Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-01-11

visit here. Let him intrust me with |
the key of his safe till tomorrow morn
ing"
All declared that such an act would |
not necessarily be showing any coz
fidence whatever. But the widow in
sisted that it would satisfy her. and |
she smilingly held out her hand for |
the key.
The thought flashed through Sir |
Bradford's head that the safe. being |
in his own room. would be under his |
control through the night. There was |
a pretty woman smiling at him. daring !
him-a woman with whom he was
fascinated and whom he thought II |
advantageous to marry. Nevertheless
he did not consent Then suddenly
there came a fash from the woman's |
eyes, naughty look as if she deemed !
such a denial Of confidence insulting.
Sir Bradford put his hand in his pocket !
and tossed the key on the table be
fore her.
Amid burst of laughter she seized
it and placed it in her corsage.
The diplomat had no sooner yielded
TO an impulse than he regretted his
act. A man under a woman's spell is
liable to rush from one extreme to an
other One moment he trusts her i'm
pIicitly; the next he fears that he has
fallen into the tolls of a devil. At any
rate, such was the fear Of Sir Brad
ford. Never for a moment during the
evening did he leave the side OF the
woman who possessed the key of his
safe-the safe where was deposited
that which if it passed into the pos
session of another would ruin him. II
he turned away from her for me-
ment it was that she should not see
the expression on his face when he
cursed himself for a fool.
The widow rallied him continually.
aren't you going to give me one mo-
ment aloneY" BE comfortedi ] am
not In the habit Of visiting any but
my own room when / visit" will
you sleep with a revolver under your
pillow tonight? These were some of
the gatherings she gave him, much to
the amusement of the guests At mid
night, when the party broke up, she
had made no move. She rose with
the others and went up to her room.
The moment Sir Bradford heard her
door close he went up to his own
apartment. With his eyes fixed on his
safe he gave himself up to tumultuous
musing. 1t contained his possible ruin.
and the key was in the possession OF
a woman he had known but few
days.
pooh, pooh. What an ass! She
only did 1t to bedeYil me. Nonsense.
I have a revolver under my pillow,
and If any one should come in here
! tonight More nonsense! Who's 10
comeT Thus he tried to dismiss the
matter from his mind. But, oh, if he
only had the key!
He went to bed and tried to sleep.
Slumber would not come. Fancying
he heard q movement in his room, he
arose and struck a light. he was
ashamed of himself for doing so, but
| left it burning. This made him feel a
| trile more comfortable, and toward
morning he went to sleep.
He was awakened by his valet bring
| ing hot water. After a glance at the
safe, which showed no evidence of
| having been tempered with, he arose.
| dressed and went down to breakfast.
] A maid approached him and said:
81 took the hot water to Mrs. Wood.
room 6. She didn't answer when l
knocked, and l went in. She isn't
there"
Sir Bradford blanched. Like light
ming the thought flashed through his
brain that the key of his safe had gone
with her. Then he saw that he was
ruined He was to sail that afternoon
for Constantinople. The only way to
get the treaty was to break into his
/ d. a M r1nFfaRf
one, put in since he had entered the
diplomatic service. Only in London
could men be found of sufficient skill
to do the work, and London was 200
miles away. He put his hand to- his
locked himself in.
Twenty-four hours later the minister
of foreign affairs in Paris received the
card of Nine ChapelIier. He direct
4 ed that she be at once admitted.
"Well?" he said.
81 left the diplomat at his home far
! from London with the treaty locked in
his safe. There is the key"
"And how much time do you think
we will gain?"
She handed him an item cut fr:m
newspaper stating that Sir Bradford
Chichester had sent to London for men
! to open his safe; that they had failed
ana others more skillful had gone up.
He had offered the latter 81 900 If they
would do the job in three hours.e
THAT will do" said the minister.
"Our treaty is on the way"
He drew her a check for $4,000
! francs.