Seared By War

Rumors of war are sometimes as terrifying as war itself and stories oL the operations of spies do not have a reassuring effect upon nervous people. There are, doubtless, no more spies in Washington than elsewhere, but the spy-story field has been worked there almost to the limit, plenty of people believing the most extravagant lie that fancy can devise. As a result, to act out of the ordinary or bear the slightest resemblance to a Spaniard is enough to throw one under suspicion, sometimes with amusing results. Oue nlght last week about midnight a welldressed man alighted from a 14th street car, leaving on the seat a package about six inches long and an inch and a half in diameter. The conductor was posted on the spy question and opened it with trembling hands. It contained a tin box, which in turn inclosed two sticks of dynamite. He showed them to the motorman, whose superior knowiedge led Mm to suggest that they were arranged to be exploded by means of electric wires. Whereupon the two nearly expired of fright. After a hurried consultation they decided to go toward the city. Very slowly the motorman applied the current, fearing every instant that the dynamite might explode, while, to prevent all possible jarring and reduce the danger to a minimum, the conductor stood holding the deadly box. At Ninth street and Pennsylvania avenue the conductor passed his awful burden and the story connected with it into the custody of a pólice officer, who at once abandoned his beat and hastened to the pólice station. The sergeant on duty had read hovv Spanish spies blew up powder milis, and handled the deathdealing box quite gingerly, passing tt, after an inspection as hurried as his dignlty would permit.to the night clerk, ■who watched it until morning, when not engaged in wiping cold, clammy sweat from his brow. The next day it was taken to the navy yard, where an expert classed it as something new in the infernal machine line, though doubtless none the less dangerous for that reason. He carried it to a secluded spot, made an electrical connection and pressed the button, while all present held their breath and ears. No explosión folle-ed, and tho current was turned on again, with more care this time, but without results. At the second failure a messenger boy looked over the shoulder of the seriaus-faced expert and cried: "Aw, g-way; I know wot dat is. It's one of dose t'iags they puts in de glims wot de fly cop carries on his bike and runs de 'lectric light." With a look of disgust the boy walked away, arranging his messages, while the expert began to explain why the presence of spies rendered extra precautions necessary.