Adventure, December 1914 — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

58 Adventure strain the exclamation that nearly escaped him. Even though he had not said a word, there was in his actions sufficient confirma- tion of the letters from the murdered adven- turess which we had found in the hidden files of the South Street Junta. Burke twisted his arm, to remind him that violence here was impossible. Morelos did not even wince. There was savage enough in him to force a contemptuous smile at the pain. “You see,” ejaculated Burke, “he—he’s a devil!”’ ‘“‘Walter,’’ said Kennedy quietly, more for its moral effect on Morelos than through any hope that he would get any information, “call up the police and see what the latest is about Sanchez and Alvarez since they left Bridgeport after they had traced Morelos there.”’ Morelos had evidently had some experi- ence with the ‘‘third degree,” for, beyond a momentary flash of the eye at the words which showed the extent of Kennedy’s knowledge of his movements, he was to be betrayed into nothing more incriminating. There was, of course, nothing to report as I left the telephone downstairs, and I was trying to frame up something that might further shake Morelos, if that were possible. As I entered the room, however, Morelos for the moment seemed forgotten. All ex- cept Burke were bending over Sefiora Ruiz. CHAPTER XVI THE STOLEN SECRET ENORA RUIZ had moved! A low ex- clamation from Kennedy had attract- ed the attention of those in the room. ‘“‘Now, Leslie,” cried Craig, “steady—I rely on you.” The operation of the vividiffusion appa- ratus had been stopped, and deftly, working on his mettle as a surgeon, Dr. Leslie was joining up the several arteries and veins, as Kennedy prepared to stimulate the return- ing consciousness. Scarcely the sound of a breath now dis- turbed the tense silence of the room as we watched the efforts to bring the unfortunate little dancer out from the effects of the stupor, now that the poison had been re- moved. ‘“‘Please—please—stand back,’’ implored Kennedy. ‘She needs all the quiet and oxygen she can get!’’ We drew back reluctantly, watching from a distance. Evidently she heard dimly, was straining every effort to grasp the fleeting conscious- ness that had once slipped beyond her. Kennedy leaned over and adjusted the pillows. There was just a flutter of her eyelids, as if she could feel and appreciate that some one was trying to do something for her. ‘‘The bracelet,’’ he whispered into her ear, cutting the words short in order to empha- size them and force them past the barrier of her clouded mind, “where did you get the bracelet?” Her lips moved—but the sound died on them. Kennedy repeated the question and strained his ears to catch the half-coherent words that struggled to the surface. ‘““‘They—gave it—to me,” she whispered faintly. “Gave it to you—for what?” he prompted. “To use—if I should be—caught.” The continued questioning and the inter- val of time which gave outraged nature a chance to assert her recuperative powers were having their effects. For a moment her eyes opened and she gave a glassy stare about, seeing nothing perhaps but the unfamiliar faces about her. At least it seemed to start a train of thought, though one which she could not control. ‘“Oh,”’ she moaned, “I must tell noth- ing 9) “Nothing of what?” urged Kennedy, lest her own mental censorship should gain con- trol and stop her tongue. “Nothing until we meet——’ The effort was growing too much for her. * Kennedy leaned over again. We followed anxiously. What if it should be lost now, when we had gone so far? Hastily he seized a cloth and dipped it in some water near at hand, passed it over her face and fanned the fresh air to her fevered nostrils. The coolness of the water on her face and on her parched lips seemed mo- mentarily to revive the fleeting brain pro- cesses. ‘““Meet where?” he urged persuasively. Apparently her mind was making an ef- fort to recall, for her own satisfaction, just ) COMIGIOOKSEEO