Show sj 1 f Y Hj SS i ll I I ai giant t iii i Lickson Dickson a retired secret sew ru i and friend of mine was wasi i a dainty little note one night I hn hen I T looked 1 d in on him on the way wayn q iI ill n Y quarters from the club and hH 1 was as ao a ver very pleasant smile upon faa fai e as he looked up from the tint u 1 i iap Daher iper r to greet me The envelope in a graceful feminine hand ids ld upon the arm ann of ot his chair and the thet tamp stamp t upon It was a foreign one He knew piew Jew I had come in as I often otten did to tor tot r t a story and he never failed me 1 could i see by his actions that a remi rem had come to him himI in International international International I was never a believer marriages sighed the captain captains as is s he restored the note to its envelope but this has been one that has turned ut t w well ell in every cery respect tapping the envelope reflectively You think I had ever acted as a match matchmaker matchmaker matchmaker maker now would you he continued looking at me mischievously No o I 1 replied smiling back at him himI himi r I think you had ever evor taken an active part In Inso so feminine a trade Well Nell ell he resumed I dont make makei a i practice of it it but one time 1 I got drawn into an n affair of that kind and andI I had to arrange a wedding before I could get out of it With these preliminary remarks he lie told the following tale and 1 I give it itin itin I in his own way wa waIt It was when I was stationed at Wash Washington ington as bodyguard for the president a job I 1 thoroughly detested although the president was a most genial and man and did everything t o make our work pleasant That did not Tint help hf lp matters I with me for I always ays it like a watchdog when on that duty Tilt The reigning belle of the season was I the niece of the British Ambassador she he was one of the handsomest women I II I j haw have ever seen I like some something something something thing about her face and manner how however however ever Her for there was a suspicion of craft cratt craftiness meis iness s lurking In her features and a ai i oldness s about her way of or saying and doing things that comport with ray riy ideals of womanhood She was as ex extremely extremely popular though and It was generally thought that she was going to be married to the first assistant secretary secreta a fine young man of about 30 years ears of age who was the second son on of one of or the most distinguished families in England His older brother a disreputable scamp stood between betwee him and the title but this older broth brother er had so undermined his health by dissipation dis dissipation that It was understood that ho hI would not be a barrier for Cor long The younger brother whom I will wUl call Gordon ordon was a deep student of public publics matters s and was rated one Joe of the best diplomats in Washington at that time and If ir It had ha not been for tor his unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate nate accident of or birth he would have been a real ornament to the upper house hous of the British parliament His old father Earl Somebody was anxious that Gordon should marry Lady Clare dare Clareas as her lineage was was quite as distin distinguished distinguished distinguished as his own and as ag It seemed highly probable that Gordon would come In for the title at his fathers death it was thought proper by the en entire entire entire I tire embassy that he should make a match with some peeress of his own country I am sure that this was the reason that It became be so generally ac accepted accepted accepted that Gordon and Lady Clare would be married for Gordon did nothing noth nothing nothIng ing to give gie substance to the rumor minor Whatever were vere Gordons cordons private views of or the matter he kept them to himself and further r than to treat Lady Clare with a graceful courtesy that was no noticeable noticeable noticeable In all his Intercourse with women wom women women en he seemed rather to avoid than to seek after het On the other hand handI I I thought It vas quite plain that Lady Clare had her heart much set upon the marrying of at Gordon I saw a good deal of ot them during my term as a watch watchdog watchdog watchdog dog Congress had Just convened and among the promoted congressmen was an old friend of my family a man 1 I had known since my boyhood who had been returned as a senator He was a man of ot dignified appearance and of ot great wealth but he was afflicted with a son Dan who was as disgust disgustIng Ing a blackguard as ever slit a purse or made a burgher stand and deliver in the days when these pursuits were considered legitimate for the gentry of small smaIl means and elastic consciences Dan Hammond was was eternally getting ge ting into trouble and the senator was eter eternally et eternally r nally getting him out and on OJ more mo more ethan than one occasion Senator Hammond called upon me to aid him in extricating his hisson hisson hisson son from some disgraceful predicament Into which foolhardiness had drawn him I had an utter contempt for the son but I could not refuse to help the father and as some of ot these matters were of such a shocking character that the family honor w would have been blackened by them I worked like a beaver to