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PEARL of the ARMY By Guy W. McConnell SYNOPSIS. Capt. Ralph Payne, U. S. A., Is given se cret plans of defense to deliver to Pana ma. He attends a ball at the Granada em bassy with Colonel Dares’ daughter, Pearl. As a climax to a series of mys terious Incidents ho Is arrested for trea son. The ambassador of Granada Is found dead and the pluns missing from Payne’s coat. Major Brent, Payne’s rival, enters Into suspicious negotiations with Bertha Bonn. Pearl Dare follows a burglar from her homo, is drugged and left In a field and later overhears plotters, who almost capture her. Payne is sentenced to life Imprisonment. A train carrying Pearl, Bertha Bonn and Payne on his way to prison Is wrecked and Pearl sees Payne's lifeless body at her feet. She meets a mysterious stranger who offers her his services to trace the traitors. She learns that he has the plans. Pearl finds Adams In Washington and learns of his peculiar actions. Adams warns Senator Warfield that he is in danger from a ring of spies. ■Wliilo thoy talk the senator’s oince Is attacked by conspirators. Bertha Bonn asks Pearl to hand Adams a package which proves to bo the plans. Adams is made Colonel Dare’s orderly. They are ordered South. The Granadians capture Pearl and Adams to get the plans. Pearl begs Adams to let her take his belt which contains the defense plans. They escape and Adams steals tno belt from her. Brent confronts Adnms communicating witli the enemy. Bertha Bonn warns Pearl against her professed friends. Pearl is captured again by the Grana dians. She is rescued by Adams. Dis guised as his brother she accompanies him into the camp of the conspirators, and poses as a chemist. They are rec ognized; in the fight Adams saves Pearl from harm. Colonel Dare arrives with American troops. The black scarf nppears. Pearl and Toko follow Adams on his way to an appointment at the chemical build ing. All three fall into the hands of the "alliance.” Adams is arrested by coun terfeit soldiers who also take Pearl with them. NINTH EPISODE Greed Vs. Patriotism. "If what this officer saj’s Is true, the Foreign Alliance must have tricked us by a bold ruse!” declared the astounded colonel turning to Ma jor Brent. "How muny of our men are here?" "We had three full automobiles, sir!" cried Brent, shaking like a leaf. "There were four automobiles," quickly announced Toko. "Then the fourth automobile be* longed to the Foreign Alliance!” stormed the colonel. "Here’s a pret ty bow’d do, major. Garbed as Amer ican soldiers these masqueraders got into this building among our own men and made away with my daughter aud Orderly Adams and—" biting his moustache viciously, " If this note be true, and not a trick of Adums, with chemicals which will decipher the Canal defense plans. Why, I even made their getaway easy by ordering Adams’ arrest and turning him over to their make-believe corporal!’’ He spun uround and glared at the junior officer responsible for this startling information. "Have the po lice been notified? "The police are on the lookout—cit.vi and suburban both; a hundred secret Pearl Overcomes the Cabin Boy. Service men In plain clothes are searching every alley and stable. It Is regrettable that the rogues got a gooil start." "How did you collect this Informa tion so quickly?” Interrogated the' colonel. "I beg your pardon, sir I” apolo gized the under-strapper. He stepped back ami whls'led up the basemeut stairs. Several soldiers and u wom an came down. Brent smothered nn outh. The woman was Bertha Bonn. “Miss Bonn I” faltered Colonel Dnrc, taken by surprise. She wus pale and nervous. "I thought you had de'parted. Other wise I would have come to you direct ly. Your orderly—" “Adnms?” “ Adams,’* she sobbed; “was to have met me In front of this building nt ten o’clock. He told me there mlglrt he trouble. I wns on hand to keep our engagement when Adams was arrested. I knew something hud gone amiss. lie leaned out of the automobile as It passed mluc and told mu to Inform you that your daughter und he were In. the hands of the Foreign Alliance, und Miss Dare tossed this box to me." She banded a little round box to the open-mouthed colonel. “I told the first officer In sight,” Bertha concluded, pointing to the beaming young lieutenant. Story