The evening world. Newspaper, November 23, 1915, Page 19

OSEeT Et toesnnas Whea Lid moneaan AR nce of Love and of Our ’ Country's Fight for Freedom Mopyright, the Frank A. Munsey Com, SYNOPSIS OF PREORDING CHAP 4 the, ators) is @ 0 conies to Boston early In fy Winthrop, & Colonial manners. After is succored by wonders at the auch men as Hevese mibanit ullying of the British troops, CHAPTER Ill. (Continued.) I Change My Mind. O my surprise, almost to my disappointment, Revere did not flare up. Instead, he sald gently: “Tho rustier the casket the less wi!l thieves be likely to rifle it, But, for that matter, is there no shame to yourself, my friend?” “For accepting a service from you?” I auggested, glancing down at my neatly bandaged forearm. “And then berating you for a coward? It may be @0. I spoke in haste.” “Not for that.” he corrected me. “That is forgotten already, but the thoughtless chirliness youth. “For what, then? curious, “You are an American,” he an- awered, after @ moment's pause. “A New Englander of the old stock. Massachusetts bred, Yet I heard you boast loudly to Gen. Howe a few min. utes ago that you are a stanch King’s inan. is that no cause for shame?” ‘or shame?" [ retorted hotly. “No, Yor pride. Are we not all subjects of King George? Ls loyalty no longer a I of I asked, genu- no longer a virtue,” he ) “when its cbject is no songer worthy of loyalty. We Colonists settied this jand. We conquered its savages, We turned a dreary wilder- ness into a (ountry of untold riches, For whom? bor England's King, When ¥Vrance menaced him here, we over- came France. We yearly swell the royal revenucs., In return we are abused, ill-vreatéd, robbed right and left. We grovel under the heav: Just taxes the King’s ‘ninisters hav: eaddied upon us. We have no repre- mtation in Parliament slave for ountry that despoils u: “This is treason!” 1 cried. “Rank treason! ‘Treason and truth, just now, walk hand in hand,” said he. "So, can you think hard of me when I am saddened at seeing a son of Ainerica, like your- eelf, turn his back upon his suffering fellow countrymen and shout, ‘lam a King's man? “You speak over-bravely now,” I taunted. “Yet when that blacksmith tu the crowd did much the same thing you rebuked him to silence.’ “Had L let him speak as he would,” anewered Revere, here would soon have been a riot. Then, a file of sol- diers, a volley fired into an throng, and the blood of dozen pocent men would @now. And to what good purpose? is what I and my fellows are workin night and day to prevent. The time 1s not yet ripe. But—it is at hand!” The last two sentences were mur- mureé under his breath—to himself rather than to me. “What is to prevent me,” I sta at ig to prevent me, as @ ioyal subs ct of Great Britain, from going to the autho and denounc- dng you? You are speaking treason, You are hinting at an uprising against the King. You should be in prison.” | “According to Tory ideas, perhaps,’ tho calmly assented. “But it will not be you who will send me there.” f reading faces, my , “and yours 18 as an Kk. You could not denounce any honest man. Least of all a man whose poor hospitality you have en- Joyed. It is for that reason I spoke 80 plainly, For that and because—be- cause you seem too much a man to re- main a Tory. Yet, a8 matters now band, you will io back to your coun- try, home, thinking’ = You are wrong.” I contradicted, “I am not going back home, On that I have firmly decided. When I met you half hour ago | was on my way to the nearest barracks to enlist. Now that my hurt is dressed, I will e’en thank you for your kind courtesy vt stranger and go on my way thithei “To enlist?” he exclaimed, agape. To my amaze he ran his hand through his long thin hair in bewle dered fashion; then broke into & hearty laugh. “To enii m he repeates, ‘Man, have you no wits? You would go to the barracks, where by this time every heard how you mal- ked, Why, and would you get list thev would tie you up, flog you then ‘lose’ you in some black cell! T halted, irresolute, half-way to the oor, | knew he spoke truth, My rash- ‘‘wase had barred me forever from ¢ the King’s army. iat iy bo vaserly longed to wear a red coat and to have my