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A TELEGRAPH
LUCILLE LOVE. The Girl of Mastery
A Soul Jhrtiling Story of£ove. pevotion.
'By the "MA.STEHTEJV"
Copyright, 1914. All moving picture right* rest,
arm now exhibiting this production in leading
(Synopsis of preceding chapter*.)
While students together at West Point, and in love
with the same girl. Sumpter Love proves Hugo Loubeque
a thief, and Loubeque Is dishonorably discharged. Love
wins the girl. The enmity thus begun finds outlet in
later years at Manila, when a butler thief in the employ
of Loubeque, now an international spy, steals valuable
papers from the Government safe of General Love.
Loubeque s&Ms with them on the steamship Empress,
and General I-ove accuses Lieut Gibson, his aide and
the sweetheart of his daughter Lucille, of the crime.
Loubeque sends a wireless message cleverly Insinuating
that General Love had sold the papers to a foreign
power. To savo the honor of the man she loved and
to erase the stigma from her father's name, Lucille
Erevalls upon Harley. a government aviator, to take
ey out to tho ship, in his aeroplane. To foil Lucille,
Loubeque destroys the wireless apparatus on the Em
press and is hurt in the resulting explosion. In her
search for the papers, Lucille becomes his nurse, and
when the ship takes firi, secures them. The vessel Is
burned to the water's edge and Lucille drifts to a
strange Island on the oar of a crushed lifeboat Lucille
is rescued by friendly savages. Slu, Is given an amulet
for curing tho chiefs daughter, and it proved potent
against the machinations of Hugo Loubeque, who, like
wise cast on the island, plans to get the papers. Ho
burns Lucille's hut, but she escapes with the precious
papers. He sends a decoy message asking her to come
to the home of a neighboring chief, whose wife is ill
and In need of nursing. On the way there she falls
Into a covered pit, dug by Loubeque across her path.
Her guide, an old crone, takes the papers from Lucille,
and gives them to Loubeque. who gt>es with them to
the Jungle. His guide and servant steals tlieni. but is
killed by a lion, and Lucille, who had trailed them
three days, recovers them from the body. Lucille
meets a strange cave-dwelling people, is attacked by
monkeys, escapes in a canoe and ts carried Into an
underground whirlpool. She is rescued by Captain
Wetherell and taken aboard his yacht. There she
meets Loubeque, who is also picked up by the yacht,
which is carrying contraband arms to Chinese rebels.
When warships pursue, AVetherell seizes the papers and
puts Lucille and Loubeque to sea in an open boat, be
cause they know too much of his plans. Their water
gives out and Lucille nearly dies before they reach
China in safety. Hugo, after nursing Lucille back to
life, goes after Wetherell to get the papers back, and
captures him. Lucille follows Loubeque, aboard a liner,
and shadows him.
CHAPTER XXV.
A Pretty Stoicawaj/.
fHK yawning side of the great ves
sel stood open before Lucille, the
coolie stevedores trundling their
great loads of merchandise across
the wharf and disappearing with
in, as though swallowed up for
ever. Ditn, shadowy outlines peered
out at her, hoarse voices lifted in
command or profanity, the roar of
boxes tumbling from the insecure
positions in which they had been
placed.
Like an inferno it was, minus the fire.
Lucille was suddenly made conscious of the fact
that she was very weak, that she had narrowly
escaped death from privation and fever, that she
had shot the woman who attempted her life,
that she was a fugitive in this town, that, when
the ransacking of the house in which she had
been so ill was finished the wounded woman
would be discovered and search made for her as
sailant. Nervously she fingered the ruby neck
lace about her throat, trying to think of some
way another of the precious stones might be
made to work its magic influence. She could buy
a passage with it, could bribe many aboard the
boat, but she must not be seen by Hugo Lou
beque. Too often had he caught her in the same
place with him working to thwart him for the
man to show any mercy. Tender though he had
been while she was ill, she knew from his grim
tone, from the expression of relief upon his face
when he discovered the papers were not upon
her person, that he would hesitate at nothing to
injure her did she continue her attacks. No, she
must work secretly, in the dark always.
But work she must and would. Fiercely she
fastened her little teeth in her lower lip. Hugo
Loubeque had the precious papers in his posses
sion else he would never have smiled so serenely
to himself as he boarded the boat. She had his
diary and how she obtained possession of it and
from whom she had no idea, but it could not be
used against him now. There would come a time
when it would prove of the utmost value, but
not now. What could she do?
