by JACQUES FUTRELLE
ILLUSTRATIONS by M.G. Kettner
COPYRIGHT 1908 fy THE ASSOCIATED SUNDAY MAGAZINES
COPYRIGHT 1909 by THE 80883 - MERRILL COMPANY
SYNOPSIS.
Count dl Roslni, the Italian ambas
sador. is at dinner with diplomats In
the national capital when a messenger
brings a note directing him to come to
the embassy at once. Here a beautiful
young woman asks that she be given
• ticket to the embassy ball. The tick
et is made out In the name of Miss Is
abel Throne. Chief Campbell of the
eecret service, and Mr. Grimm, his head
detective, are warned that a plot of the
Latin races against the English speak
ing races is brewing in Washington,
and Grimm goes to the state ball for
Information In a conservatory his at
tention Is called to Miss Isabel Thorne,
who with her companion, soon disap
pears. A revolver shot Is heard and
Campbell and Grimm hasten down the
ball to find that Senor Alvarez of the
legation, has been shot.
CHAPTER IV.—(Continued.)
"What sort of a paper was it?” In
quired Mr. Grimm.
“None of your business.” came the
curt answer.
“Who shot youT*
“None of your business.”
“A man?”
Senor Alvarez was silent.
“A woman?”
Still silence.
With some new Idea Mr. Grimm
turned away suddenly and started out
Into the hall. He met a maid-servant
at the door, coming In. Her was
blanched, and she stuttered through
sheer excitement
“A lady, sir—a lady—” she began
b^hhllnelv
Mr Grimm calmly closed the door,
•hutting in the wounded man. Chief
Campbell and the others. Then he
caught the maid sharply by the arm
and shook some coherence into her
disordered brain
“A lady—she ran away, sir," the
girl went on. In blank surprise.
“What lady?" demanded Mr. Grimm,
coldly “Where did she run from?
Why did she run?” The maid stared
at him with mouth agape. “Begin at
the beginning.”
“I was fn that room, farther down
the hall, sir,” the maid explained.
"The door was open. I heard the shot,
and It frightened me so—l don’t know
—I was afraid to look, out right away,
sir Then, an inatant later, a lady
come running along the hall, sir—that
way.” and she indicated the rear of
the hotiae. “Then I came to the door
and looked out to see who It was,
and what was the matter, sir. I was
standing there when a man—a man
came along after the lady, and banged
the door In my face. sir. The door
toad a spring lock, and I was so—so
•lightened and excited I couldn’t open
It right away, sir—and when I did I
came here to see what was the mat
ter.” She drew a deep breath and
Stopped
“That all?” demanded Mr Grimm.
“Yes. air. except—excert the lady
had a pistol In her band, sir—”
Mr Grimm regarded her In silence
for a moment.
“Who was the lady?” he asked at
last
“I forget her name, sir. She was
the lady who —who fainted In the ball
room. sir. just a few minutes ago.”
Whatever emotion may have been
aroused within Mr. Grimm It certainly
found no expression In his face. When
be apoke again hla voice waa quite
calm
“Misa Thorne, perhaps?”
“Yes, sir, that's the name—Miss
Tborne. I was in the ladles’ dressing
room when she was brought In, sir,
and I remember some one called her
name ”
Mr Grimm took the girl, still a-qulv
•r with excitement, and led her along
the hall to where Gray stood.
“Take this girl In charge. Gray,” he
directed “Lock her up. If necessary.
Don’t permit her to say one word to
anybody— anybody, you understand,
except the chief.'*
Mr. Grimm left them there. He
passed along the hall, glancing In each
room as he went, until he came to a
short flight of stairs leading toward
the kitchen. He went on down silent
ly. The lights were burning, but the
place was still, deserted. All the serv
ants who belonged there were evi
dently, for the moment, transferred to
other posts He passed on through the
kitchen and out the back door into
the street.
A little distance away, leaning
against a lamp post, a man was stand
ing He might have been waiting for
a car Mr. Grimm approached him.
“Beg pardon," he said, “did you see
a woman come out of the back door,
there?”
“Yes. Just a moment or so ago,” re
plied the stranger. “She got Into an
automobile at the corner. I imagine
this Is hers." and he extended a hand
kerchief, a dainty, perfumed trifle of
lace ”1 picked It up immediately
p/ter she passed.”
