“I. W. W. They’ve got bombs in a
suit-case! They’re starting off to blow
somebody up tonight.”
“By God! What do you mean? Who?”
“I dunno yet. I only heard part of it,
and I’ve got to go. They’re starting,
I’ve got to follow them. I may lose them
and it’ll be too late. You hear me, I’ve
got to follow them!”
“I hear you. What do you want me to do?”
“I’ll phone you again the first chance
I get. You have your men ready, a dozen of them!
Have automobiles, so you can come quick. You
get me?”
“Yes, but—”
“I can’t talk any more, I may lose them,
I haven’t a second! You be at your phone,
and have your men ready—everything ready.
You get me?”
“Yes, but listen, man! You sure you’re
not mistaken?”
“Yes, yes, I’m sure!” cried Peter,
his voice mounting in excitement. “They’ve
got the dynamite, I tell you—everything!
It’s a man named Nelse.”
“Nelse what?”
“The man they’re going to kill. I’ve
got to go now, you get ready. Good-bye!”
And Peter hung up the receiver. He had got so
excited over the part he was playing that he sprang
up and ran out of the drug-store, as if he really
had to catch up with some I. W. W. conspirators carrying
a dynamite bomb!
But there was Nell, and they strolled down the street
again. They came to a small park, and sat on
one of the benches, because Peter’s legs would
no longer hold him up. Nell walked about to make
sure there was no one on any of the other benches;
then she came back and rehearsed the next scene with
Peter. They must go over it most carefully, because
before long the time was coming when Peter wouldn’t
have Nell to coach him, and must be prepared to stand
on his own legs. Peter knew that, and his legs
failed him. He wanted to back down, and declare
that he couldn’t go ahead with it; he wanted
to go to McGivney and confess everything. Nell
divined what was going on in his soul, and wished
to save him the humiliation of having it known.
She sat close to him on the bench, and put her hand
on his as she talked to him, and presently Peter felt
a magic thrill stealing over him. He ventured
to put his arm about Nell, to get still more of this
delicious sensation; and Nell permitted the embraces,
for the first time she even encouraged them. Peter
was a hero now, he was undertaking a bold and desperate
venture; he was going to put it thru like a man, and
win Nell’s real admiration. “Our
country’s at war!” she exclaimed.
“And these devils are stopping it!”
So pretty soon Peter was ready to face the whole world;
Peter was ready to go himself and blow up the king
of American City with a dynamite bomb! In that
mood he stayed thru the small hours of the morning,
sitting on the bench clasping his girl in his arms,
and wishing she would give a little more time to heeding
his love-making, and less to making him recite his
lessons.