of America First,” Unmasking America's Secret Foes Novelized From tit Motion Picturf Strial of the Same Nam* Released ly Pa the CM> Ml, »0» r. /‘The wafers 1” ejaculated the col onel, after a hasty examination of the interior of the box. Here was a mystery altogether con fusing and alarming. If Adams was the Silent Menace, why did he send Bertha Bonn to tell him who Pearl’s captors were? Colonel Dare gave the box of wafers to Major Brent. "Guard these until I can take them In person to the war department." Then he drew the major aside and whispered: "Get at the bot tom of this Bertha Bonn and Adams matter. We’ll give her free rein." In the seclusion of the basement stairs the desired opportunity for Brent to question Bertha cume. "What is there between you and Adams?" he whispered, sullenly. "A great deal, major,” she respond ed, enigmatically. "You surely know that —you who ure completely in his power!" Brent shivered. He had felt for a long time that he would eventually be dominated by Adams whether he willed it or not. "You have revealed our secret!” ho continued, furiously. "You have ruined me!" "Oh, no, major, I haven’t ruined you. You are ruiuing yourself. Adums did not learn of our relations from me and there Is one way to silence him." She paused and looked cautiously about. They were alone. She whis pered: "Let me have those wafers. I will return them to Adams. You cannot afford to defy him; nor can I, just yet." There w’us an uneasy note in her voice. "I can’t do that, Bertha," groaned Brent in a despairing way. "It would be traitorous. I would be suspected the moment I tried to account for the loss.” "They must be returned to him,” Bertha insisted in menacing tones. "I could not do otherwise than deliver them to Colonel Dare, if only to throw suspicion off Adams. But it was not intended that they should remain in his hands." Brent guided her deeper into the shadows of the stairs. "I don’t un derstand," he whispered, nervously. There was a spark of resentment in his attitude, too. "I ought to denounce you us an agent of the Foreign Alli ance and the Silent Menace’s tool—•” "You won't I” " or at least be rewarded by you—” "In what way? Your miniature in my locket, for exumple?" "Yes,’’ dully. "Adums has it, Thornton,” was the startling information he received. "If I refuse to give the wafers up?" ! Without replying Bertha reached In his coat pocket, took the box of wafers und lild them in her mesh bug. "Thut settles that I” she exclaimed with a sigh of relief. In another moment she was in her taxi, riding rapidly away. Without looking to right or left, Brent went back to Colonel Dare. It wus now nearly midnight. The coloners men had searched the chemi cal building from top to bottom mul found nothing disturbed. Colonel Dure went to the war office to report and Mujor Brent escorted the soldiers buck to the barrucks to hold himself in readiness for further orders. "How übout the wafers?" Breut ha zarded ut their parting. , "Keep them, but be on your guard P’ were the colonel’s Instructions. "The Silent Menuce no doubt thinks thut I have them. Let us see If he shows his hand to either of us. Bring them to the war office when you ure called." Brent was hurdly able to repress his relloved feelings ut that. The president called a secret cabi net meeting ut the White House as soon as Colonel Dare’s report was de livered to him. Here the colonel nur rated «every Uetull of whut hud hap pened. "Where did Miss Dare get the wafers? From Adums, do you sup pose?" This was the question asked by the harried president over aud over. "If from Adums, where did he get them?" wus Colouel Dare’s counter question. "That is, If ho is not the Silent Menace.” "Are you sure they are suddenly queried the president. ‘l\Ve only suppose that they are the wafers we need,” replied the colonel, thoughtfully. "Shall I send for Brent who is guarding them?" It was so arranged and the presi dent’s secretary wus dispatched to do the telephoning. During the interim, u hush fell up on the group. "If every daughter In our American homes was like Miss Dare," remarked the president putting u kindly hand on the colonel's shoulder for ho saw how depressed uud worn the officer wus and dlvlued his thoughts; "whut n nation of men we would be! If the man Adams Is all I really think him