The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-08-18

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With such thoughts erowaing in on
him. and with a sense Of insecurity and
mystery surrounding the whole bust
ness, il is not surprising that the young
attacha was silent and prepossessed
at dinner, though he did bis level best
70 appear cheerful and at ease.
Immediately the ladies had with
drawn Malvern al once sought his
room. locked the door, and feYerishly
perused the book OF poems. which he
had put into his pocket, and searched
for further revelations.
BE careful" he spelled out again and
again: and scattered about the pages
we're other dotted words, which, when
d~eciphered, read: You are being
watched. Be on your guard against
the two"
That was all; but it vas enough to
quicken his pulses, and set him thro5-
bling with excitement.
Was Vera acquainted with his forth
coming visit to England with the dis
I bdtIltSs NAT a. a AbTStEOh AN hNN
himself repeatedly. but found no salts
factory solution. Well, he had received
a warning. and hoped to profit by 1t.
He would start on his mission without
an instant's delay. For greater security
he placed the dispatches, firmly fas-
tened, under his shirt.
Without waiting to change into
tweeds, he put on an oyercoat and a
cap.
He chartered a closed cab, and, so as
not to excite any suspicion, told the
driver to proceed slowly TO an outlying
suburb, whence he intended to entrain
for Calais. He had been driving for
about t~hree-quarters of an hour, when
the sound of a sharp but distinct teuf!
teuf! caught his ear, and set him all
agog.
Were these Russians-"the two" to
whom Vera's cipher had evidently re-
ferred-in pursuit? The motor rapidly
approached, and was evidently whirring
along at terrific speed. AS security
against possible accident the driver
stopped we'll to the left of the road and
watched for the motor to pass. In an
other moment the motor was on them,
and whether by accident or design NAL
vern could never determine, but just
as the car whizzed past, the back left
wheel caught the right front wheel OF
the carriage. There was a sharp wrench
and a jerk, and the front Of the cab was
a complete wreck.
Needless of the drivers cries and
curses, Malvern sprang out, flung him
his fare, and started TO run after the
motor at topmost speed, forh he thought
he had caught a glimpse of a huddled
female form in the car as ii flashed by;
and he also fancied he recognized both
the Russians. He ran on until almost
exhausted, following the trail of the car
on the muddy road as best he could, In
til the wheel marks turned off into a
narrow drive which terminated in a
small house.
He cautiously entered the drive,
stepped quietly on the grass, then made
for some bushes, and, pushing them
aside, stood, half concealed, looking at
the only lighted window to be seen. The
front door was left open. The car had
been left near the gate for sudden emer
gency. AS he locked at the lighted win
dow he suddenly became aware that a
woman was peering out into the dark
ness, and that the woman was Vera
Ivanoyitch.
Cautiously he stepped from his place
Of concealment and e~ndeayored to at
tract the attention of Vera, At last she
both saw and recognized him. Quietly
she opened the window and let down a
rope made from a couple of rugs
which she had securely fastened inside.
Then, with desperate pluck, the brave
girl swung over the sill, caught on to the
rugs, and scrambled down to Malvern,
who caught her as she fell the last few
feet.
quick" she whispered. "The carl"
She half dragged him t6 the motor.
into which they both leaped. 1t was
the work Of a moment to start it, but
no sooner had Malvern done so than two
men-the Russians-ran out of the
house. Two bullets whizzed harmless
ly past the car, and in another moment
Malvern and his precious charge were
tearing back toward Paris, safe from
pursuit. The young attache safely de-
livered the dispatches.
And that's how 1t was that Malvern
got promoted in the diplomatic service
and married Vera Ivanovitch.
Vera had known that the two Rus
slams were in the secret service and were
watching the young attache. 1t was she
who had ~endeavored to warn Malvern
with her secret cipher, and so had prac.
tically saved the situation. On pretense
of driving her home after the dinner,
they had kidnapped her in order to make
her reveal anything she might know of
the young attaches movements. for they
suspected that she was In league with
Malvern.
They intended Keeping her a prisoner
in the house, under the strict surveil-
lance Of two female custodians. until
her father had offered a sum Of money
for her release. Both were ultimately
captured and b~anishei; and so two dan
gerous men were routed from further
injury to the interests of England and
Japan,-Chicago Tribune.