ELUSIVE
ISABEL
Mr. Grimm took the handkerchief
and examined It under the light. For
a time he was thoughtful, with low
ered eyes, which, finally raised, met
those of the stranger with a scruti
nizing stare.
“Why,” asked Mr. Grimm slowly
and distinctly, “why did you slam the
door in the girl’s face?"
"Why did I —what?” came the an
swering question.
“Why did you slam the door In the
girl’s face?” Mr. Grimm repeated
slowly.
The stranger stared in utter amaze
ment—an amazement so frank, so un
acted, so genuine, that Mr. Grimm waa
satisfied.
“Did you see a man come out of
the door?" Mr. Grimm pursued.
“No. Say, young fellow, 1 guess
you’ve had a little too much to drink,
haven’t you?”
But by that time Mr. Grimm was
turning the corner.
CHAPTER V.
A Visit to the Count.
The bland serenity of Mr. Camp
bell’s face was disturbed by thin,
spidery lines of perplexity, and the
guileless blue eyes were vacant as be
stared at the top of his desk. Mr.
Grimm was talking.
“From the moment Miss Thorne
turned the corner I lost all trace of
her,” he said. "Either she had an au
tomobile In waiting, or else she was
lucky enough to find one Immediately
she came out. She did not return to
the embassy ball last night—that
much is certain.” He paused reflec
tively. “She Is a guest of Senorlta
Inez Rodriguez at the Venezuelan le
gation.” he added.
"Yes. I know.” his chief nodded
”1 didn’t attempt to see her there
“What Bort of Paper Waa It?” Inquired Mr. Grimm.
last night for two reasons," Mr.
Grimm continued. “First, she can
have no possible knowledge of the
fact that she Is suspected, unless per
door—” He paused. "Anyway, she
will not attempt to leave Washington;
I am confident of that. Again, it didn’t
seem wlbc to me to employ the ordi
nary crude police methods in the case
—that Is, go to the Venezuelan lega
tion and pick up a row.”
For a long time Campbell was si
lent; the perplexed lines still furrowed
his benevolent forehead.
"The president Ih very anxious that
we get to facts in this reported Imtln
alliance as soon as possible,” he said
at last. Irrelevantly. “He mentioned
the matter last night, and he has
been keeping in constant communica
tion with Gault In Lisbon who, how
ever, has not been able to add ma
’ terlally to the original dispatch. Un
der all the circumstances, don’t you
think it would be best for me to re
lieve you of the investigation of this
shooting affair so that you can con
centrate on this greater and more im
portant thing?”
“Will Senor Alvarez die?” asked Mr.
Grimm in turn.
“His condition Is serious, although
the wound is not necessarily fatal,”
was the reply.
Mr. Grimm arose, stretched his long
legs and stood for a little while gazing
out the window. Finally he turned to
his chief:
“What do we know, here In the bu
reau. about Miss Thorne?”
“This far the reports on her are of
the usual perfunctory nature,” Mr.
Campbell explained. He drew a card
from a pigeonhole of his desk and
glanced at It. “She arrived In Wash
ington two weeks and two days ago
from New York, off the Lusitania,
from Liverpool. She brought some
sort of Introduction to Count dl Ros
lni, the Italian ambassador, and he ob
tained for her a special invitation to
the state ball, which was held that
night. Until four days ago she waa
a guest at the Italian embassy, but
now, as you know. Is a guest at the
Venezuelan legation. Since her ar
rival here she has been prominently
pushed forward Into society; she has
gone everwhere. and been received
everywhere In the diplomatic set. We
have no knowledge of her beyond
this.”
There was a question in Mr. Grimm's
listless eyes as they met those of the
chief. The same line of thought waa
running in both their minds, born, per
haps. of the association of ideas—ltaly
as one of the three great nations
known to be In the Latin compact;
Prince Benedetto d’Abruzzl of Italy,
the secret envoy of three countries;
the sudden appearance of Miss
Thorne at the Italian embassy. And
In the mind of the younger man there
was more than this —a definite knowl
edge of a message cunningly trans
mitted to Mr. Rankin of the German
embassy, by Miss Tborne there in the
ballroom
“Can you Imagine—” he asked slow
ly, “can you imagine a person who
would be of more value to the Latin
government In Washington right at
this stage of negotiations than a bril
liant woman agent?”
“I most certainly cannot.” was ths
chief’s unhesitating response.
