Show Ii- Ii i Pl Prof i b by y GEORGE BRONSON i HOWARD 1 STORY NO 13 I I In the Service of f the State Stat Mary 1 said Mona Iona Hartley HarUey In a low Jow tone to her chum Mary Burnett dp ont nt look Jook over at once But there is n II man across the street treet who has been Icen following us for ten minutes Ive I've teen seen him before but hul I cant can't place him Mary Iary laughed She leaned leane close to Mona Ill look Jool in a minute she ahe sal said And AmI then I know him Ills His name Is Jones Jones Jones-he's heK a United States se secret secret se- se e- e cret service man Well said Mona Iona flatly Mary Iary what has a t secret service man to do o with us hals the secret of or it H I suppose sal said salIa Mary Mary- MaryAt Ia At an any rate were we're likely to find out You know Mona there Mona there are people who would say that our wa way of or getting along alon was waa very ery far from I being what it should be I Youre right of course cours said Bald Mona Im nervous ner I 1 think think think-that's that's all I Well Well Nell get over o it Hes He's coming over and hes he's going to speak to usIm usIm usIm us Im I'm sure Dont Don't act as if you oU thou thought ht there was waa any anything thin odd The next moment indeed Jon Jones s was beside them hat in hand hm beaming Mass liss Hartley HartJe Miss Hartley Mias Burnett Burnell said Bald Jones You dont don't know now no glad lad I Iam Iam Iam am to see you I 1 Iwas was not certain certain- it la is some time f since I 1 h have ve seen anythIng anything anything any any- thing of at you youe you you- We e must be getting getlin o old Mona said bald Ma Mary with ith a laugh J If it takes an nn effort to recognize us Youre unkind said Jones re re- re Then all aU at once his manner manner manner man man- ner changed Seriously he said I Iam Iam Iam am extremely anxious to have a n. talk with you ou There Is 18 a matter of ot the gravest cst importance in which I believe You ou and acid you only onh can help me I IWonder Iwonder wonder If you would come in here herewith with m mo and havo have some tea perhaps while whilo we talk And AtHI BO so a few minutes later the were sitting silting with him at a secluded t table table They gave their order he wait walt l hl u until the tea things s had hall been wrought brought and then he ho leaned toward them speaking in a low confidential I tone Its m my business as you OU must I Know he said to be aware of or a good man many things I 1 know for Instance Instances at and tt I think too that I understand very cr fully something fully something of your our lives I know now that you have havo no incomes that incomes that I the comfort I in h n which you live IIvo you must t yourselves our es el It will bo be simpler If you ou will believe e that I could If I 1 chose cho e give 13 you ou a very complete summary sum sum- mary ary of everything that you have done one for o a good months many months t I I agree said laid Jones I will be benk bet frank then You have hl been heen able more t n once ct to get et the h bent hest Ht of ot men who hari 1 fancied d themselves cs extremely Task I l want you ou to the once more and and this n time i If f you u r THE SOCIAL PIRATES COPYRIGHT BY KALEM 1 CO COMPANY PAr Y succeed you ou will place me under the I heaviest of or obligations obligations and and you will what i ia Is far more important do a great service to the lie United States States States-a a service ser I Io so o important that It would be impossible 1 sible sibo to overestimate it This country a ag ae 3 you jou ou must know he said depends for its security against attack in a very large ar e measure upon its coast defenses To put the matter briefly a secret that is vital seems about to fall tall into the hands of or a foreign power and power and of or that foreign foreign forel for for- el eign n power moreover which Is most likely to use its knowledge e a against us Oh said Mona Iona But nut how could we help help help- What has happened is this said Jones A man named Hawkins letus let Jet letus us say ar was in a position to make tracings s of certain cira drawings plans s plans and so o on Ho Ile was trusted trusted trusted-he he be betrayed betrayed be- be his trust He lie ma made e the tracings s he has hrIS sold saM them to a man u whom 1 I shall call Mr 1 X Mr 11 X occupies a position of responsibility It would be impossible to bring a charge c against him without proof of or the most definite definite definite nite sort I am sure of my but fads but I 1 cannot prove them I know that X Is la a spy of the most dangerous an sort but 1 I am almost alone in my know lenow- ledge Where herc is he said MaryI Mary Iary I am telling you OU everything e sai said Jones Jonos lIe He will be e on ott his wa way to Halifax within a few hours houra hour Ho lie will sail Hail from there on a It liner that makes i a call at Rotterdam am I am certain of and this and that the plans lans will be with him I Now Now I want you Oll to sail on the same steamer a aa as I shall do myself I 1 want you ou to help me to recover those plans L Lets ts t's do it said Mary Wed Vod be doing something for our countr country Mona Mona Mo Mo- Iona Io- Io I na Wouldn't that bo he worth while I thought you OU would woud feel MO so o said I Jones triumphantly