The rattle of muskets brought her out of the
fit of abstraction into which she had fallen. She
shrank away in the shadow of a bale of silk,
screwing herself into as small a space as pos
sible, her breath coming fast as she saw the of
ficer who commanded the squad of soldiers march
up tho gang plank, just as the captain descended
to inquire what his business was. Then the tall
figure of Hugo Loubeque appeared beside the
pair, offering to translate the soldier's words.
Lucille watched his face in abject terror,
studying the swift change of expression on it,
the somber lowering of the lashes, the knitting
of the brows, the outcropping of his jaw as he
listened to the man's hurried jibberish.
"What's it all about?" impatiently demanded
the captain as the spy turned toward him.
"He is hunting an American girl I left ill in
the town. It appears she shot and wounded her
nurse and bound a Chinese soldier, taking his
clothes and making her escape."
"Well, there's no such person aboard," gruf
fly retorted the officer of the ship. "Is that
enough for him."
Again Loubeque turned to the soldier but
the' man shook his head vehemently.
"He must search the vessel. Those are his
orders," interpreted the spy, then, "you really
can't blame him. Captain. The girl is a desperate
character and if her kind were allowed to run
amuck this way there's no telling where it all
would end."
The officer nodded consent, adding grimly
that he would stand for anything that did not
entail delaying the boat's sailing on schedule.
As the eavesdropping girl watched the sol
diers march the gangplank and disappear in dif
ferent parts of the boat according to the instruc
tions given them by their superior, her heart
thudded so violently against her ribs she won
dered that it did not break through. What a
fortunate thing that her weakness had not al
lowed her to follow her first instinct of follow
ing the spy aboard the boatl And what a bless
ing that he did not know 6he was so close at
hand! She could see from his words that he
would not delay his own departure to assist her,
that once more his motive of revenge was all
dominant in his nature, that tenderness for the
daughter of the woman he loved would never
again interfere with the parrying out of his
plans. And the ferocious expressions upon these
soldiers, the eagerness with which they went
about their task of searching for a mite of a girl
just off a sick bed 1
Surely, some power greater than that of
even the international spy was looking over and
defending her 1 She bowed her head in mute
gratitude, humbled in recounting the perils she
had undergone in the carrying out of her pur
pose and giving tho glory to the hand that, all
unseen, was leading her. It impressed her more
thai* ever with the justice of her fight, the fact
that an outraged Nature-God would not allow a
human being to oonquer the best that was in a
man and a woman to satisfy a base revenge.
She w«9 roused from the mood by a flurried
clamor aboard the boat. The coolies were work
ing madly now, while upon the deck v she saw
visrns of activity that told her the ship was about
I »
( : ...
trved by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, who
theater*. Infringement s will be vigorously prosecuted.
to get under way. Under the lashing tongue of
, a boss, five stevedores were rushing toward the
» bales behind which she was concealed. Lucille
knew the time had come for her to act, without
I any further figuring.
In two swift, oat-like leaps she had reached
the yawning side of the boat. For just a second
[ she hesitated before the terrible blackness that
met her eyes there, a blackness accentuated by
the frowning cargo, twisting and writhing in
more weird shapes than she had imagined pos
sible for anything to do. Then, with a little
shrug, she stepped inside, darting about between
piles of merchandise, leaping further and further
away from the voices that reached but dimly to
[ her now, hiding away at every slightest sound.
Came tho violent' chugging of the engines,
the quaking of every part of the great ocean
leviathan, lesser sounds from above, the terrible
creaking of the cargo as the vibrations straight
ened it into place. Then Lucille was suddenly
aware they were under way, that she was
alone here iti the bowels of the boat, more alone
i than she had ever been in the heart of the"
jungle, alone for how many days she dared not V
j think.
i Terrors beset her on every side. Rats
| scampered about, their paws making a dreadful
scraping sound like, sandpaper being run over s
smooth surface of boarding. Times she would
feel their tiny feet upon her own, the squeals
of terror that went up as they rushed on their
way, it seemed to tell her of this strange in
truder to their fellows. The impulse to rush to
the deck above was almost, overwhelming. She
could feel her brain reeling, reeling with the
horrors of such a loneliness as this.
