This 1« a story of tha European
war. It la a tala of aplaa—of
love and Intrlgua among them;
of patrlotlam and sacrifice; of
war's horrora and demands. It
la not a \ 7sa for praparadnaaa or
for anything alae. Tha great con
flict aot-osa the watar will pro
duce some great literature—auch
aa the American Civil war and
the Franco-Pruealan war and tha
Napoleonic ware produced—and
much traah. Metropolitan crlt-
Ice unite In aaylng that “ Under
Fire" makes a bid for laatlng
popularity. Read It and Judge
for youraelf.
C H APTE R I.
Juet a Hint of 8candal.
Georgy Wngstnff sauntered Into Mlaa
Kthel Willoughby's sitting room, at
tired In tin* daintiest and flulllest of
summer costumes, Georgy was the
daughter of Sir tSeorge WngstnfT of
the Hrltlsh admiralty. Khe found the
room deserted, except for her father’s
ndmlrahle butler, who was at the mo
ment In the net of (daring a ten-trny
upon Miss Willoughby's table.
“ Oh. firewater— Is Mlaa Willoughby
In 7" she Inquired.
The correct firewater Immediately
atralghtened himself up In his beat
manner.
"No. miss! I think not," he replied.
Georgy strolled to the window.
" I dare any Kthel'll !*• here directly."
she said— to herself as much aa to the
butler. " I ’ll w a it "
"Yes. mlaa.” Brewster acquiesced.
And with a bow o f the utmoat cor
rectness he went out, closing the doors
softly twhlnd him.
Georgy WngstnfT stood Idly looking
out of the window upon the view of
the Thames. It was an August after
noon and the river shimmered allur
ingly lu the alanttng sunlight.
But
Kthel hod asked her to meet a few
friends; and Georgy was fond enough
o f Miss Willoughby not to be repent
ant for haring foregone the delights
o f a perfect summer evening out of
doors. Aa she stood there In the win
dow her governess entered.
“ Oh! Hello, Georgy! Am I late or
are you early?” Miss Willoughby called
ns she snw that one of her guests was
already waiting.
“ Both!” said Georgy with a smile.
“ I did want two minutes with you be
fore the others came. May I bother
you now?” '
“ O f course!" the older girl replied.
"But it’s no bother," she assured her.
Bhe ant down on one end o f n long
settee and began to remove her gloves;
whereupon her younger charge perched
herself at th® other end of the sent
and regarded her admiringly.
Miss
Willoughby’s fntr hair had Just the
hint of red In It that was nt the same
time Georgy’s despair and delight.
And Ethel was far enough (inst the
schoolgirl age to have lost thnt angu
larity which Georgy still possessed—
and loathed.
As for coloring, they
both showed the healthy glow which
Is the distinguishing mark of young
Englishwomen of the upper class.
“ You see,” snld Georgy, “ I'm afraid
I ’ m going to be awfully presumptu
ous— ”
“ Nonsense!" Ethel Interrupted. “ You
couldn’t be tlmt when you and your
father have been so very good to me.
. . . Gome on’ Out with It!"
It was true that Ethel Willoughby
felt thnt she was deeply In the debt
o f the Wagstaff*— both father and
daughter. Before entering their house
hold a* Georgy’s governess she had
known them upon a footing o f social
equality.
But fortune hail frowned
upon her. And when circumstances
had become most pressing Sir George
had come to her relief with the pro
posal thnt ahe undertake the guldanee
o l hla somewhat difficult daughter. It
was not thnt Georgy was greatly dif
ferent from other girls o f the Impres
sionable age. But Sir George’s public
duties left him little time to devote to
the upbringing o f hla motherless child.
And it had struck him that Ethel
Willoughby was a person who at the
tame time would be able to sympathise
with Georgy’s Impulses and direct
them Into the proper channels.
“ What’s on your mind, Georgy 7"
Mlaa Willoughby naked again, as the
girl atlll hesitated.
" I t ’a about your past” Qeorgy be
gan In deadly seriousness.
Ethel laughed at her tragic manner.
"H ava I—a past?" ahe Inquired
lightly.
But the romantic Georgy waa not
to bo diverted from her mood.
“ That'a Just th® question,” she com
mented. “ You know I shouldn't mind
It in the least If you hud. 1 believe
In people living their own lives. In
their own way.” Georgy prided her
self that she wan "advanced.”
