Show I 7 A I 1 ra 11 ae R I 1 A L STORY A I 1 B L E BY JACQUES ACQUE FUTRELLE IR bv M I 1 V I 1 amo ted 8 aday daga nes yr low 11 y 20 SYNOPSIS 11 lount l ai dl the italian ambas idor Is at d m with ith d when a ii es summons bin hin to the em ein w wl era ere a beamut tul ful young woman silks for a ticket to the embassy ball t rhe he ticket Is made out in the name of alss M ss isabel thorne chief campbell of rit e s cret service and mr grimm h s head detective are warned that a plot is tr in N baslington Was aal ington lington and grimm goes to the state ball for information his at lei bior Is ca led to M ss isabel thorne alo 10 ditl her companion disappears A hot abot 1 iq heard and benor alvarez of the vex an legation Is found wounded nr mm min is assured M ss as thorne did it he isit ifsits I 1 er demand ng kno cledge of the affair and jand arrests P etro ani miss I 1 hornis ts an 0 d bon b maker and they USCU as ft a wonderful elpe ament fifty housand hou and dol ars Is stolen from the office ft of senor rodriguez the minister from ene yuela and while detectives are in est igat ng the robbery M mss ss thorne ap f years asa as a guest of the legat on grimm gr min accuses her of the theft the money Is restored but a new mystery occurs in II 11 e id d sip s ip barance of monsieur bo the krench ambassador ellave elus ve miss tho ne reappears bearing a letter wh ch eh tat tati tats s tl ti dt at tl ti e ambassador has been ud kid 6 ape I 1 la a 1 d I demand ng ransom the tm km cassador bas returns and aga n strangely 1 I s 4 pears later he is rescued from an old in the suburbs it is d ds sc covered that P etro ani shot senor alvarez am anc that he Is prince d abruzzi grimm ures in a master ous jail delivery he ord r both alss M ss thorne and d abruzzi to leie letie the country they are conveyed to nev e aorl and placed on a steamer zut re urn gr mm s coffees is dru gea ged sand and unon rega ning consciousness he finds a sympathetic note from isabel thorne tre eona gators against the government anre lo 10 a ed and their scheming is over feard grin in orders d abruzzi to de shoy the bli unsigned signed compact isabel corn com ai h m to obey and is termed a trait ress tess by the consa tl TI e detective s h gh government gov ent officers of the acl eme 7 CHA CHAPTER TER continued it Is s only a request from the sec see rotary of war that I 1 be permitted to s meet the im antor of the wireless per cassion cap mr air grimm explained carelessly the negotiations have reached a po nt where the war de Tart ment must have one or two ques gions answered directly by the enven aitor simple enough you see but it has been understood and I 1 have personally impressed it upon the secretary of war that such a meet ng Is impossible objected mr air howard all negotiations have been conducted th Tough me and I 1 have as attorney tor the ilie inventor the right to answer any ny question that thai may properly be an sered sm ered this now ia request for a per aanal interview with the inventor the necessity tor for such an inter siew has risen anex unexpectedly because Z vt ot a pressing need of either closing the deal or allowing it to drop mr o 0 crimin stated I 1 may add that the bucec ss of the deal depends entirely on this I 1 interview ir chaar H howard ward was leaning forward in his chair with wrel led brow intently studying the calm face of the oung roan man innocent himself of all the in and international chicanery chica iery ery back iback i of the affair representing only aa an individual in these secret rego tiati ons he fie saw in the statement as mr ir grimm intended that be should ile tl e po possible sibIe climax of a great busi bust ness mess contract his greed was aroused it might mean hundreds of thousands of dollars to him do aou ou think the deal can be i anadel he asked at last I 1 have no doubt there t biere will be sone some ort of a deal replied mr grimm y As s I 1 say however it is absolutely de fi on an intern ew between the inventor and myself at once this f aft moon A r howard though tf lly ily drummed cm his desk for a little while from A the first save in so far as the patent eights v ere conc concer concerned erred fled he had s en no reasons for the obligations of utter secrecy ec recy which had been enforce I 1 upon lim perhaps it if he laid it before the 1 in inventor feitor in this new light with the deal practically closed the interview would mould be possible I 1 have no choice in the matter mr air grimm he said at last I 1 shall have al yf i to put it to tomy my client of course can I 1 you give me say halt half an hour to ft communicate with him u certainly and mr air grimm rose b j obligingly shall I 1 wait outside here or call again you may wait it if 5 3 ou don t mind i said mr air howard III be able to let you know in a few minutes I 1 hape hpe u mr grimm bowed and passed out at the end of twenty ta enty five minutes the door ot of mr howard howards s private office opened and he appeared his face was violently red evidently from anger and perspiration stood on his forehead I 1 cant do anything with him he declared savagely he says simply that negotiations must be conducted through me or not at all mr air grimm had risen he bowed courteously very well he said placidly you understand of course as the note says that this refusal of ha hia terrain ates the negotiations so MIT ap W but just a moment interposed mr air howard quickly good day said mr air grimm the door opened and closed he was gone three minutes later he stepped into a telephone booth at a nearby near by corner and took down the receiver hello central he called and then this is mr air grimm of the se cret service what number was mr howard horard talking to eleven double nought six alexan dna dria was the reply where is the connection 7 in whose name the he connection is five miles out from alexandria in a farm farmhouse house on the old baltimore road came cam e the crisp business like answer the name burdock williams thank you said mr grimm dood good by A moment later he was standing by the curb waiting for a car when how ard still angry pol and with an espres slon of deep chagrin on his face came bustling up it if you can give me until to morrow afternoon th then en he began mr air grimm glanced around at him and with a slight motion of his head summoned two men who had been chatting near nearby by one of them was blair and the other hastings take this man in charge he dl oll erected hold him in solitary con