unseen human
target. But Benning did not mini
mize the dangerous complications
that lay ahead.
Midnight brought the lights of
Mexico City into view. From the
observer’s cockpit Benning caught
the toss of the pilot’s arm in signal
and bon voyage. His heart was
pumping as he lifted himself erect
and climbed out of the cockpit.
Into the starlit void he plunged,
falling in a backward arc and toll
ing off three seconds before his hand
tore at the ripcord handle of his
“It was Bromlitz."
parachute. Shortly the straps
gripped at armpits and legs to tell
him the parachute had fed safely
out. Above the rush of air he could
hear the plane roaring on its way.
There came to him a moment’s envy
of the pilot who would flash back
along the friendly route to a safe
landing at Albright Field.
The moon had not yet risen, but
the capital’s masses were outlined
in myriad light clusters, which told
Benning the American air service
was still too busy at home to strike
at Mexico City. Through the star
light he presently caught the black
earth toward which he was rush
ing.
He freed himself of straps, and
rolled and secreted the silken chute.
Half an hour's brisk walk brought
him to the dark little Calle del No
gal, which told him he had landed
to the north of Chapultepec. He
found a sleepy cabman to drive him
direct to Jesus Maria.
Benning’s plan was set as he
reached the street on which he had
lived with Mile. Ducos.
There was a light in the little Du
cos apartment when he reached
there shortly after one o’clock. He
walked resolutely up to the door
and knocked. The immutable law
of averages, he argued hopefully as
he waited, dictated an occasional bit
of luck in his operations.
In a moment the door opened and
Benning saw the French girl’s di
minutive figure framed against the
lighted room. But at recognizing
Benning, terror flashed into her eyes
and she stepped quickly back.
“But no, senor!” she exclaimed.
“No such person as you mentioned
lives here.”
Before she could close the door,
a figure strode up from behind her,
a gaunt man with shaggy, unkempt
beard and bloodshot, haunted eyes
in which there was now the gleam
of mingled terror and jealous sus
picion.
The man’s disheveled aspect and
wasted face did not rob Benning of
instant recognition. It was Brom
litz, the American renegade and
murderer, the man in whose shoes
Benning had masqueraded in Mex
ico.
A snarl told Benning that Brom
litz had recognized him. Benning
sprang past the French girl to the
attack, reaching Bromlitz before the
man from Luxembourg could ex
tricate himself from the shock of
surprise. Benning drove his fist
against the Bromlitz jaw, but did
not floor him. A knife flashed from
Bromlitz’ belt, Benning dove in and
pinned his antagonist’s arms to his
sides.
Bromlitz shook himself with a
frenzied strength. Benning clung
through one spasm of resistance aft
er another until he felt that his own
endurance could not last much long
er. With a carefully co-ordinated
NEXT WEEK
A*totU*\ AUodUtq 9*Utallm—4
movement he released his hold and
caught Bromlitz’ knife hand, twisted
it suddenly, and tripped the fellow
to the floor.
There was a howl of pain from
Bromlitz’ throat as the sharp blade
crept through his shirt into the flesh
of his breast Benning cast the
weight of his body into the lunge.
There followed the rasping cry of a
mortal wound. Bromlitz’ strength
relaxed.
Benning stood up. The French
operative’s face was chalky white,
but her blue eyes were cold and
unmoved as she observed Bromlitz
in the convulsions of his last breath.
"I’m sorry this had to happen
here, mademoiselle,” Benning told
her.
She said with calm indifference:
"You’ve only done me a service,
monsieur. Bromlitz has been very
difficult of late and I did not dare
let him show himself at the palace.
Of course, you’ll dispose of his body
as soon as he is dead.”
"Is Bravot now in Mexico City?”
Benning interrupted.
“That needn’t matter to you. You
are leaving Mexico City immediate
ly.”
"Of course, as soon as I get the in
formation I came here to get.”
"Impossible! I can’t play the dan
ger of having you here now. In a
few days I hope to be ready to leave
for France. Nothing must interfere
with my success now."
"I’ll make a bargain with you,
mademoiselle. I’ll leave at once if
you can find out when Van Hassek
attacks from Guaymas. Also any
thing you can learn about what is
going to happen in the Orient.”
Her face lighted up and she gave
a gasp of relief. “If that is what
you want to know, I can tell you,
monsieur. Van Hassek’s Guaymas
force will move up the Gulf within
the present week to attack north
with his mechanized and motorized
regiments through California. Their
objective is to freeze your fleet out
of its great bases on the Pacific
coast.”
Benning’s brows knotted. "But
such an attack doesn’t make sense
unless Van Hassek is to have prompt
reinforcements.”
"To be sure, monsieur. But Van
Hassek’s whole plan is working out
right close to pattern. Denied its
bases, a heavy part of your Navy
will have to sail at once around the
Horn to protect your Atlantic coast
from the Mediterranean fleet. At the
same time with Van Hassek’s at
tack will come the invasion from
the Orient, which is already moving
east.”
