Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-09-20

flrSJ ana foremost. / am clti-
zen of the United States; l have been
soldier besides. 1t was my common
right TO destroy these plans, which
indirectly menaced my country's safe
ty. These, ,"-pointing to the bank
notes, ARE yours, believe. Nothing
further requires your presence here"
Eyes, yes; l remember now! Fool
that | have been!" Karloff struck his
forehead in helpless rage. 81 never
observed you closely till now. I re-
call. The secret service: Europe,
New York. Washington; you have
known it all along. Spy!"
''That is an epithet which easily re-
bounds Spy? Why, yes; do for my
country what you do for yours"
"The name, the name! l can not
recollect the name! The beard is gone,
but that does not matter, "-excitedly.
Warburton breathed easier. While
he did not want the girl to know who
he was just then, he was glad that
Karloff's memory had taken his
thought away from the crate and it's
valuable but rapidly disappearing fuel.
Father! Father, what is it?" cried
the girl, her voice keyed to agony.
Father"
The two men turned about. An
nesley had tainted in his chair. Both
Warburton and Karloff mechanically
started forward to offer aid, but she re-
PEELED their approach.
do not come near me; you have
done enough. Father, dear!" She
slapped the colonels wrists and un-
loosed his collar.
The antagonists, forgetting their
own battle, stood silently watching
hers. Warburton's mind was first to
clear and without moments hesita-
tion he darted from the room and i'm
mediately returned with a glass o.
water. He held it out to the girl. Their
glances clashed; thousand mute, an
CRY questions in her eyes, a thousand
mute, humble answers in his. She ac-
cepted the glass, and her hand trem-
bled as she dipped her fingers into the
cool depths and flecked the drops into
the unconscious mans face.
Meanwhile Karloff stood with folded
arms, staring melancholically into the
CRATE, where his dreams had disap,
peared in smoke.
BY and by the colonel sighed and
opened his eyes. For a time he did
not know where he was, and his gaze
wandered mistily from face to face.
Then recollection came back to him.
recollection bristling with thorns. He
struggled to his feet and faced Warbur-
ton. The girl put her arms around
him to steady him, but he gently dis
engaged himself.
care you from the secret service,
sir? If so, am ready to accompany
you wherever you say. l, who have
left my blood on many battle-ground,
was about to commit reasonable act.
Allow me first to straighten up my
affairs, then you may do with me as
you please. l am guilty of crime;
have the courage to pay the penalty"
His calm was extraordinary, and even
Karloff looked at him with a sparkle
of admiration.
AS a plummet plunges into the sea,
so the girls look plunged into Warbur-
toms soul; and had he been an Of
ficer of the law, he knew that he would
have utterly disregarded his duty.
81 am not secret service man, sir"
he replied unevenly. ''If l were,"-
pointing to the CRATE, your plans
would not have fed the fire.
"Who are you, then, and what do
you in my house in this guise? ?"-
proudly.
81 am your head stable-man-fo
the present. 1t was all by chance.
came into this room yesterday to get
book on veterinary surgery. I ac-
cidently saw plan. / have been a
soldier. / knew that such thing had
no rightful place in this house. .
l was coming across the lawn, when
looked into the window. 1t is
not for me to judge you, sir. My duty
lay in destroying those plans before
they harmed any one"
mo, it is not foT you to Judge me-"
said the colonel. IL have gambled
away my daugh ters fortune. To keep
her in ignorance of the fact and to re-
turn to her the amount had wrong
fully used, l consented to sell to Rus
sia the coast fortiication plans of my
country, such as l could draw from
memory. No. it is not for you to
judge me; only God has the right TO
do that"
Il am only groom" said Warbur-
ton, simply. What l have heard
shall forget"
All, had he but looked at the girls
face then!
A change came over Karloffs coun-
tenance; his shoulders dropped; the
melancholy fire died out of his face
and eyes. With an air of resignation
and clear sense of the proportion of
things, he reached out and took up the
note upon which Annesley had scrawled
his signature.
Warburton, always alert, seized the
counts wrist. He saw the name of a