She
considered the ordinary Insular nttl-
tude toward what Is termed morality
to be stodgy and Victorian. Indeed,
she quite fancied the more free and-
eusy continental view of life.
“ What on eniTn are you talking
sbout7“ Kthel demanded, i f the truth
were known, she felt the lenst bit un
comfortable beneath the frank stare
of her young friend.
“ You remember a month ago, when
you said you. went to Brighton?"
Georgy continued relentlessly.
“ When I said I went to Brighton?
When I went to Brighton.” Miss W il
loughby corrected her coldly.
But lb « chill o f Iter remark was lost
upon
her
patient
cross-exumlner.
Georgy was too Intent upon uncover
ing the romance that she thought she
bad stumbled upon to be so easily
discouraged.
“ Well, today at lunch Hugh Middle
ton said you couldn't have been in
Brighton that week—”
She paused
to watch the effect of her bombshell.
"Did he? R eally7” Miss Willough
by replied with well-feigned Indiffer
ence. But beneath her cold calm her
heart was beating furiously. She felt
for all the world Ilk® some wild thing,
trapped, at bay. And she turned away
to hide the alarm that she feared must
reveal Itself In her face.
“ Tes! He was In Earls, and—”
“ Paris I" Kthel echoed with a faint
start.
Youth Is ever cruel; and Georgy
had no thought o f sparing her compan
ion. Her sole Idea was thnt If Ethel
were hiding some secret liaison she
wanted to share the romance with her.
“ Yes!” she went on relentlessly.
"And he saw you there twlc® that
week, and both times with Henry
Streetman.”
“ But that's Impossible!" Ethel pro
tested.
“ But Mr. Middleton seemed very
positive,” the younger girl said some
what doubtfully.
“ It’s too absurd!” Ethel cried, forc
ing a laugh. "1 was at Brighton, as I
can very easily prove.”
“ W ell— that's settled!” Georgy ex
claimed. with an air o f relief In spite
o f her hopes. Her feelings bad, as a
matter of fhrt, been somewhat com
plex.
“ O f course I’d only admire you
for being brave enough to defy the
conventions. But father wouldn’ t— ”
“ But I haven't defied conventions.”
Kthel Insisted, placing both her bands
over Georgy's aa If to emphasise th®
truth o f her statement.
“ Oh, I don't care If you have," Sir
George's daughter told her callously.
“ But you ought to care,” Ethel pro
tested. “ And ns your governess I can
not condone such an attitude on your
part. Iteally, Georgy, stupid ns con
ventions may npiH»nr sometimes, nev
ertheless there Is n bitter penalty ex
acted from people who break them."
Miss WngstnfT rose abruptly, as If
Impatient with the views o f her gover
ness; and, crossing the room, she seat
ed herself nonchalantly upon the arm
of a chair that was drawn up at one
side of the tea table.
“ Ob, pooh!” she exclaimed.
"A ll
thnt narrow-mindedness is old-fusb-
I qm A.”
The older girl regarded her reprov
ingly.
“ What silly book have you been
rending?" she inquired. A fter her ad
vent Into the WngstnfT home it bad not
taken her long to discover tlmt
Georgy's literary tastes bad developed
along lines that would scarcely have
met with Sir George’s approval.
Miss Georgy did not even deign
to reply to Ethel's question. They had
had numerous discussions— more or
less heated— upon the subject o f her
reading, which Georgy regarded ns
both footless and absurd.
She had
openly rebelled at reading the books
that Ethel recommended to her. Jane
Auaten and Kira. Gaskell were. In her
opinion, hopelessly behind the times.
“ I'm glad you haven't had an afTalr
with Henry Streetman,” the younger
girl remarked.
" I don't like him."
“ Don't you?” aald Ethel, relieved
that Georgy was at last convinced that
her suspicions were groundless.
"Not Every time he comes Into the
room my back sort o f goes up, Juat
like Rowdy whan he aees a c a t” Row
dy waa Georgy's Scotch terrier, whose
antipathy to cats was proverbial.
"Mr. Streetman baa been very kind
to me,” her governeas observed.
"Oh, don't defend him I" Qeorgy
cried impatiently. *T know inside that
you agree with roe,”
Miss Willoughby did not care to
continue the discussion. And with an
air o f dismissing troth Mr. Streetman
and her relations with him from her
own mind aa well aa Georgy’s, she
rose from the wide seat, and as she
glanced at her watch exclaimed with
surprise;
"Heavens! It’a after five. 1 must
fuse up a bit for tire party."