Benning gasped, “Do you know
those things for fact?”
”1 know that Van Hassek expects
me in San Francisco within the next
few weeks when he is to take su
preme command over your Pacific
coast. But by then I will be in
France—if only I can learn when
the attack upon my own country is
to launch itself. In a few days I
am to meet Van Hassek at San An
tonio—in the meantime, I gather
what straws I can from his man
Boggio."
"Boggio, you say!"
The words drove fiercely from
Benning’s throat. He feit the bris
tling of his hair under the surge of
feeling aroused by that name, for
the instant lost the thread of por
tentous disclosure that Mile. Ducos
made. Promptly he recovered his
composure and attempted to cover
his show with a smile.
He said, in an easier voice, "So
Boggio is here in Mexico City?”
"You should learn, in this busi
ness, to conceal your feelings,"
Mile. Ducos said with a thin smile,
and added: "But I can very well
understand just how you feel on the
subject of Boggio. Boggio has done
nothing but boast of the bombing of
the White House, ever since—”
"Mademoiselle, I can't leave Mex
ico until I’ve seen Boggio. A min
ute alone with him will be enough—
and I’ll promise to be very discreet
as far as your interests are con
cerned.”
"If your Government doesn’t know
already what I’ve just told you,”
she countered, "you should waste no
time on Boggio now.”
"I have no possible means of leav
ing Mexico until tomorrow night,”
Benning confessed. "My Govern
ment and I will be eternally grate
ful to you if you will add this last
little service. I promise the great
est discretion in handling Boggio.”
The French girl pondered his pro
posal, testing its play against the
risks to her own obligations. Pres
ently a smile played at the comers
of her mouth and a cold glitter
shone in her eyes.
"At four o’clock tomorrow after
noon, monsieur,” she decided, "Bog
gio and I will drive together south
from Chapultepec on the highway
to Tacubaya. Boggio will be at
the wheel and we will be alone.”
She extended her hand and added,
”1 will say good-bye to you now,
monsieur, and bon voyage.”
(TO BE CONTINUEDJ
Assortment of Frills, Jabots to
Highlight Summer Fashions
Bv CHERIE NICHOLAS
_ '
FRILLS, frills, frills! The call for
frills and jabots and cascades of
sheer loveliness as costume adorn
ment resounds throughout all fash
iondom this season.
Therefore, if you like to do dainty
handwork, meet opportunity at your
door. Make your own frills, for, as
every woman knows, nothing can
add the exquisite touch as well as a
bit of fine needlework, whether it be
in hand-rolled hems, deft hem
stitching or wee hand-run tucks.
It is almost unbelievable what a
wondrous assortment of frills can be
made from a yard or so of crisp,
snowy organdy, exquisitely sheer
handkerchief linen or other dainty
fabrics.
Take a look at the collection of
frilly items her* illustrated. By de
voting spare moments to the fasci
nating pastime of handrolling hems,
handrunning wee tucks and so on,
you can very easily fashion a ward
robe of fashionable frills. Being
meticulously handmade, they will
launder perfectly.
The spotlight of fashion is on sheer
lingerie yokes, either in collar form
or sewed into the dress as an actual
yoke top. It does not take long to
hand-tuck a yoke. Like the one pic
tured in the circle in the upper left
corner. You can edge it with a ruf
fle of self organdy or lace. You
really should have at least one big
yoke collar in your collection.
A dramatic collar and cuff set,
such as the girl seated is wearing,
is almost indispensable when it
comes to accenting a navy or black
dress. Note the new low-cut "plung
ing” neckline of the collar. The col
lar is lined with self organdy. Cut
duplicates, seam the wide frill in be
tween, then turn and press and you
will have no fraying edges. You
can either hemstitch the frill or fin
ish with a tiny rolled hem. Make
the frill very full so that it will fall
in sprightly ripples, as pictured. The
same working directions apply to
the cuffs. You can launder these
collar and cuffs as often as you
wish, and they will come out like
new.
Simple indeed but very effective
is the organdy frill worn demurely
about a round snug-fitting neckline,
as sketched. Emphasize the frilly ef
fect with ruffling on the sleeves,
as illustrated in the picture.
Bolero jackets take on a new look
this season when they are collared
with a frilled ruff, made of gleam
ing white organdy that goes rippling
down each side of the front opening
as the sketch here portrays. Try
it! With scraps of the organdy left
over, make yourself a scalloped col
lar with a wide frilled ruffle as
suggested in the sketch.
Perhaps the most intriguing news
of all is the frilled lingerie cascade
that travels from the neckline to the
hemline of the now-so-fashionable
slim princess frock. The sketch in
the group pictures the idea. To get
best results, cut the ruffling on cir
cular lines, and, if you finish the
edge with a hand-rolled hem you
will be delighted with the sheer love
liness of this cascade that falls from
a sailor collar of the organdy on
down to the very hemline of the
dress.
