Show R it ii ELUSIVE ISABEL J By JACQUES FUTRELLE I ons by hy j M. M KETTNER ht 1903 V by 0 The by The Associated ha Bundar nea 15 SYNOPSIS i f Count dl Rosin the tha Italian ambas- ambas eador udor Is IB at dinner with diplomats In Inthe Inthe the national capital when a a. messenger I brings a note directing him to come to the embassy at nt once Here a beautiful young oung woman asks that she bo given givena a ft ticket to the embassy balL The ticket tick tick- et Is made out In the name of ot Miss Is Isabel Iso Is- Is o abel bei Thorne Chief Chic Campbell of ot the secret service and Mr Grimm his head detective are warned that a a. plot of ot the Latin LaUn races against the English speakIng speakIng speaking speak speak- ing races Is brewing In Washington and Grimm goes gocs to the state ball for tor Information In a n conservatory his hla attention attention at at- Is called to to Miss Isabel T Thorne Torne orne who with her companion soon toon pears A revolver shot Is heard and Campbell and Grimm hasten down the ther I r hall hail to find that Senor Alvarez of ot the tho I g Mexican legation has been shot ahot A woman woman wo- wo man did It it and Grimm Is assured It was wa-s Mi Miss Thorne CHAPT CHAPTER R VI i I Revelations l Some vague indefinable shadow darkened Miss 1 Thorne's Thome's c clear ar blue blue- gray eyes In sharp contrast to the glow of ot radiant h health alth in her cheeks fas as she stepped from the automobile in front of the Venezuelan legation and ran lightly up the steps A liveried livened servant servant opened the door A UA gentleman Is waiting for you madam i-madam he announced His card is isI I here on the the the-It I was expecting him she Inter Inter- rupt d. d Which room please The blue room madam Miss Thorne passed along the hallWay hallway hallway hall- hall way which led to a suit of small draw- draw rooms leg opening on a garden In the their rear ir pushed aside the portieres and entered centered Im sorry Ive I've kept you YO 1 she began began began be- be gan gan gan and then in a tone ton of surprise I l beg your pardon I A gentleman rose and bowed gravely I am MY Mr Grimm of the secret servIce service servo ice he informed her with frank f. f courtesy I am afraid you were ex expecting ex x- x some one else I I handed my card to the footman For an instant the gray blue-gray eyes opened wide in astonishment and then come fome quick subtle change swept over Thorne's Thome's fac face She smiled graciously graciously gra gra- 4 and motioned him to a seat j This Is quite a different meeting from fram tho the one Senorita Rodriguez had planned isn't it she asked d u. u L mere lucre was a taunting curve on scarlet lips Ups the shadow passed tram from her ber eyes her slim sUm white hands lay Idly Jn In n her lap Mr Grimm regarded her reflectively There was was- wasa a determination of ste steel l back of this charming exterior there was an indomitable c will a keen brain and all of a woman's womans worn worn- ans an's intuition to reckon with She w was s silent with a questioning upward slant of her arched brows j I I Iam am not mistaken In assuming that you are a secret agent of at the Italian government to am I n he queried finally No she responded re readily dily In that event I may speak with per per- feet l lect frankness he be went on It ItI I would be as useless as it would bo absurd to approach the tho matter in any ether ther manner It was a question I Miss Thorne was still smiling but again the vague Indefinable shadow momentarily lifted darkened her eyes You may be frank of course she 1 said Eald pleasantly Please go on Senor Alvarez was shot hot at the we I German krman embassy ball last night Mr Grimm told her Miss ss Thorna nodded nodded as if it In wonder won won- der Did you or did you not shoot him Z ZIt It was quite casual She received the question without change of ot countenance countenance countenance coun coun- but Involuntarily she caught her breath It might have been a sigh of f relief S Why do you come to me with such sucha a query she asked In turn i I l beg your pardon interposed Mr Grimm steadily Did you or did you you'S ou S not slot shoot him No 1 0 of or course I didn't shoot him Was as the reply If It there was any emoS emotion emo emo- S tion In the tone it was merely tience Why do you come to me S. S he the repeated Why do I 1 1 come to you Mr Grimm echoed the question whilo his listless eyes yea rested on her face I will beS be bo S absolutely frank as I 1 feel sure YO you ou would be under the same circum- circum He lie paused a moment she S nodded Well Wen immediately ly after the shooting you ran along the hallway hallwayS S With Ith a revolver in your hand ou ran down the steps into tho the kitchen and out through the tho back door doo where you entered an automobile That is not conjecture it is susceptible of proof by toy eye eve witnesses Hiss Thorna Thoma rose suddenly with a aS S qU queer r helpless little gesture of her heran an and walked to the window She S there for tor a long time with her herf f hands clasped behind her back That brings us ua to another ques ques- lion tion Mr Grimm continued merciless merciless- ly If Jr you did noi not hoot Senor Alvarez Al Al- varez do you know who did There was another long pause S I want to believe you Miss Thorne he supplemented She turned quickly with something of defiance In her attitude Yes I know she said slowly It were to deny It Who was wa It I wont won't tell teU you Mr Grimm leaned forward In his chair and spoke earnestly Understand please that by that answer you as assume ume equal guilt with the person who actually did th tho shooting he explained If Ir you ad ad- here hero to It you compel me to regard you as ai an accomplice His question question- questionIng Ing took a different line Une Will you explain explain explain ex ex- ex- ex plain how the revolver came Into your possession Oh I I-I I I picked It up In the tho hallway ballway hallway hall ball way there she replied vaguely I want to believe you Miss Thorne Thome Mr Grimm said again agan You may I picked It up In the tho hallway hanway she repeated I r saw It lyIng lying ly ly- ly- ly ing there and picked It up Why that Instead