Show SERIAL STORY ELUSiVE I j as ISABEL By JACQUES FUTRELLE r Illustrations by M. M KETTNER KE 1 I. I by A Copyright bus 1909 by Tl The Ibe e Bobbs Merrill Company 3 SYNOPSIS Count dl Rosin the Italian HaHan ambas ambas- I Is at dinner with diplomats In the national capital when a messenger brings a note directing hi him hirt to come to the embassy at once Here a beautiful young oung woman asks that she be bo given givenA A do ticket to the embassy ball bali The ticket ticket tick tick- et Is made out In the name of Miss Is Isabel Isabel Isabel Is- Is abel Thorne Chief Campbell of the secret service and Mr Grimm his head detective are arc warned that a plot of the Latin races against the En English speaking speak speak- ing races Is brewing In Washington and Grimm goes to the state ball for Information In a conservatory his at attention at- at Is called to Miss Isabel Thorn Thorne CHAPTER II Continued Senorita Rodriguez laughed and Mr Grimm glanced idly toward Miss Thorne She was still talking her herce face ce alive aUve with interest and the fan vas still tapping rhythmically steadily stead stead- ily fly now on the arm of her bel chair Dot dash Dot dash Dot- Dot dot dash-dot Dot-dash-dot Dot Pretty women who dont don't want to tobe tobe tobe be stared at should go with their faces Mr 1 Grimm suggested Indo indo- Haroun el there would agree with me on that point I 1 have no doubt What a shock he would get If he should happen up at Atlantic City for a week-end week in August August Au Au- gust Dot dash Dot-dash-dot Dot Dot- Dot dot dash Mr Grimm read It with perfect understanding understanding un un- un it was F F F F in the Morse code the call of one operator to another Was It accident Mr 11 Grimm wondered and wondering he Went went on talking lazily Curious isn't It the smaller the nation na na- na tion tiou the more color it crowds into the uniforms of Its diplomats The BritIsh BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish ambassador you will observe is clothed sanely and mod modestly as befits the representative of a great nation but coming on down by way of Spain and Italy they get more gorgeous However I dare say as stout a heart heartbeats heartbeats heartbeats beats beneath a sky blue sash as behind behind be be- hind bind the embellished black of evening dress F F F F the fan was calling insistently In in- And then the answer came It took the unexpectedly prosaic form of oC a violent violent vio yb- lent sneeze a vociferous outburst in a bench directly behind Mr 11 Grimm Senorita Rodriguez jumped then laughed nervously It startled me she explained I think there must be a draft froze from he tile conservatory said a mans man's vo voie voe e apologetically Do you ladies feel it No r o oVell Well Veil if you'll excuse me me- me Mr Grimm glanced back languidly The speaker was Charles Winthrop Rankin a brilliant young American lawyer awyer who was attached to the German German Ger Ger- man embassy In an advisory capacity Among other things he lie was a Heidelberg Heidelberg Heidel Heidel- berg man having spent some dozen years rears of his life in Germany where ii he le e established influential connections Mr Grimm knew him only by sight And now the rhythmical tapping of Miss Thorne's Thome's fan underwent a change There was a flutter of gaiety In n her lier voice the while the ivory fan tapped steadily Dot Dash Dash Dash-dash- dash Dot-dot-dash Dot Dash S 'S u t t 5 u t Mr 1 Grimm read in Morse He FIe laughed pleasantly at some remark of his companion Dash Dot-dash Dot dot Dash said the fanMan fanMan fan n M M a n Mr Ir Grimm spelled It out nut ut the while his listless eyes roved aimlessly over the throng S t S t 5 t iz-t ii t m n a a n Was Vas It meant for stout man Mr Grimm wondered Dot dash Dot dot Dash Dash dot dot F e F e d that was Dot dash Dot dash Dash Dash- dot dot-d dot dash dot ash Dot Mr Grimm was Q j Qa j e puzzled a little now but there was not nota tiniest indication of a I. wrinkle nor the perplexity In his face Instead he becan began be- be pan can talking of Raphael's cherubs the remark being called into life liCe by the high complexion of a young oung man who was uras passing Miss Thorne