yellow hair tob vuntry mployment here creed, “But what Well said!" he a MW Temployment, if 1 make so bold as to ask “LT can plough, fe ride, and” “All excell trees, shoot, trap, nt accomplishment assented, “but not likely to win employement in a city, Listen! watchman fell ill yesterday and is in hospital with a quingy. While you are Jooking about you will take his post? The wage is sinall, But I take it you for ready money. He » room in my loft, Wilt take the I hesitated. And at that instant 0 figure darkened the doorwey and umbled with tho lateh "Tis Mist farjory Winthrop come for her fun,” said Revere, look- ing up. “Doubtless sho fears to trust ft a second time to a maid's care.” “Mistress Marjory Winthrop!" I achoed, vexed that the ht of her should 0 oddly “Does she Master Rever , unswered in some Ny si thric Wall you think ovar my otter? “No,” L made. sudder answer, have no need to thm it over, I ac ae TARAS AROROR AAR AAR SEOs EORES erty Was Born It was © _The Evening World Daily Ma gazi ¢ ( ( Cee Sere hee re I broke In eagerly, “T aceep CHAPTER IV, 1 Turn Eavesdropper. ‘T was four weeks since I had taken my new position. The work was light, consisting onefly in patrolling the shop and outbutldings two or three times during the night and in helping to arrange and tabulate the stock. It was early one morning (when I had retired to my attic after a night's vigil in and around the shop), IT had gone to bed and was halt asleep when something bright—far brighter than — sunshine — flashed across my closed lids and set me wide awake, As I opened my eyes the flash of Nght was sliding out of the window, I saw it was the reflection of a bit of lookinggiaas. Cross at the disturbance to my mber, I got un As I neared the low casement, I saw the spot of white ght flickering across a signbuard on the opposite | side of the street. For a moment I watched tt idly, then more curiously. For, instead of flashing on the sign and then off again, it Jumped from letter to letter of the inscription in @ most erratic fashion. | Once in every few moments it would leave the sign and dart off elsewhere. | But always {It would retura, | Tt had doubtless been In one of these random departures from the sign- board that the reflection had acci- dentally cut across my eyelids. Then I looked again at the sign. There was nothing remarkabl ut it, On a whitewashed board were, large black letters reading: | Zealous, experienced men are wanted for the king’s grenadier service. Quick promotiot ery rewarded, army: Apply at barracks for detalls, T turned again to the sign. The lit. tle white shaft of light was once more moving quickly from letter to letter. Tt rested a moment on the letter “I In the word “Grenadter;” then | skipped to the “S" in “Servi i Then it wandered off the board and directly returned to touch the letter | “A” in “Army. And then again to “T" in “Wanted.” Another vanishing of thi and it reappeared on on “A” in “Are, enced,” and on “D' Then It whisked *‘Ts—at—hand, found myself muttering absently. I was more in- terested than I would admit. As the light flickered back T drew an old letter from the pocket, along with a stump of pencil, and prepared to jot down each new letter as tt was touched by the light ray. Again the bit of mirror was at work, Without moving my eyes from it I wrote out the letters, with a space between when the flicker vanished, At the end of ten minutes the light Aisappeared and did not come back. I looked down at the hastily scrawled, irregular words on my let- ter back. This is what I had tran- scribed and now read: “Is at hand. ‘The report is ready. Let all who are concerned meet at the malthouse cel at 11 to-night. The password wi be = ‘Probitas. Come singly. If a hint reach the au thorities the cause will suffer. Re- member, above all"—— Here the writing had stopped in an ugly tear, My pencil point had broken, and in my absorption T had written on, not knowing of the mishap. I knew where the wrecked old malt- house stood, at the southern corner of the Common in a deserted tract of ground, T had the password of the meeting. Why should I not go thither? Youth loves to run its head into hor- nets’ nests. And only age