Make a white organdy cascade to
baste in the front of your simple
basic gown. Duplicate this frill in
pastel blue or pink or orchid organdy
to wear “on occasion” with your
afternoon dress.
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
Glen-Plaid Suit
It’s a suit season and no mis
take. Plaids, checks and stripes are
big news, they’re tailored so meticu
lously they have the look of perfec
tion. Here is a model that is char
acteristic of the present trend, which
exploits quality-kind woolens styled
in the new longer-jacket. Forstman
does these Glen-Plaids in soft neu
tral tones, notably gray or beige
with white. The skirt has grace and
action because of its pleats. A sug
gestion of the military theme is
achieved in the curved tucks at the
shoulder line and In the saucy two
toned beret-type chapeau.
Wear Clothes Which
Enhance Your Beauty
So you don’t like slit skirts. Well,
then, don’t wear them.
You think purple is a horrible col
or? All right then, don’t wear it.
You can’t wear sailors? Then
don't try. There are lots of women
who adore slit skirts, look marvelous
in purple and are mad about sailor
hats. Leave these women to their
choice and you take yours. There
are enough good styles to go around,
and no one woman need take it upon
herself to illustrate all the current
fashion trends.
It's up to each woman to select
from current — and past — styles
those which she likes and which look
well on her—and if she wants tc
delve into the future that's all right,
too, provided she conforms with cur
rent laws about what constitute
clothes.
Nowadays fashions are really flex
ible. Many long-held taboos have
been broken, and women are in the
mood to shatter more traditions. We
wear open-toed shoes in the winter
and wool all the year round. If we
like suits we don’t confine their use
to spring and fall—we wear them all
winter under our fur coats. We
wear chiffon in January, as well as
velvet and lame; we wear sequins
and lame in the afternoon instead of
reserving them for evening.
Fashion changes with the times.
To dress well is not a matter of
aping, but of creating.
Multicolor Turbans
The new turbans are printed flow
er crepes, taffetas or even striped
surahs. This hat style may be worn
either casually or formally. A print
ed turban goes with many different
castames and many different colors.
PATT“RNS
SEWING CIRCLE ,
1351-fy
ONE pattern, but two distinct
fashions—that’s what you’ll
receive when you send for design
No. 1351-B. And what attractive
new sports fashions they are, too!
One is a well-tailored play suit,
with becomingly flared shorts,
dart-fitted, easy waistline and con
vertible neckline finished with a
notched collar, like a shirtwaist.
The other is a princess pinafore
with sunback and buckled shoul
der straps. When little Miss 8-to
16 dons the jumper over her play
suits, with the collar fastened de
murely close to the throat, she's
dressed for runabout.
Both halves of this very gener
ous pattern are easy for the in
experienced mothers to make, and
by repeating it in different materi
als you can equip your sports
loving daughter with a whole sea
son of fun clothes. Choose sturdy,
sunfast cottons like seersucker,
gingham, gabardine or denim.
• • *
Pattern No. 13S1-B U designed for sizes
8, 10, 12. 14. and 16 years. Size 10 re
quires, for play suit, 2',i yards of 35-lnch
material without nap; for Jumper. 2%
yards. Send order to:
SEWING CIRCLE PATTERN DEPT.
Room 1324
211 W. Wacker Dr. Chicago
Enclose 18 cents for each pattern.
Pattern No.Size..
Name ..
Address ....
America’s ‘Safety Belt’
Off New York city the Western
hemisphere “safety belt” or neu
trality zone, established at the
inter-American conference in
Panama in the fall of 1939, was
set at the 60th degree of longitude,
or about 750 miles out, says Path
finder.
In general, however, the zone’s
width is irregular, varying any
where from several hundred
miles from the mainland at the
California coast to about 1,200
miles east of Florida.
1 -
OIL FILTERS
RECLAIM OIL FILTERS—*14.50 Size
$11.50; $26.00 size $20.00. Write National
Home and Construction Co., Jefferson, Iowa*
BEAUTY SCHOOL
Enrol! Now. Nebraska’s Oldest School.
Individual instruction, graduates placed to
good paying positions. Write Kathryn Wil
son, manager, for FREE BOOKLE'T. Call
fornla Beauty School, Omaha, Nebr.
Shrouded Future
A wise God shrouds the future
in obscure darkness.—Horace.
BIG 11-OUNCE
BOTTLE OF !
HINPS
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l Regular *1 size j
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Loud Voices
Why fools are endowed by Na
ture with voices so much louder
than sensible people possess is a
mystery. It is a fact emphasized
throughout history.—Hertzler.
EASY TO MAKE- j
DELICIOUS
ECONOMICAL! (,
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Tested and proved in thou
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treat for youngsters’ lunch
boxes.
Copt. 1841 by Kellogg Company
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