until you hear from me don dont t talk to him don dont t let any one else talk to him and don t let him talk it if any person speaks to him be tore fore he is locked up take that person in charge also he ile is guilty 0 of J no crime but a single word from him now will endanger my life that was all it was said and done so quickly that howard dazed con fused and utterly unable to account I 1 have been cast off by that gov str aped of my rank and branded as a traitor for anything was led away without a protest mr grimm musing gently on the stupidity of mankind in gen eral and the ease with which it is possible to lead even a clever indi vidual into a trap if the bait appeals to greed took a car and went up town some three hours later he walked briskly along a narrow path strewn with mith pine needles which led tortu bously up to an old colonial farm house outwardly the place seemed to be de seated the blinds battered and stripped of paint by wind and rain were mere all closed and one corner of the small veranda had crumbled away from age and neglect in the rear of the house rising from an old barn a thin pole with a cup like attachment at the apex thrust its po nt into the open above the dense odorous pines mr grimm noted these things as he came along he stepped up quietly on the ver anda and had just extended one hand to rap ton on the door alien when it was open ed from within and andl I 1 miss thorne stood before him he was not sur intuition had told him he would meet her again perhaps here in h ding A sudden quick tenderness I 1 gated the listless eyes for an in tant she stood staring her face pallid against the gloom of the hallway be 3 biond ond and she drew a long breath of relief as she pressed one hand to her breast the gray eyes were veiled by drooping lids then she re covered herself and they opened into his in them he saw anxiety ampre hension fear even miss thorne he greeted and he bowed low over the white hand which she impulsively thrust toward him I 1 I 1 knew some one was ras coming she stammered in a halt half whisper I 1 didn dian t know it w m as you I 1 hadn haan t known definitely unav this instant that you were sate safe from the elpio 1 a 1 sion I 1 am glad glad glai you under 1 stand glad that y ou were not sh she stopped and fought back her emotions emotion 4 i i then went on but you must not come in you must go away at once your your life is tn in danger here how did you know I 1 was coming inquired mr grimm i from the moment mr howard tel she replied still hastily still in the mysterious half whisper I 1 knew that it could only be some one from your bureau and I 1 hoped that it was you I 1 saw how you forced him to call us up here and that was all you needed it was sim slin i pie of course to trace the telephone call both of her hands closed over one of his desperately now go please the katin latin compact is at an end you merely invite death here now go 6 her eyes were searching the list less face with entreaty in them the slender fingers were f fiercely gripping one of mr G grimm I 1 imm in 8 nerveless nerveless hands I 1 for an lust ui stant ant its it s soine ome strange soften ing I 1 flickered in the young man a eyes then it passed I 1 have no choice miss thorne he said gravely at la last lat t I 1 am honor bound by my government to do one of two things if I 1 fail in the first ot of those the greater it can only be because he stopped hope flamed up in her eyes and she leaned forward eagerly studying the impassive face because 9 she repeated it can only be because I 1 am ull hill ed he added qu etly suddenly his whole manner changed I 1 should like to see the the inventor 9 but dont don t you see dont don t you see you will be killed it 11 7 9 she feegan began tensely may I 1 gee see the inventor please 9 mr air grimm interrupted for a little time she stood white and rig d staring at him then he her r lids fluttered down wearily as it if to veil some crushing agony within her and she stepped aside mr grimm entered and the door closed noiseless ly behind him after a moment her hand rested lightly on his arm and he was led in into ito a room to his left this door too she closed immediately turning to face him we may talk here a few minutes without interruption she said in a low tone her voice was quite calm now it if you will be 7 9 please understand miss thorne he interposed mercilessly that I 1 must see the inventor whoever he is hat assurance have I 1 that this la Is not some ruse to permit him to es cape you hive my word of honor she said quite simply please go on he sat down you will see him too soon I 1 fear bile she continued slowly it if you had not come to him he would have gone to you she swayed a little and pressed one hand to her eyes I 1 would to god A were in my power to prevent that meeting she exclaimed desper I 1 abely then with an effort there are some things I 1 want to explain to you it may be that you will be will ing to go then of your own free will it if I 1 lay bare to you every step I 1 have taken since I 1 have been in washing ton it if I 1 make clear to you every obscure point in this hideous intrigue if I 1 confess to you that the latin corn com pact has been given up for all time wont that be enough wont you go then mr grimm s teeth closed with a snap I 1 wont won t want that from you he declared but it if I 1 should tell it all to you youa she pleaded I 1 wont listen miss thorne I 1 you r ou once paid me the compliment of say ing that I 1 was one man you knew in whom rhom you had never been disappoint ed the listless eyes were blazing into her own now I 1 have never been disappointed in you I 1 will not permit you to disappoint me now the secrets of your government are mine if I 1 can get them but I 1 wont won t allow you to tell them to me my government miss thorne repeated and her lips curled sadly I 1 I 1 have no government 1 I have been cast off by that government stripped of my rank and branded as a aral tor ter traitor mr grimm s lips formed the word silently 0 1 I fa la led don t 5 iou ou see she rushed on ignominy is the reward of fall fail ure prince dabruzzi went onn on to ne york that night cabled a full account of the destruction of the corn com pact to my government and sailed home on the following day I 1 was the responsible one one and now it all comes back on me for a moment she was silent it s so singular in gular mr air grimm grim the fight from the first was between us we two and you won TO BE CONTINUED P 4 04 N |