glanced at him keenly her ber splendid eyes fairly aglow and the fan rattled on In the code dot Dash Dot Dot dash Dot- Dot dot dash-dot Grimm was still sUll N f. N e a f. f Mr spelling It out Then rhen came a perfect Jumble Mr Grimm followed It with difficulty a difficulty utterly belled belied by the tile quizzical quizzical cal cat lines about his mouth As ho bo caught it It was like this J n J 5 n nv v t v a t 5 f 5 f followed by byan byan byan an arbitrary signal which Is not In the dot Dash Morse dorso code Mr Grimm carefully stored that fumble Jumble away in some recess of his Is brain along with wit the unknown signal iD D 5 5 5 f he read and then on onto onto I Ito G v G-v-e- v-e v veI to the end n g s. g 5 s. e e s. s 1 I f w n n g e g g- g That was all apparently The soft clatter of oC the fan against the arm of ot the chair ran on meaninglessly after that I May I bring you an Ice Mr Grimm asked aske at latIf lat last If you will please responded the senorita and when you come back Ill I'll reward you rou by presenting you to Miss Thorne Thome You'll find her charmIng charming charming charm charm- ing and Mr 11 Cadwallader has monopolized monopolized monopolized her long enough 1 Mr Grimm bowed and left her He had barely disappeared when Mr Rankin lounged JO along in front of Miss Thorne Thome He le glanced at her paused and greeted her effusively Wb Why Miss Thorne Thome he exclaimed Im delighted to see you ou here I understood understood understood un un- un- un you would not be present and and and- Their han harMs ds met in a friendly clasp as she rose and moved away with a nod of excuse to Mr 1 Cadwallader A Athin Athin Athin thin slip sUp of paper thrice folded passed from Mr Rankin to her She tugged at her glove and thrust the littie little little lit lit- tle tie paper still folded inside the palm Is it yes or no Miss 1 horne Thorne asked in a low tone Frankly I cant can't say slY was the re reo re- re ply He read the message ge she explained ex ox- l hastily and now he has gone to decipher it She gathered up her trailing skirts over one arm and together they glided away through the crowd to the strains of oC a Strauss waltz Im going to faint in a moment she said Eald quite calmly to Mr Rankin Please have havo me sent to the ladles ladles' dressing room I understand he be replied quietly CHAPTER IV The Fleeing Woman Mr 11 Grimm went straight to a quiet nook of the smoking room and there after a moment Mr Campbell joined him The bland benevolence of the chiefs chief's face was disturbed by the slightest questioning uplift of ot his brows as he dropped into a seat opposite opposite opposite op op- op- op Mr Grimm and lighted a cigar Mr Grimm raised his biE hand and a servant who stood near approached themAn themAn them An Ice Ice here here Mr 11 Grimm directed tersely The servant bowed and disappeared and Mr Grimm hastily scribbled something something something some some- thing on a sheet of paper and handed It to his chief There here Is a reading in the Morse 1 code of a message that seems to be unintelligible Mr 11 Grimm explained I have reason to believe it is In the Continental code You know the Continental Con Con- I I dont Mr 11 Campbell read this man fed neat and then came the unknown I f a Mr Grimm Was Spelling It Out dot dash That he explained ex cx- is Y in the Continental code It went on bring when g K The chief read it off oU glibly Stout man red face near conservatory conservatory conservatory atory door Bring over when G goes Very welt W commented Mr Grimm amb ambiguously f. With no n word ord ot or explanation he rose and went out pausing at the door to take the ice which the servant was bringing in The seat where he be had left Senorita Rodriguez was vacant so was the chair where Miss Thorne had been He glanced about inquiringly inquiringly and a servant who stood stolidly stolid stolid- ly near the conservatory door approached approached ap up- him Pardon sir but the lady who was sitting here bere and he be indicated the chair where Miss lIss Thorne had been sitting sitting sitting sit sit- ting fainted while dancing and the lady who was with you went along when she was removed to the ladies