of giving an alarm No alarm was wan necessary The shot Itself was was' an alarm larm Then why Mr Grimm persisted coldly did you run along the hailway hallway hallway hall hail way and escape by way of the kitchen kitch kitch- en If you did not do the shooting why the necessity of escape carrying the revolver There was that In the gray blue-gray eyes yes which brought Mr Grimm to his f feet et Ills Ifs hands gripped each other cruelly his tone was calm as always Why did you take the revolver r he asked Miss Thorne's Thome's head dropped forward forward for for- ward a little and she was silent There ar are only two possibilities of course he went wenton on First that you in n spite of ot your denial did the shoot- shoot ing ng I did not Tho words fairly burst from from her tightly closed lips Ups Or that you knew the revolver and took It to save the person man or woman who fired the shot I will assume assume assume as- as as as- sume for for the moment that this Is correct cor cor- Whore Where Is the revolver From the adjoining room there ther came a slight noise a faint breath of sound or it might have been only an 5 I Mr Grimm Found Himself Inspecting The Weapon From the Barrel End echo of silence Their eyes were fixed each upon the others unwaveringly with not a flicker to Indicate that either had heard After a moment Miss Thorne ret returned to her chair and sat down Its rather a singular situation isn't it Mr Gr Grimm she inquired 1 ir- ir You Mr Grimm of at the Secret Service of the United States I I Isabel Thorne a It secret agent of Italy together here one accusing the theother theother theother other of a crime and perhaps with good reason reason- Where is the revolver Mr Grimm insisted If It you were any anyone one else but you I could not afford to bo be frank with you and and u If you ou had been any anyone one else but you I should have placed you under arrest when I entered the room She Sho smiled and Inclined lien her head l I 1 understand she said pleasantly For the tho reason that you are Mr Grimm of the Secret Service I shall shan shante te tell you ou the truth I did take the revolver re re- re- re volver olver bec because uso I know who had fired th th shot Believe me when I tell you that that person did not act with my knowledge or consent cousen You do believe believe be be- lieve that You do She was plead ing eager to convince him After Arter a while Mr Grimm nodded The Tho revolver is beyond your reach and sha shall remain so she sho resumed According to your laws I l' l suppose 1 am an accomplice That I is my mis mis- fortune It will wm fn fri no way alter my determination to keep silent If It I am arrested I cant can't help ft It She studied his his face with hopeful eyes Am I r to tobe tobe tobe be arrested 1 Where Is tho paper that was taken from Senor Alvarez immediately after he be was as shot Mr Grimm queried I dont don't know she replied frankly As I understand it then the motive motive mo mo- tive for the shooting was to obtain possession of at that p paper per For your government 1 The Th individual who shot Senor Alvarez Alvarez Al Al- varez did obtain the paper yes And now please am I to be arrested 1 And Just what was the purpose may I inquire of the message you telegraphed telegraphed telegraphed tel tel- with your fan in the ballroom ballroom ball ban room You read that thaU exclaimed Miss Thorne Thom in mock astonishment You read that And the man who read that message message mes mes- sage Perhaps ho shot the senor senor she taunted For a long time Mr GrImm stood staring at her staring staring She too rose and faced him quietly Am I to be arrested 7 she asked again Why do you make me mo do It he demanded That Is my affair Mr Grimm laid a hand upon her arm a a hand that had never known nervousness nervousness A moment longer he stared and then Madam you are my prisoner forthe for tor forthe the attempted murder of S Senor or Alvarez Alvarez Alvarez Al Al- varez The rings on on the portieres behind him clicked sharply and the draperies draperies' parted Mr Grimm stood motionless with his hand on Miss Themes Thome's arm You were Inquiring a moment ago for a revolver came in a mans man's voice Here re it t is Is I Mr Grimm found himself Inspecting the tho weapon from the barrel end After After After Aft Aft- er Ia a moment his glance shifted to the blazing eyes of the man who held it ita ita ita it- it a young man rather slight with clean clean- cut aristocratic features and of the pronounced Italian type My God The words came from Miss Mis's Thorne's Thome's lips almost in a scream Dont r I did mal make sore some inquiries about a revo revolver ver yes Mr Grimm interrupted quietly Is this the one lie He raised his hand quite casually and his fingers closed like steel around the weapon Behind his back Miss Thorne Theme make some quick emphatic emphatic em em- gesture and the new newcomer released released released re re- re- re leased the revolver r I shall ask you please se t to free Miss Thorne Theme he r requested quested courteously I UI shot Senor Alvarez I too am a secret agent of t the ie Italian Italia government willIng will will- Ing and able to defend myself Miss Thorne Theme has told you the truth she had nothing whatever to do with It She took the weapon and escaped because because because be be- cause it was mine Here Is the paper paperS S that was taken from Senor Alvarez and he offered a sealed envelope I have read it it is not what I expected You may return it to nor Alvarez with my compliments After a moment Mr Grimms Grimm's hand fell away from from- MI Miss s Themes Thome's arm and he regarded the new comer with an a Int Interest rest in which admiration even eyen played play a part Your name he h asked finally Pietro was th the ready reply As I say r I accept all aU res Don Don- A AI few minutes later Mr Grimm and his prisoner passed out of the legation side by side and strolled down the street together In amicable conversa conversa- tion Half an hour later Senor Alvarez Alvarez Alvarez Al Al- varez identified Pietro as the man who shot him and the maid maidservant servant expressed a belief that he was the man who slammed the door In her face TO BE CONTINUED |