But Georgy would not be put ofT
so easily.
"W ell, forewarned Is forearmed,"
she sidd senteutloualy. It was clear
that sire did not Intend to be squelched
like a child.
I f Henry Streetman
were still In her mind, she snw no
reason why she should dissemble lu
order to pleas* Kthel or anybody else.
"There's nothing to be forewurned
about,” Mlaa Willoughby observed, as
she paused at the door that opened
Into her boudoir. “ You surely have no
right to put such a construction upon
my acquaintance with Mr. Streetman.
I enn’t let you soy things of this sort
to me. It's not fair to me. It’s not
even fair to yourself.’’
While she was speaking the door
opened and Brewster, the butler,
stepped Into the room.
“ Mr. Streetman Is calling,” be an
nounced In well-modulated tones.
"Oh, show him up!” Mias Willough
by ordered. And as soon ns Brewster
bad vanished she shot a swift smile nt
her companion.
“ Speak of
the
devil—” she said good naturedly.
“ Oh, be Isn't the devil,” Georgy re
plied. “ More o f a snake, I think.”
There was certainly no reason to doubt
her extreme dislike of the gentleman
who waa at that moment waiting be
low.
Ethel's hand was on the doorknob;
but she hesitated long enough to say
to Georgy:
“ I won’t be five minutes. Stay and
amuse him— there’s a good girl!’’
“ Not I!” Miss Georgy declured. “ I f
he wants to be amused he can read
Punch.” And as she spoke she slipped
off her perch on the chair-arm and
started for the door through which
Brewster had disappeared.
“ Don't he rude to him, please,
Georgy!” Miss Willoughby entreated.
She knew that Georgy and Mr. Street-
man must meet; nnd she could not re
frain from trying to smooth the way
for her guest
“ Ob. I'll be polite enough—In my
own way,” Georgy replied grimly.
She was well aware that she was an
enfant terrible; and she often took a
mischievous delight in shocking people
by some uuconventlonallty.
Ethel Willoughby had already closed
her boudoir door behind her; but
Georgy had not yet reached the hall
before Brewster returned to usher In
the caller, who was close upon his
heels.
Henry 8treetman, handsome, well-
groomed. slightly foreign In appear
ance, bowed with extreme affability as
he came face to face with Georgy
WngstnfT.
But Georgy was decidedly cold to
hint She could be frigidly haughty
when she hose.
“ How
you doT’ she said, hardly
pausing lu L-r husty exit from bis dis
tasteful presence. “ Ethel's dressing,”
she told him hurriedly.
“ She’ ll be
In In a minute. Goodby!” And hold
ing up her head In undisguised scorn,
she promptly left Streetman to bis
own devices.
CH APTER II.
For the Fatherland.
nenry Streetman turned and stared
after Georgy with raised eyebrows.
A blind man could not have mistaken
the animosity that the girl felt toward
him. But that did not trouble Henry
Streetman.
He wns not a person
whose feelings were easily hurt.
He had hardly strolled to the center
o f the room when the butler reap
peared and paused Just Inside the
double doors that led Into the passage.
“ Close those doors!” Streetman com
manded, quite ns If he, nnd not Sir
George Wagstaff, were Brewster's
master. Anil while Brewster promptly
executed Ills order. Streetman himself
stole quickly to the door thnt led. ns
he knew, to Miss Willoughby's dress
ing room. He stood there, silent for a
few moments, listening. And then he
returned to the waiting butler.
“ What news. Herr Boeder?” he In
quired.
“ Nothing, mein Herr!” Under Street-
mnn’s brisk questioning the man had
suddenly become metamorphosed. His
manner of a most correct English but
ler had fallen off him like a cloak.
And now he saluted his Interrogator in
a fashion unmistakably military—and
German, at that. It was as If the fel
low had two personalities.
Streetman came nearer to the fel
low and bent his cold eyes upon him.
“ You have searched Sir George's
desk?” he demnnded.
“I
have searched
everywhere,”
Brewster—or Boeder—declared, atlll
standing at attention.
An onlooker
could not have mistaken the fact that
Streetman was the butler's superior
In rank. “ But I can find no trace of
any papers about the navy sneb as
you described.”