somehow In spite of appearances to be, Miss Dare will be returned to us alive and unbanned. And now—” he stopped short. His secretary entered the room all excited. "Major Brent has been drugged and 4 the wafers stolen from him 1" ho an- THE GILPIN OBSERVER. nounced to the gathering when he could find expression. For a moment no one moved or spoke. Then the president adjourned the conference with a gesture of hope lessness. "You better send the Canal defense plans here,” said he with quiet emphasis to the secretary of war; “for they will now be sought I’ll lock them up in the White House safe, or better still, let Colonel Dare lock them In his private safe at home where they would be least suspected to be. "America, gentlemen,” he contlm ued; "is in the grip of a secret foe. The first army is on the ground. We must obliterate it before the army of the invasion arrives. For you, col onel, I have the highest regard. The entire country will be your everlasting debtor if you succeed in unmasking* our enemies.” t The president walked out of the room amid profound silence, his head bowed. Sometime before daybrenk Colonel Dare visited his major. He found him in bed attended by a staff physician and a nurse. Brent told him, as best he could in his nauseated condition, that he had been attacked on the street outside the barracks when the box'containing the wafers was stolen. Chloroform had been administered, which was the truth. His assailants, there were two he said, got away be fore he could give warning, which was not true, for Brent had drugged him self. The colonel believed him. "Any news from Pearl?” Brent in quired anxiously. "Toko has telephoned that the au tomobile has been found, ditched in the Potomac river,” the colonel re plied, failing In his effort to force a hopeful smile. He went hack to his house shortly after that and hid the Canal defense plans in his safe. • •••••• Morning dawned and found Pearl Dare and Orderly Adams prisoners in a bay freighter at anchor off the pQCket Line docks in the Washing ton river harbor. During the night this vessel among all others had been investigated by the capitol police. At Pearl Raised Her Hand to Dash the Bomb on tho Floor. that time the prisoners were not on hoard. They were concealed In a dingy upstream not fur from where the ditched automobile was found luter. But Immediately the coast was clear the dingy wns propelled to the water side of the steamer and Pearl and Adams were hustled Into separate sec tions of the hold. Adams was searched from head to foot for the box of wafers. When they were not found on him, attention was turned to Pearl who refused to permit anyone to touch her. She blurt ed out the truth. But she would not divulge the mime or describe the up pen ranee of Bertha Bonn under all manner of threat, and when Adams was questioned about this he professed Ignorance. Subsequently u plutter of hreukfust wns seat to .Miss Dare by a galley boy who scemetLto be (lenf und dumb, uud who behaved quecrly. The moment he appeared Pearl seized him, found a bowlo knife uud n loaded revolver concealed lu his clothes, gagged uud hound him before he could niukc a dis turbance uial thus urmed hurried over ‘to that part of the ship’s bottom, where Adams was confined. She freed tho surprised orderly and briefly ex plained her escape. Then she guve him a sturt. "Strip that lad nnd give mo his clothes!” she whispered In u matter of fact manner. An amused expression crept Into Adnms’ face. “Ain’t you nfeard t-to let me loose? I’m ’sposod to he thut there Silent Menace, ain’t I?” "Don’t l>e exasperating 1" she ex claimed, testily. "Prove to me thut you ure not by doing us I ask." He left her abruptly. A little Inter he tossed the* boy’s clothing Into the dark spuce where she waited. Uc heard a giggle. He, himself, was choking with laughter. But not a word was spoken und ho trudged away with her two-piece street suit und sport hat. “Hero!" he exclaimed approaching •tlie eompletely-fluhbergnsted youth. ‘You got to be a w-woumn. Rig up, young ’un, r-rlg up I” The boy squirmed. He’d die first 1 “Sweetheart I Honey-bug I” whis pered Adams In well-feigned endearing ' tones. i When It was all over he forced him 'to eat the vile food he had brought for Pearl. Then be tied him and went back and humorously ordered