Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-24

ability that he is out of his place in life. He is
the man McCready, whom you noted the first day"
An hour later as stood at the head of the center
aisle and looked at the little woman seated in
the stage box watching the performance already
begun it flashed over that l had seen her in
broad daylight time recently. 1 could not
say when or where, but every line OF her figure
and something about her hat with its hlmy
drapery about the brim was familiar.
Good evening Mr.. Duncan she said with
gracious smile as entered the box. 1t was neces-
sary for me to put forth an effort to repress sur
prise that she knew my name. You are Mr.. Dun
can, are you not? OF course you wonder how 1
guessed it. l know Mr.. Rand by sight and as he
did not come who is so likely to take his place as
yourself?"
II am extremely glad to meet you, Miss De-
sarte" began, boldly leading trump Il must
confess profound admiration for the manned in
which you cleared that wall the other evening. One
of the officers with wanted to try wing shot at
you, but am very glad he was restrained"
Really, was some about to shoot at me?
she responded gleefuy and without the slightest
constraint. 1 had not stirred her in the least by
my tactics. THAT was most exciting. You know
do very great deal of work for the foreign gov
ernments especially the French, and / had made
I'D my mind that there number of things in
that the Bureau Maritime would be glad to hear of.
so | went over with my pole. I was very sorry to
be compelled to leave 1t behind"
7 could scarcely keep from smiling. She thought
she had hoodwinked me completely by her appar-
ent candor: least she had established friendly
though false basis between us which would be
agreeable to both and would allow to play each
his or her own game in the background.
She was very pretty and most interesting espec-
tally stories of experiences spy; in fact we
enjoyed the evening greatly. and If there was any
constraint between neither showed 1t. was
amazed at her information about the great secret
international cases of late years and realized for
the first time that were arrayed against CO.
terie we'll worth the struggle. Perhaps she meant
for me to this. Perhaps she was so audacious
as to be willing to let think that, in her. had
my hand on the medium of the transmission of the
information and to defy me to find out who the
sender was and who the ultimate receiver.
AS we were about to alight from the cab at her
door, she said:
'Mr Duncan, it is fad with me, this going to
the beaches but will you meet me at Hedlers ON
the walk at Far Rockaway at eleven tomorrow
morning may have some very interesting things
to tell you.
The latter hint was bait, pure and simple or
course agreed to go and it not until got to
the club that made up my mind that she had no
intention whatsoever of going but was bent only on
removing from the scene of action.
The cabman called me back he turned away
from the club doorway.
"You have left something. sir" he said.
Another cab was passing at a slow speed and tall
dark man loed ndolenty in it.. watching me by
the bright light as stepped forward and picked
from the bottom of my cab, thin, black leather
wallet closely filled with papers. Just then there
nk~ 81 afrh-
ed from my hand. and turned in time to see the
tall dark spring back into his cab with the
agility of a tiger. Before my cabby could get un-
dar way the other cab was lost in the trong.
or course must tell Rand at all that had
happened and / knew | would have a struggle to
keep from choking him when he laughed at me-
And well he might be amused. Doubtless had
had the whole secret in my hands, at least could
have made sure of whether not the fair Anita
our prey.
Absently stood in the library bordering the
matter when of the attendants came to me
with. note ON tray. Under it lay the thin black
wallet empty. The note read:
Dear Dunk: Go to Yorkville Court in the
ing at nine and appear against the Baron Won
Oldenhaus, charged with larceny of your wallet on
the street Get postponement He is in the GUS
tody of Sergeant Creagan in the Hotel st. Auburn,
and if remanded to Creagan's custody may be kept
out of the game tomorrow Join me at the navy
yard at noon We near the finish. Rand.
was too tired to puzzle over the last strange
turn of events and in half an hour was at home
and asleep.
At Yorkville Court l found that the Baron Won
Oldenhaus of Rand's note my tall dark friend,
of the night previous | got him remanded in
Creagans custody as suggested. 1t nearing
eleven when left the court and hurried to the
navy yard, reading my way note which Crea-
gan had passed me in answer to my whispered re-
quest as to what statement the Baron had made to
him.
Creagan said that the Baron's version was that
he had been instructed by his government to come
to the United States, get in touch with Anita De-
sarte, and while maintaining friendly relation
ship between them, make sure that she was proper
y serving the bureau of military Intelligence at
Berlin in securing some information on battleship
construction He had followed her to the New
Amsterdam Theatre, had her encounter me
and had traed us to her home. Just after
left she had come running out in great excitement
to look for her lost wallet Hearing her story, the
tic