Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-25

to a fathers hand. Lawrence Rand'S
reputation out of the first half dozen
cases of which the newspapers got the
facts secured him such attention that he
was compelled TO choose only the more
important commissions, for sheer lack of
time to give to the minor ones. II was
odd that almost immediately after the af-
fair at Halifax. in which he averted the
world wide calamity that the insane DR..
karsch was about to visit on humanity.
he should be summoned in<an almost SIM
liar emergency. If there had been the
slightest whisper IN public print concern
ing the first exploit il might have been
taken for granted that II led To the fol-
lowing cablegram which he brought down
TO my office the morning of the Sth or
March. 1t was sent to his cable address
and read:
'.Ciudad de Mexico, Hotel Iturbide.
Take next steamer to Vera Cruz, II
possible. Pay any price. Reference.
Brown Bros. Critical case. international
importance. Better meet steamer.
CARLOS GONZALES ROD1O."
IF / CO. YOU must go with me. said
Rand. when had read it, and must
leave several small matters for your
amiable legal partner Belts to look after.
First however, as | have my reasons for
not wishing to appear in the matter. VIII
you go over TO Brown Bros and look up
the gentleman Ito wants me 50 badly ne
will pay any price,?
1t Interested me that Rand did not wish
10 go to Brown Bros. himself. and then.
too. from the instant he entered the once
he had taken up his position at the win
dow to watch the street below. and now
his trim. muscular figure was sharply sill
houetted against the light as he stood
with his back to me while he spoke
Making a note of the name signed 10
the cablesram. | caTght up my hat and
topcoat and started out. only TO be stop
ped at the door by sharp exclamation
from Rand .
."Get into the street quickly. Duncan"
said he without turning away from the
window land if you meet man with q
black silk hat or a woman with a brown
veil don't look twice at them. Be sure
no such man or woman follows you. Tel
ephone me the result Do not come back
here. Hurry. man. hurry!
/ wished very much to ask him why
these precautions before he had decided
10 take up the case even. but he seemed
to be so urgent that l made all haste or
men with high hats whom L met on the
way there was an abundance. out saw
no woman with a brown veil: in fact, saw
no woman in the busy thronSs OF men
worth taking note of save one. VINO was
pacing up and down in the corridor at
Brown Bros A hanson stood at the
door. but if it was hers she seemed to be
waiting for some one else. AS she did
not look at me and had no Drown
veil that 1 could see, did not
scruple to glance more than once
at her. OF a plump German figure with
a spIendid head of auburn hair and the
milk-white skin often seen with IL. She
had ewes of a sort such as / have never
seen before or since. They were large
and dark-black one would say hastily.
but really of heavy shade OF gray ana
there was a peculiar far-away expression
in them.
I stood in line to make my inquiry ana
when my turn came at the window
pushed In a slip of paper with Carols
Gonzales Rodio'' written on IL ana
said:
eonal and financial reference by this gen.
tleman What can you tell me-?
The clerk took the slip. turned away a
moment, as if consulting a superior, and
said in one of those high, whining voices
Gen. Gonzales is a soldier, diplo-
mat and former cabinet minister in Mex
leo Now he is one of the prominent law
yers there and is rated at twenty-five
millions Mex We have banked for him
Germany. and later in England, and be-
lieve him to be man of high integrity
as we'll as ability.
Thank YOU" said !. and turned to
meet the eyes of the unknown woman
leveled full on me from where she stood,
not ten feet away. The far-away express
sion was gone. but only my turning
quickly trapped her in observing ME. for
she looked away at once.
l went to a telephone near by and COM
municated the result of the inquiry to
Rand.
Very we'll" said he. Il want you to
go with me. There is a steamer sailing
OF r. Cot