and a long succession of stings can cure that de- sire. I Was no exception to my age. T went on duty as watchman at 8 every evening. By 9 the street was usually dark and quiet save for the passing of groups o° roystering sol- diers; and the Revere family were all abed, On this night I made an extra round of the premises as 10.80 boomed from the old North Church tower on the hill, Then, making all fast, I slipp y into the street. At last I came to the entrance where the half-ruined building stood. . There was a wide gap in the crumbling wall. Yet the wide cellars, once used for storing quantities of malt, were still Intact. An {deal place for a #e- cret meeting. As I crept through the wall gap, onto the turf-crusted, broken flag. stones of the yard, T could see no glimmer of light, could hear no faint- est whisper, Yet all at once I had the feeling, 80 strong in woodsmen, that I was not alone. I felt the nearness of many people, the magnetic presence of an excited throng. And, at that late hour and in the dead silence, the sensation was uncanny, I moved forward to’ where I knew the sloping, rusty iron doors of the cellarway were. My hand came In act with one of them. ran my fingers along the groove, secking for some vantage point Whereby to raise the rusted portal At the edge my grip found purchase and I heaved at the metal slab. But all my mighty strength could not stir the door, I rose, gasping from the effort, and as T stood up, strong arms pinioned me from behind, Before T could brace myself.to shake off that hold or grapple with my un- seen foe, the cold circle of a pistol muzzle was clapped to my face, CHAPTER Y. 1 Learn Great News. a is one thing to meet a stronger enemy faoe to face, in honest broad daylight, It is quite another to be setzed by dnvisible, soundless as- sailants at dead of night Sanity came to my ald, however, barely in time to save a life or two— including my own, “Probitas!" I whispered, As by magic, the hands fell away. The pistol rim’ was moved from my forehead, The sloping half door of Can You MY HUSBAND ISTHE Boss AT HOME the cellar swung open, revealing a faint glow of light from beyond, As I entered, the tron door swung silently shut behind me. I ran down the remaining steps, turned ja sharp corner and—found myself {n a vast, low-cetled, dim-lit vault of a place, packed with cloaked men. The audience stood quiet and deep- ly attentive, listening to a man who, from the dais, read in low, mechanical tones from a long sheet of Pape So dim was the light at the far end of the place where I stood, that I could neither recognize nor be rec- ognized by those who stood near- est me. I was half disappointed at the tame- ness of it all, hen I recalled the soere at the Soorwey “above and I Ketened to the slow ning voloe of the reader, From the first words I caught my sense of disappointment became deep- ened to utter chagrin, Was there ever such anticlimax? I had come expecting some blood-curd- ling revelation, Here is what I actual- ly heard: pe Beef and other cattle on the oof — I growled my disgust. Was this a Board of Trade conference? At the next syllable my Interest quickened: “Gunpowder, 17,441 pounds. Bullets, 22,191 poun Flints, 144,696. Bayon- ets, 10,108, Field pieces, 12. Firearms, 21,549." Rice and gunpowder! Beef and bayonets! What did it mean? The reader was rolling up his list, “These are all the provisions and munitions,” said he, “that Massachu- gotts has thus far been able to collect, More could doubtless have been gath- ered, had not strict secrecy been #0 urgent. The stores of arms and food are now hidden and well guarded, near Concord, Little by little we are add- ing to them. When the struggle comes—as come it must—we shall not therefore be wholly unprepared.” He sat down, Scarce had he done 80, when a short, slender man in @ brown bobwig and snuff-colored suit, sprang to the platform, “The committee's report,” he cried, “ts doubtless most interesting! “But it merely proves one thing; namely, that we are ready for war and that every added day of waiting means a day of weakness. The land is ready. The eyes of twelve suffering Colonies are turned upon Massachu- setts, When Boston