Pearl to hurry up about his own breakfast. He could see only the outlines of her figure and his Impression was that she looked “cute.” But Pearl was In no mood for the kind of bantering Adams Indulged In. She ordered him In a very pre-emptory manner to be still. He obediently fell silent and as quickly bis own humor changed. above, doubt less In the captain's cabin, they heard voices. “Do you understand what Is being said?” she demanded, grasping his arm tightly. Adams Indicated that he did, al though the discussion was now In French, now In German and occasion ally in heavy-tongued Scandinavian. “The girl, yes; but, Adams, Mon Dleu, no! Don't you know who he is? He Is needed, messieurs!” Penrl pointed the nose of her revol ver nguinst Adams’ chest. “Tell me quickly, why does the Foreign Alli ance need you?” Adums shrugged. “Listen,” he re plied, coolly. “They may tell you.” Penrl started to sny something more when with that swift action which he lmd before exhibited, he disarmed her. “You’ve g-got a dangerous way with weapons, you have,” was all he said to the outraged gjrl. “So that's who Adams really Is!” they heard a Britisher exclaim In tones at once respectful and astonished. “The—” The remainder was unintel ligible. “See!” whispered Adnms to his com panion, banterlugly; "they've g-got my dumber. You’d n got It yourself If you’d n k-kept quiet, g-glrl.” Then to her dismay he vanished. “Adams!’’ she called, repentently, ns loud ns she might and still be cautious. There was no response. Again she summoned hint In vain. At the same time the voices overhead grew less distinct although the hum of conversation continued Indefinitely. Now more nlert than ever, Pearl listened a while hut unable to catbh any meaning, presently Instituted an Inspection of the ship's hold. She soon concluded that this was no ordinary freighting vessel. It was jammed with grape baskets, vegetable crates, potato bags and bulky boxes of Irregular shupes. But no odor of plant life es caped from these coverings. Curious to know whence came grapes ut this unseasonable period of the year, nud with n view to examin ing It In the somewhat better light of u partly opened porthole, Pearl started to lift oue of the huskets. It wus us heavy as leud. She broke open tho top. The busket wus full of cartridges. A further examination showed that the vegetable crates lined with fresh corn husklugs concealed explosives und that the potuto hugs cuntulned a fine yellow powder. She wus so übsorbed thut she did not hear footsteps stealthily approach ing, or nt first perceive u sweet, sick ening odor which permeated her nos trils. She became faint nnd restless under un overpowering desire to sloop. Without knowing It, she sunk In an anaesthesia aud wus carried away In the arms of a masked person. . . . Several minutes luter Adams crawled through a starboard porthole tutu the river and dived shorewurd. Ho reached tho wlmrf und rutsed himself by some ropes. Two policemen grabbed Ids cout collar aud luuded him on Ills feet. “I got to see Colonel Dare a-at onct,” he said to these officers of the law. “You'll see him quick enough 1” Bnccrcd one. "I got to see tliq colonel at onct I” reiterated Adams to tho officer of the dny nt the barracks, where ho was de livered. "I got to s-seo him had I" “About Miss Dare?” Adams nodded shortly. That wns enough. A post automobile was Imme diately called and they spud to tho colonel's house. “My girl I" exclaimed tho colonel the moment he saw Adams. “Safcl" assured Adams, lnconlcnlly. Then ho locked tho door and pulled down the window shades. “Kin I sit down, colonel?” “Certainly I” They sat down together, A look of triumph came nnd went In tho eyes of the mysterious orderly. "I got that there Foreign Alliance bottled up, colonel, all bottled up, by gunl 1“ The colonel half rose. “Rosy there I" smiled Adnms forget ful of form, motioning him to be pa tient. He began to talk In his slow, stammering way. | Meanwhile, !n the ship captain’s | cabin the Foreign Alliance was still In session. The Silent Menace, however, was. not present He had been there and his return was momentarily ex pected. “He Is late,” commented one mem ber of the group looking at his watch. After some time had passed, a taxi cab dashed up to the landing. Four men of businesslike appearance