Show no rims eer E er 40 TP J R Y FEL A avil elvaa AV M 1088 M bythe Ais associated misted MAraz lue cowl ht IM by the bobba derrll 6 t SYNOPSIS r i count dl Rosl nl the italian ambassador is ii leit a t din dihmer iier with I 1 diplomats ln tl th national c capital a itil when a messenger bringa a note erecting him to c ame to at once hero a beautiful young woman asks that ashe ana be given itic auchet young otto to the embassy ball the th ticket la made out in the name hamo of 0 miss ia abal thorne chief campbell of the secret abad mr grimm his head bead aro warned that a plot of the r facea against the E engual brush pe k inar races etow la its brewing in ash lugton grimm goes to the state ball for Wor formation mation in a conservatory hla his attention Is called to miss isabel thorne who with her companion soon disappears A revolver shot Is Is heird heard and and grimm hasten down the hall ball to find that senor alvarez Alv arc of the mexican legation has been shot A wp man inan didat did it and Gri inra la assured it was xam mass va v revelations somer vaguel indefinable shadow darkened miss Thor Th ornea neo c clear blue blab gray eyes 67 es in sharp contrast to 6 the he glow of radiant health in her chees cheeks as 1 sho obe stepped from the automobile in trout front oi of the venezuelan legation mid and ran lightly up them the steps A liveried servant opened the door A is waiting for you madam hl he announced 04 his card i is s here on the 1 I was expecting him she interrupted which room please T rho blue room madam miss thorne passed along the hallway which led to adult a suit of small draw t ins ing rooms opening on a garden in the rear pushed aside the and entered tm rm sorry sarry ive kept you P she began and then in a tone of surprise 1 I beg your pardon A gentleman rose and bowed gravely 1 I amar am mr grimm of the secret service he informed her with frank courtesy 1 I am afraid you were e ex peeling some one elsel else I 1 handed my card to the footman for an instant the blue gray eyes opened wide in astonishment and then some quick subtle change swept over miss fate face she smiled graciously and motioned him to a seat this thin to is quite a different meeting from the one senorita Sen orila had planned ant it tt she asked I 1 ime there re waa a taunting curve on her scarlet lips the shadow hadow passed from her eyes her slim white hands bands lay idly in h her earlap lap mr grimm regarded her reflectively inhere was a determination of s teel steel back of this charming exterior there was an indomitable will a been keen brain and all of a wom ans intuition to reckon with she was silent lent with a questioning upward slant of 0 her arched brows 1 I am not mistaken in assuming that you are a secret agent of the italian rovern government ment am IV I 1 he be queried alua finally ily 44 no nd she cespon responded ded red readily dily I 1 in that event I 1 may speak with ith perfect frankness he went on it would be as useless as it would be bb absurd havourd to approach the matter in hi iny any i other manner it was wa sia a a question ue stion miss thorne was still smiling but M afi again tho vague indefinable abado i momentarily lifted darkened h her irby ayos oil you may be frank of course ah said pleasantly please go ga on senor alvarez Alvar cz was shot hot at the german embassy wl bail las last t nigh eight i mr grimm told bar miss alias 1 thorne nodded as it if tit in wonder I 1 did you or did you yau not him bim it ai was quite quit d casual she reble received 0 t the be que question selon wit without boul change 0 of f countenance te nance but involuntarily sho she uffit her brea ta bave been aeu a assign of relief relict T 07 hy 40 do yon owe come to td irie alt sa suph ht a aquero query she aska askea 64 in turri tu rut 1 I beg your pardon interposed mr grimm steadily y ald you or did id aw 64 not shoot him no of cour course se 1 I 1 dl dav shoot almi Ws was the reply if there was a a i any heinch tion in an the tone it was m i er tience why do you qu come to tobi me eVi she repeated repeat 4 1 a why bolcome dol do i come to tOfy xou ou mr erlma echoed the question I 1 while hlll I 1 eyes rested on her face 1 I krift aiu be I 1 absolutely frank as I 1 feel sure you would be under the same stai stances ices he paused a moment she bhe n nodded well immediately after ie th shooting you ran along the hallway with a revolver in your hand y you op ra ran 1 down the steps into the itchen aind qui out through the back door w where er e entered an automobile that tha is nota conjecture jeaure ii 1 is s susceptible esq efti ble op ofa proof roof by oy esq eye witnesses 1 misa mind thorne rdse rose suddenly witha queer abbl bbl helpless plead little gesture af her armmand arms and walked to the window phe blood there for a long adde ith her hands clasp clasped ed behind her bick that brings us to another ques uon mr grimm continued merciless ly lt you aid not bof shoot shoo t senor al at alt 1 t I varez do you know Imo who did th there re was an another di herlong long pause paused id 1 I want t bel elfed feye 6 you alsa 1 thorne he supplemented s up demented temen ted 0 t she turned cuine d with of db ilande in her attitude 1 1 yes y know she alaid said slowly 1 it I were useless io fo deny it IQ who devno was t 98 I 1 wont teu tell you couf mr gri grimm mm leaned chaurand cha irand op spoke oke earnestly understand please 1 that thai b X that I 1 answer you assume equal guilt with the person who actually did the shooting he explained if you ad here to it you compel me to regard you as an accomplice his q question u ing took a different ferent dlf line willylu will Wil lyou you explain ho how w the revolver came cam ei into your our poss possession eslon oh 1 I I 1 picked it up in the hallway there she replied vaguely 1 I 1 want to believe you miss thorne mr grimm sald said T fiyo you u may I 1 picked it up in the hallway she repeated 1 I saw saw it lying there and picked it up why that instead of giving an alarm 9 no alarm was necessary the shot itself was wae an alarm then why mr grimm persisted