“Order ten policemen to come to the tomb at once. Say for them to come
in disguise and quietly,” said the Governor.
“You do the proper thing at the proper time always, Miguey. We must get
their entire story, then capture them. This bloody war they are trying
to raise will be nipped in the bud,” concluded Señor Guillermo Gonzales.
“Would it not be well for us to reach the tomb before them, examine it
thoroughly, and be on the eve of leaving at their arrival?” asked the
Governor, of Julio.
“Our best policy, I believe, is to follow them at a slow pace, and be
alighting from the cab as they enter the tomb. The law is on our side,
and if we so desire, the arrest can be made inside the historic tomb,”
replied Julio Murillo.
“We will not be connected outwardly with the arrest. On coming out of
the tomb the police must know that the time to make the arrest has
arrived,” replied the Governor.
“Here is the Mexican Annex, gentlemen,” said Julio Murillo, looking out
of the window, “and our disguised friends are coming. They are more than
a block away yet. We will move a block to the side to avert suspicion,
from which point we can see them quite as well.”
The cab moved slowly and noiselessly away and soon disappeared amongst a
hundred or more.
The great hotel was filled to overflowing, and the big crowd of
fashionably-dressed people surged back and forth through the entrances.
Julio’s trained eye scanned every face, and now and then he uttered low
exclamations of surprise. His two companions asked no questions, but
arose from their seat and remained standing by his side, that they too
might see what was going on around them.
“Ah, there is J. Ecarg, and Niksab, and Mr. and Mrs. Grange, out on a
dress parade. I wonder if they are staying in the Mexican Annex now, or
are they just hanging around trying to impress strangers with their
importance,” said the Governor.
“Partly yes, and partly no,” said Julio. “Mrs. Grange has convinced
herself by this time that she does not remember, and has met these men
by appointment, which of course her husband made with them, not to
arouse their suspicions. For had they known that it was Mrs. Grange who
wished to see them, to interview them on ‘Memory Fluid,’ they never
would have met.”
“See how she tosses her head and smiles at Mr. Niksab. She has probably
heard of his good fortune and hopes to be presented with another costly
frock,” said Señor Guillermo Gonzales. “Strange how susceptible some men
are to such women’s charms.”
“It is the town talk to-day how she enchanted the President. She does
not care for peoples’ tongues, however. She is, no doubt, out on this
dress parade in the hope of seeing the President again and to make a
further and more lasting impression on him,” said Julio.
“Who is the short, stout man dressed in grey, coming out of the hotel
now?” asked the Governor.
“I do not recognize him,” said the scientist, Gonzales.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account