But always, when her courage had fairly
ebbed, would come another picture. It was as
though her horror-popping eye-balls had forced
poignantly home to her the vision of Manila, of
her father, grieving himself to death at her ab
sence, at the shipwreck; her sweetheart, impris
oned, with every hand turned against him, with
the girl he loved away, perhaps another who dis
believed in his innocence—
Always would that thought bring her fight
ing spirit back. Her sweetheart was a prisoner
and probably the angry General would not con
descend to tell him any news of her. What more
likely that the surety that he had lost her love
was tormenting him quite as much as the ,
charge of stealing and selling the papers. But
she must bring them back, she must clear him.
There was nothing else for her Jo do, no other
part of her life could possibly mean so much as
saving the honor of the man she loved.
Day and night—night and dav—there was
no difference between the. two in this black hole.
Seconds were as days l and hours became as-frac
tions of seconds according to the trend in which
her thoughts lay. There was no diversion save
trying to send her fancy flying back to the army
post. Oftentimes, the scurrying rats weighted
her mind with such terror that she was unable
to do that.
'lt seemed to her that they must be near the
end of their journey, judging by the torments she
had been through, when a swaying light directly
over her head made her dart' hastily back and
strive to hide behind a looming bale. The ex
clamation of surprised incredulity which sounded
in her ears told that she had been discovered.
In an instinctive effort to hide, she struck
against a bale that had partially dislodged it
self, and sent it thundering against a second
stack. In a moment the hold was tilling with a
pandemonium such as might have accompanied
the most violent earthquake. The hold was filled
with tumbling boxes and bales, toppling, reeling,
thrashing, thundering in every direction. Lucille
flung up her hands to her ears to shut out the
sound, darting toward the face she now saw
plainly above her, a face that framed popping
eyes and widened lips, a face that, had paled
through the heavy coat of tan, as she could see
from the lantern's light.
Swiftly she leaped upon a box that had
formed the foundation for a pyramid. As though
by instinct the sailor flung the lantern from him
and reached down his hands. Lucille felt his
fingers clutching at her wrists. Once he missed
her. She shuddered as a louder crash than any
that had gone before came to the right of her.
A second time the man's arms swung out and his
hands closed about her own.
She felt the strain upon his muscles, the
mighty heaving groan that issued from his lips.
Then slowly, so slowly it seemed she would never
succeed in getting through that trap, she was
lifted up, up to the deck where she lay panting
and breathless,-the man beside her fairly whist
ling from the exertion of once more breathing
freely. 6
As he squatted there, staring at her, his
eyes now whimsical with amusement, a little
laugh of relief trilled from her throat. She
_ reached out her hand and allowed it to rest,
quite simply, in his great paw. He stared at the
tiny hand, resting like the white petal of a rose
upon the brown earth, then slowly a smile
spread over his weatherbeaten face as he scanned
the silken suit in which Rhe was arrayed.
Lucille saw that she had made a friend already
and immediately pressed her advantage.
"Nobody must know you found me there,"
she began hurriedly, then, as he started to pro
test, "no, no. Please listen—"
Again the sailor shook his head, a troubled
expression in his eyes. Lucille knew that she
had lost and, instead of pleading, took the next
best* course that seemed open to her.
"Then, if you must, bring the captain to me
instead of parading me before everyone. I would
not ask you this but t have an enemy aboard
and—Oh," she broke off impatiently as, still, he
remained dubious, "there is no chance for escape
now that I am discovered. It will do no harm to
let me wait here. I can—" she closed her lips
quickly, as of a gleam of avarice showed *
in the man's eyes. After a second's thought he
nodded briefly and moved hurriedly away.
Lucille had no time for regret at her dis
covery. She had felt all along that it was in
evitable but had refrained till now from figuring
on what explanation she could make in 6uch
event. That expression, the swift change on the
sailor's face, as he thought her on the point of
mentioning money verified her instinctive knowl
edge that she must keep her ownership of the
magnificent ruby necklace secret. She knew that
tho best of men would be tempted by such a
king's ransom as the marvelous jewels repre
sented. Likewise she felt it would be? unwise,
under any circumstances to entrust anyone with
the knowledge that she possessed the interna
tional spy's diary. So long as rtie alone knew
where it wa», just so long was there a certainty
of Loubeque's being kept in the dark. She had
fought alone till now and she must continue to
fight alone. Any help she might be able to pick
up along the way would be more than welcome,
but the riches she carried with her might turn
the sympathetic friend to a weak girl into an
unscrupulous enemy. This much she had con
cluded when the Captain stomped heavily across
to her, followed by the sailor, his face frowning
blackly, but with a curious twinkle in his eyes
the girl was quick to discern.