leaped out and gazed around as If expecting to be met. In some disappointment they dismissed the taxi and cautious ly approached the vessel. The decks fore and aft were deserted. “I guess this Is the boat,” speculated one of the four, noticing the name on the prow. "It’s the T. B. Thomas.” They hurried across the gang plank Into the wugop entrance under the head rail. There a masked man, lin gering lu the shadows, stepped forth. “The disguise is excused, gentle men ?” • “Sure!” grunted one of the men. “Thut wus understood.” “You are ready to do business?" “For spot cush only.” “Follow.” Several of the ship’s crew, negroes, now put in an appearance, hustled a huge box on their shoulders and led the way to the ship captain’s cabin. They deposited their burden and with drew. The four visitors entered, followed by the man In the musk who closed aud locked the door. “Messieurs,” he began, addressing the Foreign Alliance, Whose fuees ulso were mufiled. “These are the Amer ican munition manufucturers. The Foreign Alllunce returned to their seats, focusing their undivided nttention upon their leader aud the mutter at hand. "Monsieur Karnavl!” The man thus addressed rose. “You are the muni tion expert and will outline lour prop osition.” “It is this,” briskly began Karnavl, advancing." “We have here —” point ing to the box, “ an explgslve of hitherto unimaglnnble potency. We alone know Its composition, several tons of which are secreted In this ship. What we luck are casings. These cas ings must be In various sizes and shapes, resembling say, an imitation hunch of grupes, un ear of com or a potato, and so forth. How quickly can you manufacture the casings?" “How soon do you want them?” “A carload of the potato sizes with in two weeks from date.” “Delivered where?” “To our submarine warehouses at — at —” turning to their silent and listening leader, “ —at which ware house, monsieur? Bay, Sound, Capes or Gulf, or shall we save time by ship ping via the West Coast?” Now ensued a short parley In a lan guage which the Intensely Interested und somewhat uneasy visitors did not understand. Presently Monsieur Kur nnvl mentioned u certnln celebrated town on the middle Atlantic coust. The munition manufacturers agreed that freight facilities to this point were ideal and that unloading conld be accomplished without the slightest suspicion. “Now let us see the color of your money and that sample bomb,” said one of the manufacturers. Impatient ly. “We can make the deliveries if the casings are simple to mold.” Another member of the Foreign Al liance left his seat and taking from his pocket nn officinl-llkg envelope hunded It to his superior. It was unsealed. It' contained a draft paynble at the banking house of Null & Son, one of the foremost financial Institutions in America, having to do with internutlon nl dealings running fur Into the mil lions of dollars. There was no question of the genu ine character of tills druft which nny one could cash. “Is It satisfactory, gentlemen?”, suavely Inquired the leader of the For eign Alliance. The Americans wore more profound ly Impressed thnn they cared to show. “Quite." All smiled broadly. The lender of the Foreign Alliance now nppronehed the box containing the sample bomb. It was a curiously con structed nffnlr not unlike a wardrobe trunk In size and dimensions. “The lid Is on the side,” explained the lender of the Foreign Alllunce ns he stooped to release It. “It’s n pretty big hiding plnce for such n little pack age. But, then 1” He shrugged ex pressively. “The package Is so dan gerous. If It wore to strike the floor It would explode and blow up the 1 ship.” The Americans drew bnck In nlnrm ns the leader of the Foreign Alliance opened the lock. An Instant of suspense followed. lie started to rnlso the ltd when It flew open nnd he drew buck startled. Miss Peart Dare stepped out of the box holding the potntoudinpod sample bomb threateningly In her hand. “Stop!’’ she cried, as with wild yells nnd blanched faces every one In tho pnrty ran to\ynrd the door. She made n move us if to throw tho bomb at them. “I’ll send you all to klugdom come If you don’t!” They retreated from the door nt which she now posted herself, huddling together, dumb with surprise nnd fenr. Tho only person In the room who had not moved or after tho moment