Show 11 ii i i 11 11 SERIAL STORY 9 ISA L jacqz by 1 1 r j ar M vve imi 18 by th A lw by th B ah anu c pany SYNOPSIS count dl Ilo sint the italian ambas bador ador in if at dinner with diplomats in the national capital when a r br brines 1 a note directing him to come to th the e embassy at once here a beautiful young woman asks that she be given a ticket to the ern embassy bassy ball bait the ticket t to la made out in the name of miss isabel thorne C chief hief campbell ot of the th secret ecret service and mr air grimm his head detective tire are warned that a plot of the latin races race against the speaking races race Is brewing in washington and nd grimm goes e to the state ball bal for into r m lin in a conservatory hla his attention tent io n Is in aall d to alba isabel thorne who with her companion compani on boon disappears A revo revolver i ver shot sho t ial heard ani and K campbell rn and grimm histan hasten down th the hall ball to find that ben senor 0 r alvarez of t the h mexican legation has been shot hot A w woman 0 did it and grimm to Is assured it w was as miss ml thorne CHAPTER VI revelations some vague indefinable shadow dalk darkened ened miss Th ornea clear blue gray eyes in sharp contrast to the glow of radiant health in her cheeks as she stepped from the automobile in front of tho the venezuelan legation and ran lightly up the steps A liveried servant opened the door A gentleman Is waiting for you madam he announced ills his card la Is here on the 1 I was waa expecting him she interrupted which room please the blue room madam miss thorne passed along the hallway which led to a suit of 0 small draw ing rooms opening on PA a garden in the rear pushed aside tho the port leres and entered im sorry softy ive kept you she began and then la in a tone ot of surprise 1 I beg your pardon it A gentleman rose an and J d emmely T 1 I am mr grimm of the s ci v ice he be informed her with courtesy 1 I am afraid you we were e vc t pecking some one elsel I 1 hands handed my card to the footman for an instant the blue gray eyes opened wide in astonishment and then some come quick subtle change swept over bliss themes face she smiled graciously and motioned him to a seat this Is quite a different from the one senorita rodriguez had bad planned it she asked there was waa a taunting curve on her scarlet lips the shadow passed from her ber eyes her slim white hands lay idly in her lap mr grimm regarded her reflectively there was a determination of steel back of this me charming exterior there was an indomitable will a keen brain and all of a wom ans intuition to reckon with sh she e was waa silent with a questioning upward slant of her arched brows 1 I am not mistaken in assuming that you are a secret agent of the italian government am 1 I he queried finally no she responded readily in that event I 1 may speak with perfect frankness he went on it would be as useless as it would be ba absurd to approach the matter in any ather manner it was a question miss thorne was still smiling but again the vague indefinable shadow momentarily lifted darkened her eyes you may be frank of course she said pleasantly please go on senor Alva auvarez rei was shot at the german embassy ball last night mr grimm told old her bliss thorne eborne nodded aa it if in wonder did you or or did you not dhoot elm bim it was quite casual she received the question without change or of countenance te nance but involuntarily she caught her breath it might have been a sigh of relief why do you come to me with such a query she naked asked in turn 1 I big beg your pardon interposed mr grimm steadily did you or did you not mot shoot him no of course I 1 shoot him was the reply it if there was any emotion in the tone iti was merely impatience why do you como come to me she he repeated why do I 1 come coma to you mr grimm echoed the question while his bis listless eyes rested on her face ace 1 I will be ba absolutely frank as I 1 feel sure you would he be under the same circum stall atances nt ances ces ile iia paused a moment she eha nodded well immediately after the shooting hooting you ran along the hallway with ith a revolver in your hand band you ran down tile the steps slept into the kitchen Id and out through the back door where you entered an automobile that Is not conjecture uro it Is susceptible of proof by eye witnesses bliss thorns thorne rose suddenly with IL a queer helpless little gesture of her arma and walked to the window she stood there for a long time with her hands clasped behind her back that brings bring us to another question tion mr grimm continued merciless ly it you did not shoot shoo t senor alvarez alvarex do you know who he did there was another long pause 1 I want rant to believe you was miss thorne ho supplemented she turri turned tit quickly with something of defiance in her attitude yes yea I 1 know she said bald slowly it are were useless to deny it who was waa it 1 I wont tell you mr grimm leaned forward in his chair and spoke spohn earnestly baj understand please that by that answer y you 0 u assume equal guilt with the pers person 0 n who actually did tho the shooting ho he explained it if you adhere to it you compel me ma to regard you as an accomplice ills question ing took a different line will you explain how the revolver came into your possession ohl oh 1 I 1 I picked it up in the hallway ballway there sho she replied vaguely 1 I went want to believe you miss thorne mr grimm said again you may I 1 picked it up in the tha hallway she repeated 1 I saw it lying there and picked it up why that instead of giving an alarm no alarm was necessary 7 the shot itself elf was an alarm then why mr grimm persisted