But nut there will bea bo be boa a more substantial return than that of or I I knowing that you have done dont a patriotic act I will promise you OU that the re reward reward reward re- re ward wi will be adequate there adequate there is la a large contingent fund fun for which no accounting accounting account account- In ing nee need be madeNo made made- made No said ald Mona Monti with th decision Id never accept pay pay pa- Nor 01 I echoed Mary Our expenses ex ex- I ex-I hut but no more Well We'll go so gladly on those terms Mr lr Jones That shall bo be as you OU choose of I cour course e he said Can you ou start tort tonight to tonight to- to night ht You had better travel sepa sepa- separately raten and antI on the steamer It would hewell he hewell I well if it you failed even to strike up i the customary ocean acquaintanceship It f If you OU let Jet it appear that you disliked one another I shall hall be aboard but hut I will know neither of you officially The girls nodded understandingly You want to expose Mr X dont don't you rou said Mar Mary Mar It true that he has such a position that he Is very fully trusted Y Yes Yea s My Mr warnings A arc laughed nt at I There Them is no reason h why be lie should not execute this mission return and couf cony con cou- y f I his Ills work worl Ho Ile has covered his tracks t-o t o clever cleverly that he appears tobe to tobe I lJ be entirely immune immune- from suspicion But if I can prove that he ha has those papers and papers and of or course get them from fromI I him his him his usefulness as a a H s spy IY will bo be boat I at an end In this country at least And I can tell you ou that I 1 will regard I that as the best piece of work I have I ever e done You can count on us sai said Mona I Ion only hope we will really be able to help Come Marj Mary Mary-if Iari i if we are ore going goIn to start on such short notice wo we must hurr hurry home It takes time TO w o pack It was a matter r of moments moment on only to complete the few arrangements still to tobe tobe tole be le made Jones furnished them with tickets he had reserved ed several severn staterooms staterooms staterooms state state- rooms on tho the liner he explained I J try to be he prepared for emergencies emergencies cies he said I knew kne I would nee need help help I I didn't know at all who would be he with me inc But there will be no dela delay I shall not see you again until we are on board and even then of course we will meet as 09 entire strangers Does Mr Ir X know you ou asked MaryI Mary I think not said Jones Jonc with a a. good deal eal of or satisfaction His people are re very err fond fon of laughing at our secret service service but but we wo manage to turn atrick a n atrick trick ourselves once in a 3 while Even E In the hustle bustle of sailing It WAS not difficult for the two girls to make makei a guess gus as al to which of the I was Mr X They both hoth fastened upon a 11 man who was booked d as ns Mr lr Arm Arrn- Armstrong strong He appeared 1 to to be bo bored instead In Instead Instead In- In stead of or excited by the incidents of departure His manner indicated that it was an old stor story to him And the deference that was paid to him b by the theoffice theoffice office of the distracted purser revealed his importance Mary Jary without any real plan In her r mind as yet Set still determined to waste no time She he was f really all well versed In the routine of travel tra but hut from the moment she went on board boar t she he played the part lart of or the helpless traveler unaccustomed unaccustomed unaccustomed un un- accustomed to the most ordinary things of shipboard life She hc haunted the office of- of fico fice of or tho distracted purser and he heto seemed to be entirely willing to give up his time timo to her He lie answered her questions promised to see to her chair her seat cleat at table tahe all the other thin things s. s Youre no so o goo good to me Mr Shell Shelly she he told toM him in wi wide e eyed innocence I must be he a frightful nuisance X Nuisance not not a It bit hit of or It Miss Burnett Burnett Bur nur- nett nett he lie assured her gallantly I know how strange it must seem cem the first time you ou cross JUt Just you OU leave eave everything c to me Ill I'll Ill I'll see that Oil you have ha such a comfortable trip that you'll never cross on any other boat hoat You'll un understand wont won't you iou if I 1 have torun to torun torun run away an and leave you OU constantly There are arc all sorts of things that I have to attend to to people people who dont don't like their cabins and cranks of all sorts sorts I Of course you course you mustn't let me mo bother both both- both j cr er you rou You could never Once wo we weare are arc off otC Ill I'll have much more time time time- you mu must t let me mo show you the thc ship then Jones as a secret service man naturally naturally nat nat- would be was an amused witness witness witness wit wit- ness of Marys Mary's dealings with tho the purs purs- er cr And that night when they were at sea he contrived an opportunity to see the tho two girls Ive found out a few things he IC said Our man Just as OM I expected has taken talen the state cabin as they callIta call callIta it It-a It suite staterooms staterooms staterooms state state- a