of surprise pnksed showed alarm was tile leader of tho Foreign Alllunce. Penrl fnced him. "At Inst!” Her voice rung out victoriously. “Un mask 1" He wns the coolest mnn she hnd ever seen In n dilemma such us this. Uc stood as still as stone. She turned to the others derisively. "All unmask 1” With scorn to the Americans: “I do not know your names, but your faces I shall Dot for get and your disgrace shall be ever- lasting In the printed pages of Ameri can history.” She continued with chal lenge and contempt: “You are armed I Shoot me! I could not serve my coun try better thnn to perish by an act through which her enemies too would be destroyed. Unmask!’’ she reiterat ed; “or destruction will follow!” “For God's sake unmask!’’ cried one ' of the Americans to the group of for eigners, his teeth chattering. “The girl means what she says. Does any one know who she Is?" The leader of the Foreign Alliance motioned for silence and spoke. “She After the Explosion Pearl Is Discov ered. Is the American girl known as ‘Pearl of the Army.’ You will unmask, messieurs!” But his own hands did not move. Pearl made a false step. “You, sir. first of all 1” she ordered sharply nnd forgetful of the’door advanced toward him. He retreated. She continued to advance. Before she realized her mis take the Foreign Alliance who had come forward and were edging toward the door crowded agulnst it In a sud den and daring dash. Pearl raised her hand with every Intention of dashing the bomb violent ly on the floor. Frigid with fright they waited for her to make good her threat, when the leader of the Foreign Alliance quietly removed his mask and revealed the sober features of T. O. Adams. Pearl wns speechless. The Ameri can munition manufacturers whispered wonderlngly among themselves. The crowd nt the door stood nghust and bolted before the girl recovered her wits. “Don’t fire the bomb, g-glrl!” yelled Adams as Pearl fled after them and he followed quickly on her heels. “It ain’t necessary. Y'ou'll spoil It a-nll If you do." She did not henr him. A rain of bullets, from which direction no one ever knew, whizzed around Adams and the girl. Pearl, losing her head, threw the bomb Into the gnngwuy. The explosion that followed sound ed like the boom of n thousand cun nons. The vessel shot out of the wa ter, torn Into splinters which flew In every direction. Penrl went down struggling In the arms of someone— not Adams. . . , When she opened her eyes she wns lying In her fnther’s arms amid the ruins of the steamboat landing where n great crowd. Including soldiers from the barracks, hnd assembled. “How did you get here so soon?” she asked in a weak whisper. “Adnms tipped me oIT, dear. Thank heavens you ure unhurt!” He carried her toward the automobile where Toko uttered an exclamation of grent re lief nnd Joy when he saw her. “Adnms!’’ echoed Pearl when they were seated In the ear. “Why, he Is the Silent Mennce, father!” The colonel merely smiled. "But how did you get In the box?” he asked, hnrdl.v nble to credit the story she now relnted. Penrl could not tell him nnd many weeks pnssed before tho truth became known. Tho ride home wns finished In silence. Toko helped the colonel to carry Penrl Into the house and up the stnlrs to her bedroom. Mnjor Brent, who hnd arrived, wns pacing the study floor. He wns pnle from the effects of the drug of tho night before. His eyes were restless, roving from one-object to another In tlio room. Finnll.v, he tiptoed to tho door nnd listened. Tho only sounds ho heard eame from the region above. The lower portion of the house wns for the time being de serted. no hurried to the safe, fell on his knees nnd knowing the combina tion opened It. He rummngod through the contents nnd coming across the Cnnnl defense plans, opened und be gun to study the apparently blank surface of tho pnper In which, the In visible writing wna hidden. Smqethlng caused him to rnlso his bend quickly. Smiling down nt him was T. O. Adams. "I know Pd g-git yon some dny,” cnsunlly remarked the colonel’s order | ly. “Give me them plans.” He shoved n revolver Into Brent’s fnce. Without a word, though his eyes glittered volumes. Brent slowly hnnd ed the plans to Adnms. “Halt!” cried a voice behind them. Grlm-vlsaged Toko stood in the door way. leveled gun In hand! (END OF NINTH EPISODE)