strikes the first blow, then will the country rise as dne man and cast off the galling British yoke, But as the days drag by and Boston Hes dormant, submitting ever to worse and worse oppressions, the country grows to doubt our courage and to weary of waiting for us to act, I say: Strike! We are ready! Strike!” He sat dow A low rumble of mingled applause and disapproval swept the tense mass of liste An- other man, broad-shouldered, plump of face, mounted the platforin, It was Paul Revere, “To fire a gun before it is loaded,” degan he, in homely, drawling diction, “seldom scores a mark, that we wait makes us stron committee's report proves that. this rate, in another year we shall have laid tn enough weapons and food to warrant us in crying ‘To arma!’ But to throw down the gauntlet now, scarce half prepared, would either ruin all or at least foree us to drag long a conflict where our chief en mies would be starvation, ciothing, and insufficient » could such equi against the strength of He paused; then continued: “Our stores are piling up at Con- cord, In every village within twenty “Rice, 35,000 pounds, Salt fish, 17,000 A ETRY titty, mg oe Beat 10? xxteettss, miles of Boston, the Minute Men are secretly drilling. Daily their ranks are swelling. Daily the food supply grows larger, All are ready to fight the moment the word goes forth, But why shed the blood of brave men in vain when by waiting long enough, their numbers and strength will be sufficient for the strife? Even now we are so far committed that if the British learn of our plans we shall be forced to fight. We cannot turn back. Why press the issue when delay means gain?” He left the platform. And again that mingled murmur arose, it changed to eager interest as a tall, handsome young man sprang to the rostrum, He was olad in black, and wore his jong dark hair unpowdered. I recog- nized him even at that distance as young Dr, Joseph Warren, a Bos- tonlan whose name was already known from one end of the Colonies t the other, “What Master Revere has said,” ho “I indorse, Every word of it. “Tt is by his advice as much as by that of John Hancock and of Samuel ams and of my humble self, that we have held in check every prema- ture uprising. Revere and his thirty ‘Watchers’ have kept us apprised of British plans. They have checked premature riot and open seditt un- til the British call us all cowards, “They have kept their fingers on the pulse of the people, They know bet- ter tban any of the rest of us exactly how matters stand. Revere says ‘Wait!’ then I, too, say walt! Han cock and Adams are at Concord, ove seeing Lhe supplies, Were they here, they would echo the word, If the spark be prematurely struck, then will our half-ready patriots fii to the last breath, But why strike that spark before the powder mine be laid?" thers spoke, But I heard no more. My mind was in tumult. Truly I had stumbled on a rare conspiracy. I was like the man who went forth to trap @ fox and caught a lion, I had come hither to lsten to some petty piece of secret criminality, ad, I had unearthed a mighty plot against King George himself, My course of duty was clear, The moment I could get free from that gang of treason-hatchers, I would hurry to British headquarters and tell my story, Perchance it was not yet too late to nip the traitorous plot in the bud. Howe had sailed, a week agone, for New York. Gen, Thomas Gage was Commander of His Majesty's forces in Boston. To him I would go, forthwith, at Government House, with my tale of arrant treason And to Government House I ran the moment the meeting adjourned, I found the mansion ablaze with lights, the square in front of it packed with coache: A levee or a ball waa in progress, Thus it was that the King’s loyal followers were dancing away the night of April 17, 1775, while within a mile of Government House treason was rearing Its head. And I alone could avert the disaster! Thrusting my wa: by _main force ne. "uesda HE NEVER BRINGS ME ‘ed the junds, and, shoving aside the indignant majordomo, rushed Into the house of gaiety. steps at three CHAPTER VI. 1 Find Myself in Strange Com- pany. NCE past the wide-flung doors of Government House, paused