regular really two two rooms brass bed bcd private bath all bath all that sort of luxury No wonder wonder his his government government government gov gov- has to pay Hes He's planning to keep himself pretty prett well well we'll find A man traveling with such dangerous danger danger- an crous cr- cr ous baggage bags would I fancy said Mona Iona Right Im I'm almost sure he has no suspicion that ho he ha has been followed lIe Ho looked over aJ all the passengers Juett pretty pretty pret pret- t ty carefully carefully ho ho was one of the tho first aboard you know Jenow I ma made e myself conspicuous conspicuous con con- a as I 1 could you noticed You certain certainly did said 1 Mary with witha a laugh While I was trying to find tind things out from the purser you OU were simply brutal in your interruptions I 1 couldn't have the man to myself for fortie five ti minutes Hes He's thoroughly convinced convinced con con- vinced that youre you're a very Important newspaper and lies he's goIng going goto go- go Ing to see that you OU give a goo good report of at tho the line I saw what you were doing laughed Jones Well you simply an anticipated anticipated anticipated an- an m my suggestion Its It's oln g-oln going to tobe be ho very Important for one of at you ou to be beon beon beon on good terms with the purser I think hed he'd do a a. good deal eal for me b but t I 1 wont won't take any chances b by asking too much He Ho didn't offer to show you the tho state suite did he I No said ald Mary regretfully i 1 never never never nev nev- er thought to ask asic I manag managed that said Jones Tone com com- He lie showed me over the whole ship Awful bore hore it was too tool too too- I l crossed in her half a dozen ozen times be before before before be- be fore ho he got bot hl his berth herth and I Imagine ine I 1 know enow things about her he hasn't even suspected yet ct But I wanted a a. look Jook at Mr X's Xii cabin cabin and and I got it Theres There's Theresa a small safe sato in and there there and Shelly explained ex- ex explained explained ex ex- to me that he an and the passenger passenger ger er occupying the suite are arc the line only ones one who have bave the combination Its It's Its changed for tOl every and voyage and even I Ithe the captain doesn't know It I Hell HeJl keep his papers there of or course course said f Mona We Ve Vc dont don't have havo to worry so o much about hout where hes he's hidden tho those c valuable papers Unless aJ all signs fall fail we wo know that what weve we've got to do Is 16 to get that safe opened by one of or the two men who can do rIa it If hed he'd turned d his stuff over o to the purser for tor safe keeping keeping keep keep- ing Id I'd bo be a n. lot Jot more dubious dubious because because e ea a purl pursers purser r stroll groom is the thc real thing And Shelly helly is rather stupid and stupid and very vry faithful and conscientious I is couldn't havo ha done an anything with him i Just what do you ou expect to lo do o as asIt asit asit it is is asked Mona Iona One of or you and you and Miss Mary Ial has started so that shed she'd better be the one ono will will have to make frIen friends s with Sheli Shel Shel- J i ly The other will have to see l If theres there's theresa a human side to X X There must be bo you know know know-he he must be susceptible in some way way I I dont don't like his looks said Mona 1 And I doubt very much whether hell he'll see anything anything- In me have to tr try said Mary Iary Oh Ill I'll do that said aId Mona lol Mona Iona lost Jost no time in attempting to arouse the thc interest of the mysterious Mr Ir X It seemed to be well un understood understood under under- er- er stood on board that Armstrong was Wll not his real name that he was some important and probably official personae personage per per- Rona sonae e who cho chose e to travel under an assumed name Ho Ito excited a good deal of oC curiosity but there was no attempt to intrude upon his evI evident ent desire to tobe tobo tobo bo be alone On an American ship it might have been different But on this vessel were passengers much more moro accustomed to tho the peculiar ways of or an official caste I Armstrongs Armstrong's privacy was rather rother pointedly pointedly point point- e edly hr respected Ho lie too took no part in tho the common life life- of or the ship He was never neer neverin in tho the smoking room the chance games of cards when hen tables were made up on tho the spur of or the moment for bridge or poker never claimed him Ho ne seemed to see seo no fun in throwing rope quoits at nt a stick sUck on and ho he passe passed the devotees of or shuffleboard with a n. tolerant smile He made modo no friends at meals for tor he was careful to take take- hl his meals always after the other passengers at the tho table had returned to deck this when ho lie hold did ld not eat cat in tho the solitary r state of or his own staterooms So Mona Iona saw herself deprived of ot the theal I al aid of or all the pleasant cultivators of or acquaintanceship that so 50 abound on 01 a ship On the ocean the conventions are arc relaxed introductions are arc dispensed with more moro often orten than not But though plenty plent- of the tho men mn among tho the passengers passengers gers ers found excuse for |