“In that case I don't think it would
be wise to transfer the Investigation
of the shooting affair to another man,”
said Mr. Grimm emphatically, revert
ing to his chief's question. “I think
on the contrary, we should find out
more about Miss Thorne.”
“Precisely,” Campbell agreed.
“Ask all the great capitals about he 4
—Madrid, Paris and Rome, particular
ly; then, perhaps, London and Berlin
and St. Petersburg.”
Mr. Campbell thoughtfully scribbled
the names of the cities on a slip of
paper.
"Do you Intend to arrest Miss
Thorne for the shooting?” he quer
ied.
“I don’t know,” replied Mr. Grimm,
frankly. "I don’t know,” he repeated,
musingly. “If I do arrest her Imme
diately I may cut off a clue which
will lead to the other affair. I don’t
know,” he concluded.
“Use your own Judgment, and Dear
in mind that a man —a man slammed
the door in the maid’s face.”
"I shall not forget him,” Mr. Grimm
answered. “Now I’m going over to
talk to Count dl Roslni for a while.*
The young man went out, thought
fully tugging at his gloves. The Ital
ian ambassador received him with an
Inquiring uplift of his dark brows.
“I came to make some inquiries In
regard to Miss Thorne—Miss Isabel
Thorne,” Mr. Grimm informed him
frankly.
The count was surprised, but It
didn’t appear In bis face.
“As I understand it,” the young man
pursued, “you are sponsor for her in
Washington.”
The count, evasively diplomatic,
born and bred In a school of caution,
considered the question from every
standpoint
“It may be that I am so regarded.”
he admitted at last.
“May I Inquire If the sponsorship Is
official, personal, social, or all three?”
Mr. Grimm continued.
There waa silence for a long time.
“I don't see the trend of your ques
tioning.” said the ambassador finally.
“Is She, In Every Way, Worthy of
Your Protection?"
“Miss Thorne is worthy of mjr protec
tion in every way."
"Let’s suppose a case." suggested
Mr. Grimm blandly “Suppose Miss
Thorne had—bad. let us say. shot a
man, and be was about to die, would
you feel justified In withdrawing that
—that protection, as you call It?”
“Such a thing Is preposterous!" ex
claimed the ambassador. “The utter
absurdity of such a charge would Im
pel me to offer her every assistance."
Mr. Grimm nodded.
“And If It were proved to your sat
isfaction that she did shoot him?” he
went on evenly.
The count’s lips were drawn togeth
er In a straight line
“Whom, may I ask." he Inquired
frigidly, “are we supposing that Miss
Thorne shot?"
“No one. particularly,” Mr Grimm
assured him easily. “Just suppose
that she had shot anybody—me. may.
or Senor Alvarez?”
“I can’t answer a question so ridic
ulous as that.”
“And suppose we go a little fur
ther.” Mr Grimm Insisted, pleasantly,
‘and assume that you knew Bbe had
shot some one. say Senor Alvarez,
and you could protect her from the
consequences, would you?”
”1 decline to suppose anything so
utterly absurd.” was the rejoinder
Mr Grimm sat with his elbows on
his knees. Idly twisting a seal ring on
his little finger The searching eyee
of the ambassador found bis face
blankly Inscrutlble
“IMplomatlc representatives In
Washington have certain obligations
to this government." the young man
reminded him We—that Is, the gov
ernment of the United States—under
take to guarantee the personal safety
of every accredited representative; In
return for that protection we must in
sist upon the name and Identity of a
dangerous person who may be known
to any foreign representative. Un
derstand. please. I'm not asserting
that Miss Thorne Is a dangerous per
son. You are sponsor for her here.
Is she. In every way. worthy of your
protection?*’
“Yes." said the ambassador flatly.
“I can take it. then.Jiat the Intro
duction she brought to you Is from a
person whose position Is high enough
to Insure Miss Thorne's position?”
“That Is correct."
"Very well!”
And Mr Grimm went away.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Latest Thing in Clubs.
“Never again!” This Is the motto
of a novel club recently organized In
Trenton. N J . In which only persons
who have previously attempted to com
mit suicide are entitled to member
ship. The club began Its existence
with forty members.
Something to Follow.
Statistical Boarder —An aeroplane
can be built for $l5O.
Practical Boarder —Cheap enough,
but It’s the funeral that costs.
New York Property Untaxed.
There la a tax-free property in New
York city amounting to more than s
billion and a quarter of dollars.
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