coldly did you run along the hallway and escape by way of the kitch on ell if you did not do the shooting why the necessity of escape carrying the revolver there was that in the blue gray eyes which brought mr grimm to his feet his hands gripped each other cruelly hla his tone was calm as always why did you take the revolver ho he asked miss bliss head bead dropped forward a little and sho she was waa silent there are only two possibilities of course he be went on first that you in spi spite teof of your dental denial did the tha shooting 1 I did nott the words fairly burst from her tightly closed lips or that you knew the revolver and took it to save the person man or woman who fired the shot I 1 will assume for the moment that this Is correct Is the revolver from the adjoining room there came a slight noise a faint breath of sound bound or it might have been only an mr grimm found himself inspecting the weapon from the barrel end echo oi of silence their eyes were fixed each upon the others unwaveringly with not a nicker flicker to indicate that either tad heard beard after a moment miss bliss thorne returned to her chair and sat down its rather a singular situation it mr grimm she inquired irrel evently you mr grer grimm am 0 ot the secret service of at the united states 1 I isabel thorne a secret agent of italy together here one accusing the other of a crime and perhaps with good reason where Is the revolver mr grimm insisted it if you were wera any one else ellse but youl you I 1 could not afford to be frank with you and it if you had been any one ona else but you I 1 should have hare placed you under arrest when I 1 entered the room she smiled and inclined her head 1 I understand she said pleasantly for tho reason that you yoa lira are mr crimin ot of tho the secret service I 1 shall toll tell you the krutil I 1 did take the revolver because I 1 knew who had fired the shot believe me when I 1 tell you that that person did not act ith my knowledge or bonsen con consent sen you do believe that you do she was waa ale pleads ins ing eager to convince him after a while mr grimm n nodded 04 idel the revolver la Is beyond your reach and shall remain so sh sho 0 resumed according to your laws I 1 suppose I 1 am an accomplice that to my misfortune it will in no way alter yay determination to keep silent allent it I 1 am arrested I 1 cant help it she studied hla his face ace with hopeful eyes elec am I 1 to be arrested where la Is the paper that was wa taken from senor alvarez immediately atter after he was shot mr grimm queried 1 I dont know she replied frankly As I 1 understand it then the motive for the shooting was to obtain possession of 0 that paper for your government governments the individual who shot senor al varez did obtain the paper yes yea and now please am I 1 to be arrested I 1 and lust just what was the purpose ae may I 1 inquire of the message boutel you i telegraphed egra phed with your fan in tho the ballroom you read that exclaimed miss thorne in mock astonishment you read that and the man who read that message na ge perhaps ho he shot the senor lenort se norT Per bars she taunted for a long time mr grimm stood staring at her staring staring she too rose roae an and d faced him QI quietly i I 1 etly am I 1 to be arrested she sha asked a gain again why do you make me do it he be demanded that la Is my affair mr air grimm laid a hand upon her arm a hand that bad never known nervousness A moment longer he ha stared and then madam you are my prisoner for the attempted murder of senor alvarez T jezl abbe tho rings on the port leres behind bi him m c licked clicked sharply and the draperies parted mr grimm stood motionless with his hand on miss eborne Tb ornea a arm you were inquiring a moment ago for a revolver cams came in a mans voice here it tat lal mr grimm found himself inspecting the weapon from the barrel end after a moment his glance shifted to the blazing eyes of the man who held it a young man rather slight with clean cut aristocratic features and of the pronounced italian type my bly godl god the words came from miss bliss Th ornea lips almost in a scream dont I 1 1 I did make some inquiries about a re volver revolver yes mr grimm interrupted quietly Is this the one ile he raised his bis hand quite casually and his fingers closed like abeel steel around the weapon behind hla his back miss thorne make some gome quick erab emphatic b a tic gesture and the newcomer new comer released F the revolver 1 I shall ask you please to free miss thorns thorne he be requested courteously 1 I shot senor alvarez 1 I too am a secret agent of the italian government willing and able to defend myself bliss thorne thorna has told you the truth she had nothing whatever to do with it it she took tho the weapon and escaped because it was mine here Is the paper that was wan taken from senor benor alvarez and he offered a sealed envelope 1 I havo have read it it to Is not what I 1 expected you may return it to alvarez alvarex w with it h my compliments after a moment mr grimms grimm hand tell fell away from miss arm and ho be regarded the newcomer new comer with an interest in which admiration even played a part your name ho he asked finally pietro annl was the ready reply As I 1 say bay I 1 accept all responsibility lity A fe few w minutes later mr grimm and his arl prisoner r seed out of the legation s side ide by side aide and strolled down the thai street together in amicable conversa con conversation verea halt half an hour later senor alvarez identified pietro Petro as a the nian man who shot him and the maid servant expressed a belief that he be was the man who slammed the door in her face TO na CONTINUED |