The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-07
fcontinued.)

(Continued.)
 'while he was busy finding the iost beads. I whipped out the key, took an impression of 1t on piece or wax had ready concealed in my nandker- chief, and slipped 1t back into the lock while he was still on his hands and knees on the floor. Then he opened fine safe door for a moment. just to give me the peep had begged for, but not long enough for me to touch any thing eyen if I'd dared to try with him standing there. Enough, though. 10 show me that the documents were neat Iy arranged in labelled pigeon-hoies and to see their general character. color and shape. That same day key 10 fit the lock was being made; and when 1t was ready, I made an excuse to call again on Raoul at the omce. Not that a very elaborate excuse was needed The poor fellow, trusting me as he trusts himself, or more, was only too glad to have me come to hlm, even in that sacred place. Now, the thins was to get him away. But I'd maoe up my mind what to do. In another office, upstairs, was. a friend Of Raoui --the one who introduced us to eacn other. and I'd made up message Ior him. which I begged Raoul to take, ana bring his friend to speak to me. he went, and I believed l might count on five minutes to myself. No more-put those five minutes would nave 70 DO enough for success or failure me in atant the door shut behind Raoul, l was at the safe. The key fitted l snatched out a folded document, ana opened it to make quite, quite certain it was the right one, for mistake would be inexcusable and spoil every thing. It was what l wanted-the treaty newly made, between Japan Russia and France-the treaty Wnioi your Foreign Secretary thought ne mad reason to believe was secret one, ar ranged between the three countries without the knowledge of England and ko the prejudice of her interests The one glance had gave me the impress sion that the document was notnihs ol the kind, but quite innocent, aHectins trade only; yet that wasn't my pus ness. I had to send it to the Foreign gecratary. who wanted to know us nrecise nature. and whether England was beine deceived. In place or the treatv I slipped into It's pigeon hole d document I'd brought with me-Just like the real thing. No one opening the safe on other business would sus- pect the change that had been maoe' Nv hope was to get the treaty back be- Tcra if should be missed. You see, I was betraying Raoul, to save him. DO you nnderstand?"
 "I understand. You must have per- yuaded yourself that you were Justileu. But. good heavens, Maxine, coulont aelp breaking out, it was an aWAul hing to do"
 "I know-I know. But had to have Inc money-for Raoul And there was no other way to get it. You remem- Der. I'd refused, till the diamonds were Host. and would have refused even If Raoul had nothing to do with the French Foreign Offfce. But let me go on telling you what happened. had lime enough. I had even minute or Two to spare. And fortunately for me. Inc man I'd sent Raoul to find was out. looked at my watch, pretended to be surprised and said I must go at once I couldn't bear to waste second in hurryine the treaty off, so that 1t might khe more quickly be on its way back. | hadn't come to visit Raoul in my own carriage, but in a cab, which was wait Ing. As Raoul was taking me to 1t, Count Godensky got out of motor brougham, and saw me, If only ft had been anwhere except in front of the Forefrfi once. I told myself there was no reason why he should guess that anything was wrong but l was In such a state of nerves that, as he raised his hat, and his eyebrows, l fancied that he imagined all sorts of things, and l IelL myself 6AO" lNN NANA fesAN- What I fool I was-and how weak! But couldn't help it. I didn't wait to Eo home I wrote few lines in the cab, and sent off the packet registered, In time I hoped, to catch the post--but after all, it didn't. Coming out from Inc postofice there was Godensky again, in his motor-brougham. That could have been no coincidence. A horrid certainty sprang to life in me that he'd followed my cab from the Foreign Office, to- see where would Eo Why couldn't I have thought of that danger? I have always thought of things, and guarded against them; yet this time. this time of all others. Beemed fated "
 But If Godensky had known what you were doing, the game would have been up for you before this.' said
 "He didn't know, of course. only If he wants to be a woman's lover and she won't have him, he's her enemy and he's the enemy of the man who Is her lover He's too clever and too careful of his own interests to speak out pre- maturely anything he might vaguely suspect, for 1t would do him harm if he proved mistaken He wouldn't yet, 2 think, even warn those whom it might