irresolute. In an- other moment, I knew, the discomfited majordomo might readily summon a@ brace of footmen to turn me out. There, in the broad hallway, guests were tripping to and fro in a be- wildering Kaleidoscope of colors. Men in white satin, in peach-blow silk or in the garish dress uniforms of the British Army; women in brocaded and many-flounced gowns of every hue; liveried servants—all seemed to circle about me in amazing fashion. J, in my sober suit of dark blue with its brass buttons, looked like a jack~ daw among peacocks, My loose yel- low hatr, too, felt oddly unkempt alongside the snowy periwigs that bobbed all around me, As my eyes accustomed themselves to the gay scene I singled out a ser- vant and beckoned him to me, “Where is Gen, Gage?" | demanded, have urgent business with him." 4is excellency is dancing the min- uet.” he replied in lofty reproof at my haste, “and after that he will be in the supper room. He cannot be disturbed.” “But my business is of deepest im- Ror protested. “It will not brook elay. “Then tell it to tl oMcer of tho day,” Insolently suggested the fello “Ho is In the brary, drinking punch. Hw pointed carelessly to a room further down the hall. he officer of the day?" I repeated. rhaps it will be as well. At first breath of my message he will take me to Gen Gage, Which is he?” “The officer of the day is Major Pit- cairn,” was the reply. And the servant scurried off about his business, leaving me to find my own way. TI hurried on to the library. It was deserted save for two or three gaily dresved men and one woman. And before the latter turned her dainty, aristocratic little head in my direction IT recognized her as Marjory Winthre Very look in utiful and winsome did she or fluffy white ball gown with 4 splash of scarlet roses at the belt She was standing in animated, gay talk between two uniformed gallants, Not waiting to see if she would deten conize me or not, I walked past her and up to the taller of the two men at her side, He was a fine-look- ing, soldierly young fellow, with florid” face and dancing gray ey "Major Pitcairn?" [ asked. He favored me with a half-haughty half-amused stare, Then he nodded his heat carelessly toward the man on Ielebleiotololotnltninlmt: When a Man Can't Disappear, and Yet Disappears! That Is One of the Mysteries fn “THE WHITE ALLEY” BY CAROLYN ; THE EVENING WORLD'S COMPLETE NOVEL FOR NEXT WEEK It Is the Strangest and Most Interesting Detective Story of the Year Marjory's other side. The latter was WELLS By Maurice Ketten y. Novem | | i } i | HER HUSBAND MUST BE A H BRUTE | \ shorter, darker, less distinguished look- ing than his companion. 1 did not like his face. ba Lord Perey,” sald the taller officer. “There is Major Pitcairn.” “What {# your will with ine?" asked Piteairn, noting with a sneer my sim- ple dress, “You are a Colonial, are you not? Who admitted you? “I am @ man who may save King George from the Colonials,” I rap) out, nettled by his insulting tone. news of grave import to Gen. Sees, Will you take me to him tm: ely? jaughed in my face. “I should like to see his excellency's countenance were | to break in upon his dance or his supper with news !. that a beggarly, nasal-voloed provin- clal demanded speech with him!” he scoffed, “Come, man! Give me your message and begon “by message,” I retorted, choking back my wrath for the sake of the cause, “is of treason, A meeting was held to-night by the rebela, who"'—— “Another treason pilot!" broke in Pitcairn, “This is the hundredth. And all equally fal: As well expect the sheep to rise against the shepherd or the lamb against the lion. Let us hear it and then be off with you!" “Pardon, Major,” interposed Jory, ing for the first time. “May 4 mere lass break in upon so weighty & matter and crave @ boon from one so important as the officer of the day “If you would make the dance musiq ¢ sound rough and discordant by com- 1 parison,” paid Pitcairn with a low bow, "pray speak Mistress Win- throp. “Tis absurd,” she faltered in appar- nt mortification, “and I crave your Pardon that such an incident should mar our evening. But—this much. elted yokel is a eeeer depen my father. He is well meanin, his brain is touched by an early sun- stroke, Of late his mania hath been ‘rebel plots.’ He sees one in every bush. And my father ts much put to it to keep him from running ever to Gen, Gage with his wild stories, Tam ashamed that he should thus intrude at his excellency’s bal I stared, dumfounded, at her. At that moment I make no doubt I looked enough like the village idiot she de- scribed me. Her strange speech robbed me of sense and of words. All I felt was a dull ache at the heart “Ie it your wish that we have bim thrown out?” asked Lord Percy. “Ry no means," she made baste to answer, “But I crave your indulgence to leave me alone with him for five minutes. [ can manage him when none other can, And I can persuade him to feave the place in peace.” “But — - “Grant me this favor, I pray you! she begged ‘Tho two men obediently drew away and left us Btanding face to face, “Your message?” she asked anx- jously, “Your news hat ta it? Speak quickly, sir," “What is it to you?” I retorted. “You make public mock of me. You mp me as an idiot. You tell these men grievous lies about moe. your will that you seek me after such treatment? net insulted me ecru crave forgiveness, speaking In rapid ‘undertone and avoiding my eye. “It was needful You heard what Major Pitcairn said about rebel plots. Had your news been of ever su great import he would have laughed it to scorn, And the message would nover have reached Gen. Gage. ‘Twas for that reason 1 interrupted your tale.” “Why do you wish to speak alone Have you enough vhe answered, . ” ber 23 RAK LReseeeaenanane sasaanane « ¢ + i 3 2 Pd 1 crosaly news," she repl “Don't you see? Tf you give me I can take it in person to Gage and tell it in such fashion t he must believe.” with me?" Ta “To learn y ed t Beginning with the mirror’s un flashes on the signboard, [told her my whole narrative of the day's events; briefly, yet in full She listened with burning cheeks and flaming eyes. Never had L seen @ woman ao stirred, Never had [seen one so beautiful Yet, until I was done, she spoke no word, but seemed to drink in every syllable. Then: “You did weil to tell this to ma, In tend of to some offlctal,” said ‘she. It is all ao impossible—so strange— that none would have credited you “T claim one reward for my sor- vices,” T sad awkwardly A glint of contempt shot into her brown eyes, She drew back from me as though from some loath: “T did not understand,’ coldly. “I thought loyal king’s man to do your sovereign a service. And for that [I gave you much credit. But If you craw! here to barter men's lives and hopes for money—why, then, [ have wronged mysoif by speaking so long to so vile e@ creature, What ba 4 be your price, Master Informer? irty pleces of silver?” I felt myself go white to the very Nips. It was by no means the least flerce battle of my long career that I Just then waged with my temper. Yet by mighty effort I forced myself to say quietly: “It is not yourself you wrong, Mis- tress Winthrop, but me.” “In it possible,” she aneered, “to wrong a man who betrays human be- Ings for money? Perchance, though, I_was amiss in naming thirty pieces of silver as the price? A larger sum, I doubt not"—— “The reward I claim,” I interrupted, still keeping flerce grip on my madly struggling resentment, “is not in money, I*—— you ask office? I fear that my In- fluence ts scarce” —— “T ask,” IT flashed, “tn full reward for my information, that Paul Re- vere's name be LUA tae, ae] by you in_your report to Gen. Gage.” She took 8. tep forward and glanced up at me, startled, incredulous. “II do not understand,” she fal- tered. a: “T scarce expected that you could, T retorted bitterly. “Our lines of life le far apart, yours and mine, Mis- tress Winthrop. I could not under- stand, some weeks ago, why you should expect me to grovel in the snow for the roses you had dropped. You cannot understand, It seems, how a man may be loyal to his king and yet wish to aave a friend from harm. ‘Reward’ and ‘blood money’ doubtless mean the same thing to you.” 4 “You misjudgs my words!” a! erted, but there were tears in her stl- ver voles. “You have no right to say such things.” “T crave pardon,” returned T; “but what a mere yokel and