The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1911-10-20
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Light In the Dome.

ne Light IN the Dome.
From where he sat, in a tiny al
cove which jutted out and encroached
upon the line of the sidewalk, Mr..
Grimm looked down on Pennsylvania
Avenue. the central thread of Wash.
ingtcn, ever changing, always brilliant.
splashed at regular intervals with
light from high-fung electric arcs,
The early theater crowd was in the
street; well dressed, well fed, care
less for the moment of all things save
physical comfort and amusement; au-
tomobiles, carriages, cabs, cars flow.
ed past endlessly; and yet Mr. Grimm
saw naught of it. In the distance, at
one end of the avenue the dome of the
! capital cleft the shadows of night, and
single light sparkled at its apex; in
the other direction, at the left of the
treasury building which abruptly
blocks the wide thoroughfare. were
the shimmering windows of the White
House
Motionless. moody, thoughtful Mr.
Grimm sat staring. staring straight
ahead, comprehending none Of these
things which lay before him as in a
panorama. Instead, his memory was
conjuring up pair of subtle, blue
gray eyes. now pleading. now coquet-
fish, now frankly defiant; two slim,
white, wonderful hands; the echo OF
pleasant, throaty laugh; splendid,
elusive, radiant-haired phantom. Tru-
ly, a woman of mystery! Who was
this Isabel Thorne who, for months
past, had been the storm-center and
directing mind of vast international
intrigue which threatened the world
with war? Who, this remarkable
young woman who with ease and as.
surance commanded ambassadors and
played nations as pawns?
Now that she was safely out of the
country Mr. Grimm had leisure to
speculate. Upon him had deyolved
the duty Of blocking her plans, and
he had done so-merciless alike of his
own feelings and of hers. Hesitation
or evasion had never occurred to him
1t was thing to be done, and he did
it. He wondered If she had under.
stood, there at the last beside the
1
struggle it had cost him deliberately
to send her out of his life? Or had
even surmised that her expulsion
from the country. by his direct act,
was wholly lacking in the exaltation
of triumph to him; that it struck deep
er than that, below the listless, official
exterior, into his personal happiness?
| hn 1yn b1t
understand.
A silent shod waiter came and
placed the coffee things at his elbow.
He didn't heed The waiter poured
demi-tasse, and inquiringly lifted
lump Of sugar in the silver tongs. Still
Mr.. Grimm didn't heed. At last the
waiter deposited the sugar on the
edge Of the fragile saucer, ana ssoyed
away as silently as he had come A
newspaper which Mr. Grimm haG
placed on the end of the table when
ne sat down, ratified a little as
breeze from the open window caught
1t. then the top sheet slid OFF and fell
to the floor. Mr.. Grimm was still
staring out of the window.
Slowly the room behind him was
thinning of its crowd as the theater-
bound diners went out in twos and
threes. The last of these disappeared
finally, and save for Mr. Grimm there
were not more than dozen persons
left in the place. Thus for few min
utes. and then the swinging doors
leading from the street clicked, and
a gentleman entered. He glanced
around, as If seeking seat near a
window. then moved along in Mr..
Grimm's direction. between the rows
OF tables. His gaze fingered on Mr..
Grimm for an instant, and when he
came opposite he stopped and picked
up the fallen newspaper sheet.
ITO RE CONTINIrEnN