clear them up and prevent the newspapers from getting information Information rma tion concerning them During his fathers first term In con congress congress congress gress which was before Dan had fallen fallena a victim to tile snares of Washington W life Ute he had allen alien in 10 love with Miss Marjorie Maynard lIa ard stepdaughter of one of the supreme court justices He had an impetuosity about him that quite swept everything every thing before It tf when once he hI made madl up his mind and this young OU lady had been so captivated by by bl Dans melodramatic courtship that she I had become enraged engaged cn aged to him I When Dan began his profligate course she learned enough of some of his ad adventures adventures adventures ventures to break the engagement r en Dan loved Javed her herns as much as a man of ot his selfish nature could any woman and the tha effect of ot Miss Maynards ter termination termination termination of the engagement was tomake to tomake tomake make Dan more than ever determined to marry her He made some show of straightening up but it was was only a 3 ashow ashow show In less than a weeks eels tithe time he had launched upon a drunk that lasted for a month and while crazed with th the liquor he got Into scrape a that certainly certainly certainly would have sent him to prison If It had bad not been for my timely arrival on the scene sc ne Miss Maynard was quite young at that time time In fact It was her first sea season season season son in society Consequently the boy and girl affair between herself herselt and the senators son left l ft no trace behind I dont know when I first began to no notice notice tice that Gordon was developing a re regard regard regard gard for the young lady but I think It was at an army and navy natty ball where they sat out most of the dances and otherwise comported themselves as Covers ov rs are accustomed to do Lady Lad Clare was present on this occasion and although she showed a calm exterior I saw that the action of Gordon was having no little effect upon UDOn her herIt herIt herIt It was not long until Gordon was pronounced pro pronounced pronounced in his attentions towards Miss Maynard and the gossips began to clatter as they always do In such a case About this time Lady Clare and Dan Hammond Ha formed a friendship I believe It wag waI wail of Lody Clares own making and I suspected that she had some motive Back T ack of It for tor I had be become become become come convinced that she had a motive in everything that she did I 1 like this development for tor I 1 knew that the senators son would be as wax in inthe inthe inthe the hands of the crafty beautiful wo woman woman woman man and I 1 feared that something un unpleasant unpleasant pleasant might result from their inti intimacy intimacy macy mac r had a vague agu apprehension of ot danger threatening thre Gordon and Miss Maynard who were now no quite as open openly openly openly ly infatuated as ever was a young oung couple although both resorted to all nil of those engaging little deceptions that lovers loers employ to blind the eyes of their acquaintances and which Wh ICh only serve S more firmly to convict them themI n A AI c cI I had promised Senator Hammon Hamm ri to keep an eye on his son for the th fathers fathera sake and one at t a reception which the president attended d nd to which I was dragged like a cart behind a horse I 1 detected Lady Clare looking I at Tit Gordon and Miss Maynard with a I malignancy which l boded oded boded them their no good It t was wils so ethe the appearance appearance of ot ofa ota ofa a snake when itis it is charming a k bird that I decided to keep a watch atch upon the he handsome English woman and If U Ushe she tried to injure Gordon or 01 his lady to balk her game gains if I 1 could 4 J was vas eA that she Bile would hesitate at nothing Lady L d Clare was still stilt covertly gazing at the oblivious couple with her sinis sinister sinister sinister ter expression when Dan Hammond sauntered towards her She greeted gr led him with animation and I saw a light of at determination come into her fac face that convinced me she had hit upon some plan to injure her unconscious rival I have always been a firm believer be believer believer liever In my intuition and it told me mb meon meon on this occasion that Dan Hammond was the Instrument Lady Clare had se selected selected selected to carry out her scheme what whatever whatever whatever ever it was The president pr had been taken out upon a long balcony by the secretary of or state who had just arrived bulging with importance and evid evidently desired de desired sired to get the chief executive executive ve into a secluded corner to Impart his news to him and I J as was my duty lounged behind the nations pride always keep keepIng keepIng Ing him in view and amI following pim him lm through the conservatory and out upon the balcony I had been wanting to smoke for Cor an hour while the president had been passing silly commonplaces with paint painted ed cd and powdered powder d society ladies and this gave gae me my opportunity The secretary and president stopped at atthe atthe atthe the extreme end of the th balcony where there were chairs and I 1 seated myself near a window of the conservatory lighted a cigar elgar and settled myself down