sunstruck tdlot may say caf scarce matter to you. Let me, then, explain briefly my re- quest, and leave you to carry the warning to his excellency: “Paul Revere is my friend. He ts my employer. He is a good and g lant gentleman. He has been drawn into this treason plot because he falsely believes the rebels are in the right, I would cut off my hand sooner than that he should suffer for his mis- taken zeal. Therefore, T entreat you to make no mention of his name in your report to Gen, Gage. Do you give e your word” yen iP Oh, yes!" she cried brokenly, “aithere'ia mo mora to eay,” I broke bowed awkwardly, turned on my toa and hurriedly quitted the room, leaving her start after me with a look such as never before had I seen or eyes. La i venched the great front doors I glanced bacit once more at the bright scene behind me. For the remotest part of a second, I saw, through @ momentary gap in the crowd, two figures in gr bala at the 4 of the long ha Moat the two [ recognized as Gen- eral Thomas Gare, ting command- or-in-chief of King George's army in phusetts. wae leaning forward, latening with eagerness to something a@ litt bob-wigged man in snuff-colored clothes was saying to him And I recognized the little man, too, Jo waa the Impassioned orator who, at the secret meeting, barely an hour earlier, had made so flory a speech urging the rebels to strike at once. This man, who apparently stood high In secret revolutionary circles, Was now conversing on earnest, even intimate terms with Gen. Gage. That he was telling the General “My wonderful tidings to myself, “will be stale by the time they reach Gage through Mistress Marjory's red lips, Tt arems the gov~ ernment has efficient spies. Those supplies at Concord will not remain long in rebel hands, And the village Minute Men have been dritied in vain ‘The war is over before It begins, T wonder what it was that Mistress Winthrop sought to say to me when I rushed away from her just now.’ CHAPTER VII. A Nocturnal Adventure. HEN Paul Revere came Into W the shop next morning [ a sleepless night on bis ac- count, The little man in the snuff was busy arranging goods in the cases, | had passed colored coat had doubtless told of Re- vere's share in the conspire What was I to do? If | should tell Revere of his peril he might have the stock tn * Concord hidden elsewhere, and yet I etrode to the door and out into the atreet, to be alone and to think, I could not bear contact with my em- ployer’s Jolly, bright prosence in the Of a sudden I looked sort of plan up from my reverie to find Marjory Winthrop standing before me. It Way a meek and chastened Mar- Jory that I beheld. In no sense the haughty, flery damsel whom | was becoming 80 accustomed to see, “I was on the way to you: quoth she, “for a word with you. 1 an ‘ead to have found you.” NEXT WEEK'S COMPLETE NOVEL IN THE EVENING WORLG you came as a I aeenee PE PFTITISIOS | had removed my three-cornered hat and stood fumbling it, in @m= barrasament, between my big 1 came," she continued, “to @ay what you would not wait to hear last nicht. To ask pardon of @ brave, loyal man for so cruelly misreading him. Can you forgive"— “Ts forgoten, Miss Marjory” I exclaimed, sore distressed at her am wonted humility. “'Tis all forgotten, Do net shame me, I pray, by ing more of it. You were right, frem your viewpoint, to misunderstand. You had no means of knowing tat I was not a scoundrel.” . " she persisted, “for I had ever thought otherwise of you. That was why it shocked me into rage when I believed you sought be- trayal money, But"—- ou had thought otherwise of , echoed, “Then you Rave thought sometimes of me? And f thought you regarded me no mere than the stunes under your feet. me I brought myself up short. I was blundering too far. To ease the sit- uation and to cool the sudden hot flush from her face, I hurried om to another theme, “The message you promised to carry to Gen. Gage,” said L “I fear we both had our trouble and excite- ment for naught.” “What do you mean? “A man who spoke for war at the meeting in the malt-house cellars was later closeted with the General. And I make no doubt he told him all, He was a Government spy. A amall man in bobwig