ladies' room dressing sir Mr Grimms Grimm's teeth closed with a littIe little little lit lit- tle tIe Did iDid you happen to notice any time this evening a stout gentleman mn with red face near the conservatory door he asked The servant pondered a moment then shook his head No sir Thank you ou Mr Grimm w was s Just turning away when there came the sharp vibrant sh cra-a-sh of a revolver somewhere ortto ort oft to his left The president That was his first thought One glance across the room to where the chief executive stood in conversation with two other gentlemen reassured him The choleric choleric choleric chol chol- eric b blue ue eyes ees of ot the president had opened a little at the sound then he lie calmly resumed the conversation Mr Grimm impulsively started toward the little group buU already a cordon was being drawn there there there-a a cordon of quiet quiet- faced keen eyed men unobtrusively forcing their way through the crowd There was Johnson and Hastings and Blair and half halt a dozen others The room had been struck dumb Then dancers stopped with tense In In- q li Quiring ln looks and the plaintive whine of the orchestra far away then ceased There was one brief Instant of utter silence in which white- white faced women clung to the arms of their escorts and the brilliant ant galaxy of colors halted Then after a momen mo- mo men there came clearly through the II stillness the excited guttural command command command com com- mand of ot the German ambassador Keep on you tam tarn fools Keep on The started again tremulously tremulously Mr 1 Grimm nodded a silent approval of the ambassadors ambassador's command com corn mand then turned away to his left leCt Inthe in inthe inthe the direction of oC the shot After Arter the first dismay there was a general movement movement move move- ment of the crowd in that direction I a movement which was checked by Mr Mx Campbells Campbell's appearance upon a chair with a smile on his bland face No harm done he ho called One of the officers present dropped his revolver revolver re reo volver and It was accidentally dis dis- I charged No harm done There was a moments moment's excited chatter chatter chat chat- ter drawn deep breaths of relief the I orchestra swung again Into the Interrupted Interrupted interrupted Inter Inter- rhythm and the dancers moved on Mr 1 Grimm went straight to his chief who had stepped down from tho chair Two other secret ecret service men stood behind him b block blocking ock- ock ing bug the doorway that opened into a narrow narrow hall ball This way wa- directed the chief tersely Mr Grimm walked walk along beside him They skirted the end of the ballroom until they came to another door opening opening opening open open- ing tato the he hall Chief Campbell pushed open and entered One of oC his men stood just inside What was it ft Gray asked the chief Senor Alvarez of the Mexican legation legation legation le le- le- le gation was shot was the reply Dead Only wounded Hes He's in that room and he ho indicated a door a little way down the hall Fairchild two servants servants servants ants and a phys physician ian are with wIlh him Who shot him Dont know We found him lying In the hall here bere Still followed by Mr Grimm the chief entered the room and together I they bent over the wounded man The bullet had entered the the torso just below below below be be- low the ribs on the left side Its a clean wound the physician was explaining The bullet passed through Theres There's no immediate dan dan- ger Senor Alvarez opened his eyes and stared about him In bewilderment I Ith th then m alarm overspread his face and he wade ade spasmodic efforts to reach the Inside breast pocket of his coat Mr 11 Grimm obligingly thrust his hand band Into the pocket and drew out its contents contents contents con con- tents the while Senor Alvarez struggled struggled struggled frantically Just a moment Mr Grimm advised advised advised ad ad- quietly Im only going to let Jet you see If It Is here ere Is it 1 He held the papers one lone by one in front of the wounded man and each time a shake of the head was his an an- At last Senor Alvarez closed his eyes again TO BE DE CONTINUED |