The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-10

dreadful fact kind of inevitablltv.
She flung herself down on the sof,
with groan, her face buried in her
hands
My God. what a punishment" sha
stammered i've ruined the man
rlsked everything to save. l viii %
to the theatre. and will act Tonight.
my friend, but unless you can give
mo back what is lost. when tomorrow
morning comes, l shall be out Of tho
world
Don't say that" I implored, sicls
with pity for her and shame at my
failure. "All hope isn't over yet; II,
can't be. I'll think this out. There
must be solution. There must be n
way of laying hold of what seems to
be gone. If by giving my life could
get II, assure you / wouldn't hesf-
tate for an instant, now; SO you see.
there's nothing I won't do to helm
you. Only, wish the path could be-
made II little palmer for me-unless
for some reason It's necessary for you
to keep me in the dark. The word
treaty heard for the first time from
you. didn't know what was bring.
ing you. except that 1t was a docu-
ment of international Importance, and
that you'd been helping the British
Foreign Sccretary-perhaps Great Brit-
ain as Power--in some tickllst,
manoeuvre of high politics. He. said
| that. so far as he was concerned, you
might tell me more If you liked. Ha
I left II to you. That was his message.
Then / viii tell you more" Maxlnu
exclaimed. at will be better to do
so. ! know that 1t will make 1t easier
! for you to help me. The document you
| were bringing me was a treaty--a
| quite new treaty between Japan, Rus
| sa and France; not n copy, but tho
original. England had been warned
| that there was secret understandings
| between the three countries, unknown
to her. There was no time to make a
copy. And stole the real treaty from
| Raoul du Laurier, to whom l am en-
| gaged-whom adore. Ivor. as didn't
| know II was in me to adore any man.
| You know his name, perhaps--,iat he's;
| Under. Secretary In the Foreign Office.
here in Paris oh, / can read in your
| eyes what you're thinking of me, now
! You can't think worse OF me than
| think OF myself. Yet / did the t,iag
| for Raoul's sake. There's that in my
| defence-only that"
Il don't understand" l said. trying
| not to show the horror OF Maxine's
! treachery to man who loved and
| trusted her, which 1 could not help
| feeling.
\ 4
| betrayed him But Eli tell you every
/ thing-I'll go back long way. Then
/ youll pity me, even IL you scorn me.
/ too. You'll work for me--to save me.
I and him. For years I've helped tho
| British government. oh, won't spare
/ myself. I've been spy, sometimes
| against one Power sometimes against
/ another. When there was anything tn
| do against Russia, was always glad.
/ because my dear father was Pole.
! and you know how Poles feel towards
| Russia Russia ruined his life. and
/ stripped 1t of everything worth hae-
/ ing. not only money. bnt--oh, we'll.
/ that's not in this story of mine.
| won't trouble you or waste time in tho
| telling. Only. when was a very young
| girl, was already the enemy of all
i that's Russian, with a big debt of re-.
/ venge to pay. And I've been paying
| 1t. slowly. Don't think that the money.
| I'VE had for my work--hateful work
| often-has been used for myself. It's
/ been for my fathers country-poor.
I sad country--every shilling Of English
1 coin AS an actress I've supported my
4 self, and as an actress. 1t has been
| easier for me to do the other secret
/ work than ii would have been for
j woman leading a more sheltered lifet
i mngling less with distinguished per-
i sons of different countries. or unabls
/ TO he eccentric without causing scan
4 dal. AS for France. she's the friend
of Russia, and haven't drop or
i French blood in my veins, so. at least,
i I'VE never been treacherous to my >wn
\ people. Oh, ] have made some great
! co,lps in the last eight or nine years,
/ Iyor, for / began when / was
j sixteen and now I'm twenty-six once
i or twice England has had to thank ma
4 for giving her news of the most vital
4 Importance. You're shocked to hear
1 what my inner life has been?"
i IF / were shocked, no doubt tho
Il feeling would be more than half con-
i yentional One hardly knows how
i conventional ones opinions are Until
\ one stops to think" said I.
j "Once, I glorled In the work" Max
inc went on. But that was before
fell in love. You and have played n
II little at being in love, but that was TO
II pass the time Both of us were llrt-
II ing. I'd never met Raoul then. and
4 I've never really loved any man except
i him. 1t came at first sight for me;
4 and when he told me that he cared.
u he said 1t had begun when he tlrst saw
Il me on the stage; so you see " Is Az
u II we We're meant for each other. FROM
II the moment gave him my promise,
Il nron1ised myself that the old work
J, should be given up for ever; Raoul's
j fancee, Raoul's wife, should not be tho
4 tool of diplomatists. Besides. as he's
h n Frenchman, his wife would owe 10y
1 atty to France, which Maxine de ken
ii zie never owed. l wanted-oh, now
much I wanted-to be only what Raonl
believed me, just simple, true hearted
4 woman. with nothing to hide It made
me sick to think that there WAS one
q thing I must always conceal from MN.
|, hut 1 did the best could. ! vowed
to myself that I'd break with the past.
i and / wrote letter to the BRUSH
Foreign Secretary, who mas always
been good friend Of NINE. ! sa'u :
was engaged, and hoped to begin my
!, life all over again in different way.
!, thongh he might be sure that I'd know
j, how how to keep his secrets,as well as my
own Oh. Ivor. to think that was
ha INV then. / feel twenty years older
now"
lotto be Continued To-morrow.)