"And so the young lady with murderous
tendencies was aboard my boat all along," he
beamed ominously, then, before she had oppor
tunity to interrupt. "Of course you understand
that I must put you in irons and turn you over
to the authorities in San Francisco."
Some impulse impelled her, an impulse to
put on a manner altogether at variance with her
natures She drew herself saucily erect, meeting
his eyes with laughter lurking in her own.
"Of course you don't intend doing any such
thing," she retorted boldly. "I was sick and the
woman they left to nurse me sneaked in the
room late at night and tried to stab me. I s4w
her slip out and was suspicious of her, so I
slipped behiid the door and grabbed the man's
gun Vhen he put it on a chair. A'nybody would
have done exactly the same thing and I know,
anyway, that you would never turn an Ameri
can girl over to those horrible Chinamen."
The captain's frown disappeared at the flash
ing tempest of this little spitfire who confronted
and faced him down, while mirth faded before a
natural embarrassment. He scratched the back
of his head dubiously.
"Well, I guess that's aliout true," he ad-
Loubeque Ordered the Ofßcer to Search the
Ship for Lucille.
mitted finally. "But why didn't you come to me
in the first place; why didn't yon want to come
to me when you were caught; what do you ex
pect is to be done with you?"
"I didn't come to you because the man who
acted as interpreter is an enemy of mine who
would do anything on earth to be rid of me—l
mean Hugo Loubeque, the one who spoke with
the Chinese officer when they searched the boat.
They frightened me so I crept into the hold. I
don't want him to know I am on board—he
mustn't know." She looked up into his face with
such confidence in her big, melting eyes that
the embarrassed man fidgetted more nervously
than ever.
"I can pay for my passage when we land,"
she added quickly. "So there need be no worry
about that."
"Relatives, oh!" The captain heaved a sigh
of relief and Lucille allowed his impression to
pass, in silence. "But I have no cabin vacant,
young lady."
"Couldn't I do some work, be a cabin boy or
something like that," she suggested l vaguely, as
the ship's master threw back his head and gave
vent to such laughter that tears rolled down his
weather beaten cheeks.
"That's a good dne," he roared. "By George,
I believe that would straighten the whole mess
out and make me the master of the first boat
that has had a cabin boy since the old sailing
days. Young man," he added with mock gravity,
"I'll take you to my cabin now, where your
enemy will have no chance of seeing you. The
steward will be the only one in our secret. He
can outfit you and pass his instructions regard
ing your duties at-night."
Lucille clasped her hands delightedly, her
eyes twin stars of delight at the perfect work
ing out of her difficulties. She did not care that
the captain mocked her regarding Loubeque's
enmity, that he evidently thought her a foolish,
tom-boy of a girl, adventure-bent and addle
pated. Working at night there could be but
scant chance for Loubeque's recognizing her, if
he retained his secretive habits, and it was
usually at night, time that»he paced the deck and
left his cabin alone. No position could more ade
quately have given her an opportunity to search
the man's cabin for the stolen documents and.
papers.
The thought of It fairly took away her
breath, was (Still all-dominant in her mind while
she listened to the steward's instructions, after
he had heard the story from the captain. She
saw immediately that her position aboard was
little more than a jest of the Ship's master, for
she had little to do save a bit of dusting about
the saloons, keeping the main cabin in order,
re-arranging the smoking saloon after it was
vacated by passengers and, in the event ot
storms keeping the captain on the bridge for
protracted stretches, fetching him hot tea. She
laughed with him at her position, was still
laughing when she showed herself before him
in a natty white duck suit, which made her
slender fragility more apparent and more ap
pealing than ever. She noticed the tender, half
pitying expression that always rested behind tho
twinkle in his laughing eyes when he regarded
her, noticed it and —for beneath her fair exterior
she was probably as desperate a woman with as
desperate, all-absorbing a mission as any woman
living—determined to play upon it continually.