and snuff-colored coat. If I had sought to drive the blush from her cheeks, I had of a certaiuty succeeded. For her face was now white and drawn. Her great eyes glowed with a smoldering fire. “You are su jhe demanded. “Quite gure.” IT answered; and | told what I had seen, Without another word she pushea Past me into the shop. I was sure now that I understood her moth She had pledged me that Paul Re’ should be safe, Finding Gage already must know of Re- vere’s complicity, ahe had impulsively gone to warn the goldsmith, whom sho greatly liked, Well, if her warning should fivethe rebels an inkling that their plot was known, it was no affair of mine it was a way out of my difficulty, Revere would bo sot on his guard, and the fault of the rebels le thwarting of Government plans would not rest with me. My mind at rest, and my whole body tired from a wakefui night, Iran up to my attic, flung myself on my cot, and in five minutes was sound asl needed that slumber, It was mr hours before I slept again. @ When I came on duty, refreshed and wideawake, Rev ‘e serving maid who gave me my sup- pe said he had ridden forth on horae- . ack an hour agone, This struck me as odd. For Paul Revere was not wont to ride abroad at night. I fancied the servant might be mistaken, So on my first round of the premises I glanced in at the stable door, ‘There, in its stall, stood the young white horse that Revere had bot it but a week before. But the great dapple-ray that he usually rode was gone. So was the newer of his two saddles, Then an explanation came to me. Marjory had rn him of danger from the law, and he had fled. It was an hour or so later, as I was reading in the back room of the shop, between my trips of inspection, that there came @ sudden beating and shaking at the barred front door. Some one of no great strength, but of tremendous purpose (to judge from the sound), was hammering fiercely for admittance, I picked up my lantern, strode to the door and prepared to fling bach the bar. Then, remembering the extra care T had resolved to take of the place in my employer's absence, I stopped. picked up a loaded and im i from behind the counter and thrust it into my belt. Thus, armed and ready to face any foe, | unbarred the door and flung it open. Across the threshold rushed a siight, muffled figure, caught the door from my hand, slammed it shut and stood tn the half-lighted shop, facing me, It was Marjory Winthrop! From head to heels she was covered tn a dark, hooded cloak, under whose sombre folds peeped forth the lace and silk of a white ball dre: In her hand she carried a lantern, She had been) running For she was breathing in labored gas: “Mistress Winthrop!” aghast. “Where in Master Revere?” she de- manded, “Has he set out?" “Yes, Some two hours ago,” I re- plied in wonder. “Have no fear. He is safe beyond pursuit by this time.” “Beyond pursuit? she repeated puzzled. ‘Then she erted: “1 could n@ no sooner. Not a minute sooner! I slipped away from the Copley ball the instant I heard And he is already gone?” “Two hours back! “T cannot do it alone,” she was mur- muring. “Ll cannot! Iam not strong enough. I know not where any of the others live, And whom can I trust?’ “I do not understand,” T broke in half-tearful despair, “But [ t you are in need of some sort If I may serve you, I Ds. T exclaimed, of aid. you? she erled, her big eyes a, with a new light in her ex- ace, she added, more to herself than to me: “Why not? Any means is_justifi- able, And it I fail, all fails, You are strong. You are brave” “Lam at your service in all you may command," I broke In, for it pained me to note the frightened dis. tress in her face I suppose Tam a fool, For a fright- ened child or Woman has ever seemed to me the most pitiful sight on earth And better men than I would sacrifice much to soothe away such fear, “Listen!” she said suddenly, “You are a loyal man! You are devoted to the cause! Then you ean do your areat vice this night i$ none other who can do it!" *"T have twice told you [am at your command,” said T, “What do you re- quire of me “That you climb with my to the belfry of the North Chureh,” was her seensinaly maemoasing reply, ‘Be Continued.) ~”