The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-19

with him when he he began, passionately
 'Hush!' cried the girl, and she put out he1 hand and covered his mouth, her face suddenly grown serious. I heard you-I was conscious and you've said more than enough You're a brave man, coIoDeI-'"
 Baintree stopped abruptly at my look of won der. "Yes,' he said, f'she called him colonel though he knew why, and-but that came later" Then he went
 You're a brave man, colonel the girl re- peated, and I love you for it; but don't be fool hardy. It's your reputation know, but for this once, for my sake, forgo it. I thank you for what you and your friend have done and you may be l shall not forget it.
 By this time horse-I don't know where
 Baiatree leaned back in his chair and again filled his pipe.
 .'Tkere never was minute after that he con- tinued, after he had smoked for time in re- irrespective silence, "so long as we remained in Mukden, that were not under surveillance.
 "Orly few days later we were courteously but very pointedly informed that the good of the ser vice required presence in Tokio.
 "Ws went to Toko; there help for it. I made a tentative proposal looking toward Amer .ca, tut they laughed at me. We were treated well-and constantly watched. One day Lombard returned to hotel flushed and excited.
 "Tve seen her, John,' he cried hardly waiting to get inside the door. I've seen her-in a car riage--with that again-and she saw me and turned pale-and he saw and scowled-and- and-and-say, what the devil do you make out of this anyway
 Naturally, I needed no explanation. I waited until ae had calmed down bit and then we talked it By this time. of course. had some sus- picion as to why we were watched But did not tell Lombard. ..@f.F92
 .when we received invitations to one of the jubilee functions ordered by the Court, I should have warned.
 ''Tke event that called out the best the capital afforded. Royalty was represented, the rail fbo dipIop fic mod an masse and there were few especially favored foreigners like ourselves Lombard was openly happy when finally the girl put in appearance, followed by the inevitable Jap. who none other than the colonel again. She bowed to gracious ly, but try might, we never could get close to her. Once she smiled in hopeless sort of way and shrugged her pretty shoulders when she saw were watching. Finally though it was early, she and her escort rose to leave. At the doorway she turned for instant, looked directly toward where standing, and motioned with her head, a barely discernible movement It was enough for Lombard.
 q followed him, naturally and when we reached the head of the stairway the Jap officer handing her into their carriage. She looked up at us. nodded and smiled. Lombard flushed like a schoolboy and with a schoolboy's impetuosity he'd down the stairway and across to the
 He had almost reached the carriage when there was a flash and a report from the dark interior. and poor Lombard plunged forward on his face and lay motionless I think perhaps, lost my head xhen; in any event. l. like an inexperienced boy unarmed as I was rushed to the carriage. anger unmindful of the that might hear; he is not the one It is the other, the man with the beard.'
 .There was another flash from the carriage, and well, this red welt at the neckband of my shirt attests the Jap's markmanship. The driver whipped up his team and the carriage dashed madly away before could reach it.
 Poor Lombard never knew what hit him. There noise, and the police, and all the rest of it. could do him no good by remaining, and had my neck save; I made away in the con fusion and gained the hotel without hindrance. Then came Carstairs, horrifed to know what tion they should take Itold him the whole story, and he agreed with me that l was in tight hole You see, Carstairs, whose frivolity is but cloak, embassy, in of the secretaries the same day, which Tuesday, and dered home on Thursday, half-hour before the boat sailed"
 Baintree laughed, low bitter. grating laugh; arose and paced up and down the room with nerv- ous strides. Perhaps I may have been trihe stupid, but didn't fully grasp the salient points; couldn't discover motive, and after racking my train for a time, told Baintree that I couldn't understand
 "Of course of course," he said running his fingers through his hair; there vague. inn know? Years ago, just after China had been beaten ordered to leave the country because got all my papers then, but they couldn't take what carried away in my head Had Russia been able to get within their boundaries-but that, too, is not chance a war with Uncle Sam-not yet. If to die in accident-or drunken brawl,' as did poor DOT Lombard whom nna that blunderng ass
 But Carstafrs knew about Lombard's death; why didn't he"
 But the girl, Baintree," I cried in despair; what of her? Surely she was not" the most valuable assets of their secret vice. And what they think know is menace to the good of the service. Let's go to bed"