Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-30

most of them, and therefore all the more dan
gerous. It's members said to be innumera-
able and of every class, and there are branches
in every capital of Europe A near neighbor
of yours, by the way, is under surveillance
this very moment, though | believe nothing
definite has been traced to him..
CASSAVETTI,' exclaimed with. am sure.
- an excellent assumption of surprise
You've guessed it first time; though his
names Vladimir Selinski. If you him be
tween now and Monday, when you must start,
| advise you not to mention Your destination
to him. unless YOU We already done So He was
at the Savage Club dinner to-nlght, WASH t he,
One of Southbournes foibles was to pose as
a kind of Sherlock Holmes; but | was not in
the least impressed by this pretension to omnis
cience. He was a member of the club and
ought to have been at the dinner himself. If
he had looked down the list of guests he must
have seen miss Anne Pendennis," among the
names, and yet believed he had not the slight
est suspicion that she was the original of that
portrait.
Il saw him there" said; "but l told him
nothing of my movements, though
fairly good terms. Do you think I'm quite
fool, Lord Southbourne!"
He looked amused and blew another ring
before he answered systematically, David said
in his haste, All men are liars If he'd said at
his leisure, All men are fools, when there's
woman in the case he'd have been nearer the
mark"
what do you mean?" l demanded, hotly
enough.
well, l also dined at the Cecil tonight
though not with the 'Savages, and happened
to hear that you and Cassavetti-well call him
that-were looking daggers at each other, and
that the lady, who was remarkably handsome
appeared to enjoy the situation. Who is she
Wynn? Do I know herr"
watched him closely; but his face betrayed
nothing. - think your informant must have
been a-journaist Lord Southbourne," l said
very quietly And we seem to have strayed
pretty considerably from the point. | came
here to take your instructions, and if I'm to
start at nine Monday | shall not see you again
He shrugged his shoulders. IAN right: We'll
get to business. Here's the new code Get it
off by heart between now and Monday and de
stroy the copy It's safer Here's your pass
port, duly vised, and check. That's all,
think. | don't need to teach you your work
But don't want you to meet with such fate
as Carson's; SO expect YOU to be warned by
his example And you not to make any at
tempt to unravel the mystery of his death.
l tell you that for your own safety. The matter
has been taken up from the Embassy. and
everything possible will be done to hunt the
assassin down. Goodby and good luck"
WE shook hands, and | went out into the
w night. 1t was now we'll past midnight.
and the streets even quieter than usual at
that hour; for there had been sharp storm
while l was with Southbourne. l had heard
the crash of thunder at intervals and the patter
OF heavy ram all the time NOW the StOrrn was
over the air was cool and fresh, the sky clear.
The wet street cleaned silvery in the moonlight
and was all but deserted. The traffic had
thinned down to an occasional hanson or pri
vate carriage, and there were few foot passen-
gers abroad l did not meet soul along the
whole of Whitehall, except the policemen, their
wet mackintoshes glistening in the moonlight
But as reached the corner of Parliament
Square, saw, just across the road, man and
woman walking rapidly in the direction of
Westminster Bridge. | glanced at them casu
ally; then looked again more intently. The
man looked like sailor. He wore pea jacket
and peaked cap, while the woman was en-
veloped in a long dark cloak and had black
scarf over her head. | saw CLEAN of Jeweled
shoe buckles as she picked her way daIntilv
across the wet roadway to the farther corner
by the houses of Parliament.
My heart seemed to stand still as l watched
her. At any other time or place should have
sworn that / knew the tall slender figure, the
imperial poise of the head, the peculiarly grace
full gait, swift but not hurried. l inwardly
jeered at myself for my idiocy My mind was SO
full of Anne Pendennis that l must imagine
every tall. graceful woman was she! This
woman was doubtless resident in the southern
suburbs, detained by the storm and now on
her way to the all-night trains that start from
the far side of Westminster Bridge. There was
quite a suburban touch in a woman in evening
dress being escorted by man in PeaJacket