That very evening she found the suite occu
pied by the international spy. True to the habit
she had observed in him aboard the Empress,
Hugo Loubeque showed himself at night, not
long after the middle watch, hi® tall form
smothered in a long ulster, the upturned collar
of which concealed most of his features from
sight. But, as Lucille instinctively crouched
away before the grim figure of her enemy, she
noticed the bull-dog grip with which he held the
cigar between his teeth, its glowing end reveal
ing the flame in his deep set eye<. She knew the
tension under which he labored was probably
due to the disquieting news he had received at
the last moment regarding her escape from the
sick bed upon which he left her. But, despite her
fear, she cautiously followed him when he re
turned to his stateroom, marking the exact loca
tion so that she should not be mistaken.
Every night at exactly the same time he
came out upon the deck and, for two nights
Lucille tried to bolster up her courage sufficient
ly to enter the stateroom, but always the sound
of that ominous, steady step on the deck dis
suaded her. On the fourth night she felt herself
trembling with sub-conscious knowledge that to
night was to he the time when she made her
attempt. Consciously, she was positive she could
not force herself to do it but something from
within impelled her feet in the opposite direc
tion from that taken by the spy. At the door of
the stateroom 6he halted. Loubeque was mov
ing toward her, silent, imperturbable, grim, a
fearsome figure. Two bells sounded. Lucille
watched the spy. His habits were remarkably reg
ular in their very irregularity. For another bell
he would not return to his stateroom. She glanced
up at the Bky, more to force her eyes away from
that dark, solitary figure than for any other rea
son.
The stars were under a cloud of moisture,
and her heart lay heavy within her. Then slowly
one great star marched forth, tarried a moment.
Came a rush across the heavens, a rush of light
so abrupt and dazzling as to make it seem as
though a host of altar boys had rushed across 1
the dark aisles touching their tapers ..to the
candles there and leaving every nook and cranny
of the cathedral light as day. To the gifl it gave
a thrill of confidence. Again she looked at the
lonesome, solitary man. He was alone and she —
she—the very stars themselves were with her.
Without thought, without the slightest sen
sation of fear she turned the knob and entered,
closing the door softly and pausing to look
about her, trembling now she had taken the dar
ing step, but fired with determination. It would
be a simple place to search, the furniture being
scanty and Loubeque traveling without much
luggage.
Swiftly she worked, turning everything up
side down and carefully laying all signs of her
search afterwards. Her fear of being caught
had completely faded before the urge of finding
the papers. From place to place, careful as any
French detective, thorough and keen as though
she had been a thief all her life, Lucille worked.
As she went through the last of the spy's per
sonal belongings, a little sob of disappointment
and chagrin broke from the very heart of her
and halted at her lips. For a hand was rattling
the knob, turning it slowly, slowly. It was as
though the man toyed with her, played with her
as a cruel cat plays with the mouse it has
caught. The door opened and Hugo Loubeque
was framed in the doorway, the cigar clenched
between his teeth glowing and subsiding, show
ing a grim smile upon his features, a smile the
shadows made but more saturnine.
"Ah 1" he murmured silkily, "I thought I
could not be mistaken in our little steward 1 But
why, my dear child, did you wait so long to pay
a visit to such an old acquaintance? Why such
disregard for the ordinary amount of friend
ship?"
Lucille crouched away from him, more
frightened at his playful -tone than she would
have been of angered rage. Musically sweet,
from without came the toll of time. Three bells!
CHAPTER XXVI.
Lucille Finds a Friend.
CLOWLY, without removing the cigar from his
mouth, he moved toward her, the hateful
smile still upon his lips. He seated himself and
studied her carefully, speculatively.
"Lucille," he said slowly, "I saw you on the
deck, saw you go into the hold, saw you when
the captain came to you, have watched you all
the time. Do you know \Vhy I did not give you
away? It was because I wanted to know exactly
where you wtere all the time, because I wanted
the feel of my finger upon you. I have waited
for this) moment. You recall what I told you in
the open boat.. It is no quarter from now on.
You have no chance to regain the papers but
until I have used them to the limit they will
not be destroyed, nor will you have opportunity
to place your hands upon them I want to show
you the futility of combating me. I have wanted
to do that- for a long time. Now, I see it is use
less. If you escape—and I cannot imagine it im
possible—l shall have no mercy hereafter. I will
know that you are only safe when you are dead."
He rose and motioned to the chair, an ominous
ress in word and gesture which compelled obed
ience. Fascinated, panic-stricken, she obeyed,
while from his pocket he drew a long loop of
fine cord which he bound about her wrists and
ankles, then strapped her securely in the chair.
