The age-herald., 1901-11-24
A Modern Miracle.

Modern Miracle.
 'Iswant you to go and live in Bloomn- bury fora little while. ? Sir Edward said. Il looked up in surprise.
 'Bloomsbury?" I echoed Gan that dull but eminently respectable neighbor- hood require my attention? I can i'm agine discontent seething in the rank at mosphere of Soho, orsplots affecting the fate of nations being concocted in Pnn Mall, but l should have thought the Bloomsbury air would have been fatal to any. excess of imagination"
 You are severe" the Chief said smil- ing. Have you forgotten all the celeb- rites whom Bloomsbury can claim Though I acknowledge they may have be- come famous in spite of their surround ings, not because of them. However, it is just on account of it's well known re- spectability-not to say eommonplaceness that I wish you to go there, You are less likely to be suspected"
 I waited for further information. The truth is," the Chief continued, speaking in a lower tone, and with a hes- itation quite foreign to his usual manner,
 
 I am being watched. Even here do not feel quite safe.' l looked at him in as5 tonishment
 Surely" I said. you can have no reason to suspect treachery in any of your own immediate staff? I have heard you say that they have all been well tried before they come. to you because so much depends on their faith and honor
 That is all true enough" he returned, "and-I have never had reason to feel un- easy before. or to doubt the wisdom of my system. I have no real ground to do so now, as far as 1 know, but one or two things have occurred-only trifies as yet. but spark may come from great fire-which have made me uncomfortable and suspicious. l can discover nothing. and what has happened is capable of le- gitimate explanation, therefore, l do not wish to attach undue importance to It, or to let any one else see that my atten- tion has been aroused. At the same time I do not intend to run any risks So, as 1 am shortly expecting an agent from abroad to bring me some important plans and sketches, l wish you to act as go-astween. B
 You can take apartments in a quiet, respectable street near the British Mu- scum, ostensibly for the purpose of ire quenting the reading room and collect- ing material for book you are writing on some abstruse subject. You will have a few visitors now and again, among whom will be my messenger. He will give you the papers, which you will bring to me yourself and which l shall study and destroy immediately. In this way I think I shall be able to defeat any treachery that may be at work"
 '"The plans will be of considerable val ue, presume?"
 "Of the greatest. It is for this reason I will not trust the post. My agent might bring them to me himself but l. do not wish to run the risk of his being seen here"
 'T see you think the traitor must be close at hand"
 T am afraid so. I cannot trust even the walls,' looking around with slight laugh, "or the lock of my Milner safe. Whispers get abroad which seem to eIn- anate from nowhere. If the intelligence my present messenger Is bringing me should leak out, it would be most disas-i trous."
 You can trust this, messenger conn pletely?"
 ''Without any reserve. He will call on you under the name of Watson. It will be as we'll for you not to come here again until you bring the papers. have taken means to prevent our being watched today, but I will not chance another interview"
 But suppose that 1t is absolutely nec- essary that I should communicate with you What am to do then? Write?'
 "On no account. It is possible that my letters are being tempered with. There is a young lad I employ occasionally whose I will give you, to whom you may safely entrust any written communica@ l,lf fr6 ot,d hoa haas4 so from his birth. He is well educated and belongs to very decent people, and he can find his way about wonderfully I have never had cause to doubt him. his blindness is almost a proof of his fidelity, but to make quite sure that he is not interfered with, you can seal your letter with your private seal, and mark