coldly alid did you run along the hallway and escape by way of the kitch en if yop yo did not do the shooting why the necessity of escape carry carrying lut the revolver rev olvar there was that in the blue gra gray y eyes which brought mr grimm to ills his feet fact his hands gripped each other cruelly his tone was cal calm in as always why did you tale take the revolver he be asked miss head dropped for ward a little and she was silent there are only two possibilities of course he went on first that you in spite of your denial did the shooting 1 I did not the words fairly burst from froin her tightly closed lips or that you know knew the revolver and t took ook it to save the person man or woman who fired the shot I 1 will assume for the moment that this is cor reel wheres wh where ereis is the revolver 9 prom from the adjoining room abere came a slight noise a faint breath brea of sound or might it have been only an echo of silence their eyes were fixed each upon the others unwaveringly with not a flicker to in indicate dicato that e ther had heard after a mon moment kent A iss returned to her chair and s i down ys rather a singular situation Is nt t mr grimm it mm the she inquired inquiry e d ir r Vently le you mr lr grimm of 0 the S aaret ret service of the united stats stales 0 1 I isabel isa bj alio thorne a secret agent of df I 1 aay ly together here herd one accusing the 0 or of a crime and perhaps with bod g aad rea reason reagon gon where i Is the revolver mr C In insisted if you were any one else but you 0 ul 1 could uld ubi no afford to be frank with 3 du and s ayou yo d had been any one else but y you au 1 T ishou should ja d h have ae placed you under mar a ae arest st N anen I 1 entered the r room bd he smiled an and d inclined bar her head i I 1 understand she said pleasantly var or the 66 reason that you lre are mr kf r r linin of 61 the secret service I 1 shall t sll 11 you the 9 truth I 1 did ta take the g re gl L solver river because 0 I 1 knew wo had fired the i he shot r me abw anen en 1 I 1 toil tell you 1 hat that iha t person n did not act ith my I 1 knowledge now ledge or consent you tou do be bevo that you do she was plead lp d ug eager to convince him after a while awhile M mr r G grimm r imm poil nodded ded the revolver Is beyond your reach dmd d shall remain so ob sho r resumed es uwe d according to y your our laws I 1 suppose ose I 1 nn 41 ap an fic accomplice thaila that Is my mis 0 it willau will in no way alter my e e erml lon to keep silent if 1 I am arrested rr ested I 1 cauthe cant help lp it she studied Js s fada with hopeful eyes am 1 I to se forested arrested wheres reds the paper that was taken from senor alvarez immediately after he was wad shot mr grimm quer queried led 1 I dont know now 1 she replied frankly As I 1 understand I 1 it then the tha motive for the scooting snoot ing was to obtain 4 I 1 j g grimm found himself ins inspecting the weapon from the barrel end possession i of that paper for your government the individual who shot senor alyarez alvarez did obtain the paper yes yea and I 1 now please am I 1 to be I 1 arrested t and just what was the purpose pay may I 1 inquire odthe of the message you telegraphed egra phed with your kour fan in the ballroom you read that exclaimed miss thorne in mock astonishment you read that and the man who read that mesa message perhaps he shot the senor P perhaps Per hans she he taunted F for or a long time mr gramm stood aring staring at her staring staring she too rose and faced him quietly am I 1 to be arrested she basked asked again why do you make me do it ho he demanded that Is my affair mr grimm laid a hand upon her arm a hand that had never known nervousness A moment longer lie he stared stare dand and then I 1 1 Mad madam arni you are my prisoner for the lie attempted murder of senor al rv prez arez I 1 the rings on the portieres port leres eres behind him clicked sharply and the draperies parted mr grimm stood motionless with his hand on miss tho rne arm you were inq inquiring airing a moment ago for a 4 revolver came 6 in a mans voice I 1 here it isi iff mr grimm fouda foun himself inspecting tho the weapon from the barrel end aft y or er a moment his 91 glance shifted to iho blazing eyes ortho 0 man who beia heldia it 1 a young man r rather slight t fifth faa gut cut aristocratic atte fe features and of tho pronounced tallab al ad h type my bod T th he Q words ca came me from miss thorns Thor nos ups almost I 1 in a sc scream re aal dont on 0 1 vaid I did some inquiries about t f revolver revolve ri yes mr grimm interrupted qui quietly elly Is oner J fr ho raised his bis hand au adulte toi basua casual Y and his bis fingers clos closer lilt like steel eel around the weapon behind bigback his hig back mma ode awo e 46 1 c ph abic gesture and ifie tae U ew oberre leased the revolver er t f aar sis you 1 please olee td arbe masi thorne le he Huested rc I 1 courteously J 1 shot senor alvarez 1 V 14 too tod ama ecret agent ai of the atalla willing and able io defend miss thorne has haa told yov you t the lie truth wa bho had hohf nothing ng W whatever dd with it she aboh koak the and escaped be cau cause t was mine min e chere Is ithe paper pape that was from I 1 senar r alvrez alvarez and he offered a sealed envelope 1 I hilve hayo read s not what 1 expected you may return it to io so enor no r alvarez Alv areiS with my compliments aher after a moment mr grimms hand fell away from miss themes arm am and he be regarded the t an interest in which aamir admiration a aiono even played apart a part your name leea he finally t pietro rief cro Potro was the r ready dy r reply astray As Tsay I 1 say I 1 accept an all responsibility lity A A few minutes later mr grimm and his prisoner passed out but bUthe of the leg legation afon side by side and strolled down the efio street together in amicable couver conversation sw half an hour later senor al varez identified pietro liht as ars theman the man who shot him and the mild maid servant expressed a belief that fig was Jt heman 1 man who 9 I 1 ine her lace face TO ITO BE CONTINUED |