“ Have you tried hla office?” hla con
federate ventured.
Henry Streetmaa nodded.
“ Without rreultr* he replied, aosx»e-
what gloomily. "Rut somewhere be
must have a copy o f the admiralty
Of General Interest
Instructions to the fleet These would
be In bis department; and we most
know at once what orders have been
given to the alilps at Splthead— where
they are going when this review Is
Oregon & California Grant
over.”
The spy, Boeder, saluted again.
Land Taxes May Be Limited
“ I have done my best." he said apol
Eugene— George M. Brown, attor
ogetically.
“ I am sure you have.” Streetman re ney general o f Oregon, intimated at a
plied. "W e know the Wilhelmsfrnsse
meeting o f representatives o f the Ore
does not lightly overlook stupidity In
one of Its servants,” be observed grim gon arid California land grant counties
ly. And then be motioned toward the held in Eugene Wednesday night that
double door* that led Into tbe ball. there is s probability that the Federal
"See If anyone's coming,” he said.
government in the payment o f back
Boeder—oi* Brewster—opened the taxes on Oregon and California lands
doors and peered down tbe length of may take the position that the taxing
the passage.
power o f the state waa limited to
“ No one U In sight; and I bear noth S2.50 an acre and that assessments
ing.” he reported.
’ based on the relative value o f other
"Now lock thnt door!” Streetman lands in the counties were not valid.
commanded, pointing townrd the one
He said the collection o f the back
Itehlnd which be knew that Miss Wil taxes was a subject o f great concern
loughby must be dressing.
and he recommended that the counties
The butler regari'a-d him In alarm. take steps to procure the payment as
“ Pardon, mein Herr— but la It speedily as possible.
safe?” he ventured. “ She la a wom
While in Washington last spring A t
an— ”
torney General Brown said he consult
"D o not be alarmed.” Streetman re ed the secretary o f the interior depart
assured him.
“ Miss Willoughby la ment and the secretary indicated the
easily handled. She believes that I view that as congress had provided for
work for the French secret service.”
the sale o f the landB by the railroad
‘‘Then she la a fool,” his subordinate company at $2.50 an acre the lands
declared.
possibly could not be assessed for a
“ No,
no!”
Streetman
protested. greater amount. A t the time, as the
“ W e must not criticize the tools that representatives o f the state o f Oregon,
serve us.” And as he spoke be went the speaker said, he had held out for
to the telephone In a corner of th® the payment o f the taxes on the full
room. Picking up the Instrument, he ( Vslue.
paused and turned to the butler with
Attorney General Brown cited the
n look of amusement. “ Sir George provision o f the act o f congress revest
WagstafT— Sir George o f his majesty’s ing title to the Oregon And California
navy— would be rather surprised If he land in the government, providing the
knew that from his bouse we were taxes shall be paid as determined by
communicating with our frieDds, the the secretary o f the interior depart-
Germans.” he observed.
! ment.
•■Rather!” his henchman responded,
tie commended the plan to form a
with a gleam o f humor In Ms eyes.
federation o f the land grant counties
“ Now lock that door!” Streetman for the purpose o f “ having these lands
ordered once more. “ And now to re sold, the timber sold and getting the
port to headquarters again!” he ex lands back on the tax ro ll.”
claimed. when the butler had turned
R eferring to the action of congress
the key noiselessly In Mlaa Willough he reviewed the history o f the fo rfe i
by's door. "H ello! City, 8225!“ be ture suits. He said that when the lit
said In a low but distinct voice.
igation was first suggested he advised
Meanwhile the butler hovered near against it, fearing the creation of
by.
greater reserves within the state and
“ You think, mein Herr, t’jere will be the removal o f the land from taxation.
war?” he asked respect'ally.
He called attention to the act o f the
“ I do not know, liut we are ready. legislature providing for the forfeiture
And If war does come, it will be Ger proceeding and asserted "th e people o f
many's hour— the day at last!”
He the state o f Oregon, through the legis
turned to the telephone once more, and lature, invited congress to do the thing
began speaking into the transmitter. that it has done.”
“ Hello! City. 4225? Hello! Are you
there?
Who is speaking
.
$250,000 for Grain.