for a few minutes of ot solid com comfort comfort comfort fort until my Important charge should decide to return to the pleasant amuse amusement amusement amusement ment of ot discussing nothings with the guests Inside and I must perforce fol follow folIo follow low Io him himI I had smoked my m cigar half out keeping a watchful eye on an the chief executive when I 1 heard the rustle of silk and the patter of feet on the mo mosaic mosaic mosaic tiles of the conservatory With Without Without Without out moving except to turn my head I glanced In at the open window and saw Lady flare Clare leaning on Dan Ham Hammonds Hammonds Hammonds monds arm pacing slowly past She was as restless as a tiger and there wag was something in her expression and gait which suggested this animal Dan was perceptibly under the influence of af liquor and I could coul I hear his maudlin thick voice protesting against some seine something i thing his beautiful bea companion had said Of Ot course cour I 1 will he was saying You just tell me how it Is to be done and I 1 am the boy to put it through Lady Clare muttered something e in reply but I could not make It out as they had bad passed the window Soon I heard them returning They were pac pacing pacIng pacing ing back and forth the long length of the conservatory and I could only hear what they said as they passed the win window wIndow window dow where were re I was vas stationed Of Ot course it may way have been ungentlemanly to eavesdrop but this is a part of or my profession ion and I have no qualms of ot conscience respecting it as any means meana is justifiable when you OU are dealing with criminals or persons plotting evil e I Iwas Iwas Iwas was sure that Lady Clare was as evoh evolving evolving ing some dark d rk scheme that was to in influence Influence influence fluence Gordon and Miss Maynard When next they passed Lady Clare was speaking Her voice was as soft ft and liquid id as aSi the notes of or a night nightingale nightIngale nightingale You lovo love her do you she was In Insinuating Insinuating insinuating in her most engaging man mannee manner manner ner nee Well this hi will mean that flint t she will have to marry you ou there will be nothing else for her to doI do doI I heard beam no more until they passed again too proud to think of making an explanation Dan was wac saying and that snob Gordon cordon Is too proud to ask for Cor one It will wll Ill work like a charm and I am the boy baY to do it This was all an I 1 heard beard for at this juncture the secretary had himself to the president and that great official arose and came cal towards me I followed him Into the conservatory and noticed that Lady Clare and Dan were shaking hands as If upon some com compact compact compact pact They glided gilded out ahead of ot the president and nd in fact I do think they realized our presence so absorbed were they in the plot plo which they were i sealing I The affair broke up in a few Ce minutes and I saw the president safely within the portals of the White House and was free until morning I went at once onte to tp Montrose where Gordon had his apartments and an hour later when he came Jauntily jau tn into Int the lobby I 1 hailed palled him and told him that I had ha something important to tell him I had thought the matter out fully and an decided that there was no nd way to pro protect protect protect his lady lad except through him Im for forI I knew that the tIle plot of which I had I heard such uch scant fragments had 10 to do with her I was In the dark as no to tu its details and knew no other direction In which I might find aid ald aidI aldI I went up to Gordons room Over a bottle of excellent sherry shem fo to for I had formed my besetting taste even then and Gordon knew about it 1 I told him of what wh t I had heard and what I sus suspected suspected suspected He was an Englishman and andas andas andas as imperturbable as any of ot his race but he was greatly agitated by what wh t I 1 Isaid Isaid said to him We talked until nearly 3 when I left him much dis disturbed disturbed disturbed and with as high a d regard for him as I lean can have for any man He was a thoroughbred and no ro mistake He took me Into his confidence fully funy and told me that he had not yet et spoken en of ot his love to Miss Maynard Ma ard This complicated matters as under the cir circumstances circumstances cum stances it was as out of ot the question to speak of the suspected plot to her He loved her There was no mistaking that and acid he told me with the of a lover that while he sometimes thought that she he cared for him lIim he was not sure of his ground and an had never been able to get his courage up to of speaking to tp t her l er spout about 3 f Ut it it I tell him so of ot course ourE but butI I 1 was was as as sure that tha Miss Maynard cared ared for him with all the ardor that her sunny j nature possessed as I was yas that the sun would come peeping up behind the dome of the capitol the nest Tie neo morn morning mornIng morning ing It was a peculiar situation There was mischief afoot danger anger threatened the young lady but the nature of it and when or how It itt was to develop was utterly unknown Gordon had told me something of the history of ot lady Clare and while he was guarded ri l in what he said of her |