He stood off a moment, regarding his handiwork,
then moved toward the door. "You see I have
been prepared far the visit," he murmured. "I
will just be a little while, so don't be worried —
this time."
The door closed behind him and Lucille
stared blankly at the place where she had last
seen him.
A scant quarter of an hour that to her was
interminable and the spy returned, the smile
still playing about the corners of his mouth, a
smile that matched poorly the agate expression
of his cold eyes. He untied the cords that had
bound her, watching her curiously 'as she chafed
the blood back to her hands.
"Yes," he answered her unsppken question,
"you may go now. I do not care any more
whether you heed my warning or not. You have
chosen to continue the war. I merely wish you
to know what it means to you. I have made ar
rangements that will look to your being cared
for in San Francisco, so the end of this trip
means nothing to you. As I said before, the
pleasure of your company is rapidly overwhelm
ing me. I cannot lose it any longer. Good night,
Miss Lucille Love."
It was as though his mockery, his gibing
tones were giant hands against her chest, push
ing her through the door and upon the deck.
She was scarcely conscious of how she had come
there, when the stinging spume from the ocean
dashed against her cheeks, bringing her out of
the spell and firing her numbed consciousness
with the precariousness of her situation. His
threat of looking after her at the end of the
voyage—his mockery—she must appeal to strong
hands now, she must us& strength to combat
strength since he had put the combat on physical
grounds.
She could not imagine how, in a free coun
try, he could do anything. Still, she knew Hugo
Loubeque and the knowledge terrified her. She
decided to rely upon her woman's fragility to gain
the master's sympathy. She had reached this con
clusion as the astonished captain looked at her
wan, miserable face when he answered her
knocking.
Swiftly, the words tumbling over one an
other in tho nerve-racking strain of trying to
convince the man of the unbelievaJble things she
had gone through at the spy's hands, she poured
out her whole story. First, she read disgusted
incredulity upon his face, then amazement at her
inventiveness, and, slowly, under the spell of an
obvious sincerity, she saw he was convinced to a
large- extent.
He summoned a steward and dispatched him
for Loubeque, demanding an immediate answer.
Evidently the spy had been Waiting just some
such thing for he appeared quite promptly, his
face worn and harried. He started violently at
seeing Lucille, then took both her hands in his
own and patted them soothingly, his voice the
cajoling one with which one soothes a child.
The captain's stern countenance had fallen and
the good man looked rather foolish as he cleared
his throat
"Mr. Loubeque," he began abruptly, "this
young lady has made complaint to me that you
have threatened her with death, that y< l have
caused her a great deal of trouble and tareaten
to continue doing so upon thiß boat. Have you
anything to say?"
Certainly, I shall be more than pleased, to
look after her if the poor child has escaped ihe
surveillance of her relatives. No friend could d.o
less, the spy- answered suavely, an expression of
surprise in his eyes.
I don't understand," began the captain,
looking quite foolish now. "The young lady tells
me she is Miss Lucille Love, daughter of Gen
eral Sumpter Love of the United States Army,
stationed at Manila; that you caused to be
stolen from the safe in her father's office, cer
tain papers and documents regarding govern
ment matters, and' that her sweetheart was ac
cused of selling them, und, in consequence, placed
under arrest. She informs me that, through
crossed wires, she overheard you admit this just
before you boarded the burned liner Empress,
and that she persuaded an aviator to take her
aboard; that when the liner burned, she was
cast upon a jungle island and—"
Loubeque threw up his hands in a gesture
that seemed to combine contempt for the in
telligence of tho questioner and pity for the one
telling the tale.
My dear captain," he murmured reproving
ly, while I am delighted to know the young
lady is safe, I must object to listening further.
It is unbelievable that a passenger should be
disturbed at this hour of the night, to listen to
any such nonsense. As you undoubtedly know,
there was an army scandal at Manila a few
months back in which the sweetheart of General
Ixive's daughter was arrested. As you doubtless
know the liner Empress was burned about that
same time. The young woman was in Manila
with her family and, being of an impressionable
nature, the shocking outcome to Miss Love's
romance made a deep sympathy rise in her. Hef
own sweetheart was aboard the Empress and—"
He did not finish save to touch his hand lightly
to his head.
The captain nodded, and Lucille, seeing now
the maddeningly unbelievable quality of the
story she had told regarding her adventures, felt
hot rape fairiy burning her up. She sprang at
the captain, taking his coat in her hands and
shaking him fiercely.