Twenty-six fourteen? . . . Hello! I
am thirteen seventeen," be said, giv
Baker — Contracts for wheat, oats
ing the number by which be was and barley, aggregating 300,000 bush
known In the German secret service. els and involving an outlay o f more
“ Yes! We hare no news of the Eng than $250,000, have been made up to
lish fleet; we have tried everything. date for delivery to Coast and Eastern
. . . Very well! Goodby!”
points, J. F. O ’ Bryant, local agent for
He put down the Instrument, and M. H. Houser, o f Portland, announces.
a look o f annoyance as well as per The latest contract closed here was for
plexity was upon his face aa he 43,000 bushels of wheat and barley,
wheeled about
wheat being taken at $1.16, while bar
“ What Is It, mein Herr?” his com ley went at $1.75 a hundred. Oats
panion asked In an anxious voice. "Is are being sent to Portland, while other
It bad news?” He had long worked In grains are all to be sent East to fill
conjunction with Streetman, and he European orders.
was quick to detect signs o f trouble
upon him.
Road Campaign Planned.
"They say they must know tonight,
Eugene — A campaign throughout
without fall, the destination of the
Lane county to create sentiment in fa
English fleet.” Streetman replied. . . .
vor o f the construction o f the Klamath
He cast a quick glance toward Ethel
Falls-Florence highway, as one o f the
Willoughby's boudoir. “ So, Miss W il
projects to receive financial assistance
loughby, you have some work to do!”
from the Federal government under
he muttered, to himself more than to
the terms o f the Shackleford bill,
his confederate.
“ Now. unlock that
w ill be inaugurated at a meeting to be
door!” he ordered. "A h ! that Is done,
held in Eugene on the night o f Septem
and we were not interrupted.” he said
ber 1. Members o f all the grange or
In a relieved voice, when the deft
ganizations in Lane county are to be
Brewster had once more succeeded In
invited to attend.
Speakers fam iliar
turning the key silently in the lock.
with the route from Florence to Eu
To expedite his prowlings abont the
gene and thence to Klamath Falls w ill
house at all hours of the day or night.
! speak.
Sir George's butler had seen to It that
such things as hinges and locks—
Strawberry C rop is Big.
whether upon doors or desks—were
Hood R iver— The Fruit Growers’ ex
well oiled. It wns his genius for de
tails of that sort that had led to his change has announced final returns on
the 1916 strawberry deal. The ex-
assignment to his present duty.
Henry
Streetman dropped upon \ change handled 10,000 crates of fru it
Miss Willoughby’s settee In an atti at an average o f $2.12 a crate. The
tude o f relaxation that revealed some average was cut short because o f
what the marvelous stralu which at heavy rains beginning June 27. For
tends the performance of exploits in more than a week, because o f soft
fruit, the price dropped from $2.25 a
separable from bis profession.
“ Dangerous work, eh, Herr Roeder? crate to as low as $1.30. The highest
And poor pay!” he vouchsafed In a price received on any shipment was $6
sudden hurst o f good-fellowship. For a crate at the opening o f the season.
the moment be seemed almost human.
Coral Agate Brings $100.
Herr Boeder pulled himself together
stiffly.
Newport — The highest price for
“ It Is not for the money that I am which an agate ever sold in Newport
here,” he answered proudly. “ It Is was paid last week, when G. A. Kin
for the Fatherland!”
Despite the sey, a wealthy Pittaburger, bought a
guarded tones in which he spoke, there coral agate from A . L. Thomas for
was an earnestness bom o f sincere $100. Coral agates are probably the
patriotism that made his words ring rarest o f any agates found on the Ore
convincingly. One look at the man's gon beaches, and the one purchased
face, aflame with an almoet fanatic by
Mr.
Kinsey is o f exceptional
seal, showed him to be the sort to beauty. He has had the stone made
whom a country may well trust her into a brooch for his w ife.
secrets.
Bend to Entertain Child Musicians.
Bend — Arrangements ore being
There Is a hint that young \
■ > Qsergy Wagstaff, hating the 4 made for the entertainment of the
Bums community orchestra, made up
\ \ sight of Streetman, suspects him \
■ » Instinctively and has watched * laregly o f children, when they pass
J \ him and the butler. What do you \ \ through here in September on their
way to Salem to the State fair.
Col
i > say?
‘ »
onel W illiam Hanley is back o f the ex
' ■ 4 H H H H H W W W 4 4 » I > » ! cursion to be|tsken by the orchestra.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
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