1 am not insane—it's the truth—every
word--" she. sobbed, then lifting eyes in which
the clear light of sanity glowed unmistakably.
C aptain, I swear to you that every word, is
true."
The captain turned from one to the other
in the very extremity of perplexity. Finally he
nodded to Loubeque that he might leave and,
with a slow smile, the spy turned away.
\ oung lady," ho said slowly, "you will re
sume your duties for tonight and' in the morning
I will see that you are properly clothed. I will
immediately send a wireless to the authorities
in San Francisco and see that you are met by
them at the pier. No harm can come to you from
this man. You understand why I am unable to
do more for you, I—"
Lucille extended' her hand, grasping l his firm
ly, and meeting the troubled eyes of the man
with her own—her own eyes, in which glowed
gratitude and confidence and tnith. And in that
handclasp the pair cemented a common union
against any enemy.
CHAPTER XXVII.
At the Pier.
pjli(>o LOUBEQLE stood a little apart from the
eager passengers gathered at the rail, watch
ing the giant harbor of the Golden Gate creep
ing about them, encircling them. His eyes
glowed with a somber fire, but no muscle of his
face betrayed by so much as a twitch the delight
with which he welcomed land after his wander
ings, the perils through which he had emerged.
To these others, the sight meant home, their
country, the land to which they belonged and
which belonged to them. But to Loubeque it
meant bitterness, gall. It meant the country
that had been his but which had cast him forth,
an unworthy eon unfit to be its citizen. His eyes
fastened morosely upon the slender, pretty slip
of a girl clinging to the rail, her lips parted as
she watched the deck, black with eager friends
and relatives', coming closer, closer.
So close the passengers could! make out
faces, so close they could call greetings to those
ashore, then a slow crunching as the great ship
swung into her moorings. Hugo Loubeque slow
ly lifted the cigar from his mouth and waved it
in a deliberate circle that ended with its tip
pointing toward the slender girl. He caught her
eyes and smiled at the expression of terror, of
fear in them as he saw she had marked his eres»
ture.
Came a crowding forward' in the center of
the throng upon the deck. The gangplank thrust
its nose out, out, until it rested upon the dock,
the narrow gangplank that was all remaining of
the vast ocean distance separating these pas
sengers from their homeland. Some of them
looked about in surprise at sound of a guttural
oath. They saw a tall, somber, saturnine pas
senger, smoking a cigar, his eyes fastened upon
a squad of blue coated policemen, edging their
way from the rear of the throng into the exact
center. They wondered.
Lucille tripped down the gang plank. Once
more the man who had uttered the oath lifted
his cigar. Came a quick upheaval in the throng.
The spy smiled to himself then moved toward
the plank. He looked down upon the crowd ol
men surrounding the slip of a girl, surrounding
her so closely she was hidden from sight. The
policemen were fighting their way to the ship.
Came a scream in a woman's voice. Loubeque
bent forward, his knuckles showing a blue white
ness from tihe fierceness of his grip upon the
liner's rail.
"Help! Help! Cap—"
The officers whirled in the direction of the
girl's voice. The crowd of men jammed closer,
resisting, without the appearance of resistance,
the shoulders of the law. From outside the jam
darted a woman, clad in deep mourning. Easily
the throng of men gave way before her. Her
arms were about the neck of the girl who had
screamed, smothering her lips with kisses.
"My poor, dear sister;" she sobbed uncon
trollably, her arms about Lucilie's waist, bear
ing her through the crowd of men.
The captain stood' at Loubeque's elbow, his
face troubled. The policemen fought their way
to the center of the group to find no woman
there. Their leader, a sergeant, stepped toward
the captain.
"You sent a wireless, sir, regarding a young
woman—"
The captain turned to Loubeque, his eyes
threatening.
"The girl," he demanded. "What has become
of—"
Hugo Loubeque lazily pointed his cigar to
ward) a black, high powered motor car leaping
out into the city's street.
"The insane girl?" he smiled. "I believe 1
saw her step into that machine, Captain."
The sergeant waited curiously. Knowing
there was something between the two men,
scenting the atmosphere of hatred, he waited.
. "No use now, sergeant," sighed Lucille'i
friend.
Hugo Loubeque deliberately lighted a fresh
cigar then, still smiling, stepped toward th«
pln-nic.
Next Week.)