The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-10-28
CHAPTER VII.
The SIGNAL.

The Signal.
"And the original question remains
unanswered" remarked Mr.. Campbell
1.-The original question:" repeated
Mr.. Grimm.
where is Prince Benedetto d'Abruz
Il, the secret envoy?" his chief re
minded him.
'I wonder!" unused the young man.
eff the Latin compact is signed in
the United States-?"
1.-The Latin compact will not be
signed in the United States Mr.,
Grimm interrupted. And then, after
a moment: Have we received any
! further reports on Miss Thorne?
| mean reports from our foreign
agents?"
The chief shook his head.
Inevitably, by some act or word,
| she will lead US to the prince" de-
clared Mr.. Grimm, "and the moment
he is known to US everything be-
comes plain sailing. We know she is
a secret agent expected a denial,
but she was quite frank about It. And
had no intention whatever of placing
her under arrest I knew some one
W aS III lie dUJOtL1IS IOOn1 -OSSduSC VI
| a slight noise in there, and 1 knew
she knew it She raised her voice
little, obviously for the benefit Of
whoever was there. From that point
everything I said and did was to COM
pei that person, whoever it was, to
show himself"
His chief nodded, Understandings.
Mr.. Grimm was silent for little, then
went on:
1.-THE last possibility in my mind at
that moment" he confessed, was that
the person in there was the man who
shot Senior Alvarez. Frankly 1 had
half an idea that-that 1t might be the
prince in person" Suddenly his mood
changed: "And now our lady of mys-
terry may come and go as she likes be-
cause 1 know, even If a dozen Of our
men have ransacked Washington in
vain for the prince, she will inevitably
lead us to him. And that reminds me:
lead US to him"
"By the way, what was in that seal
ed packet that was taken from Senior
AIvarez?'' Campbell inquired curiously.
"Tt had something to do with some
railroad franchises" responded Mr.
Grimm as he rose. '1 sealed it again
and returned it to the senior. Evident
" it was not what Signor Petrozinni
expected to find-in fact, he admitted
it wasn't what he was looking for"
For a little while the two men gazed
thoughtfully, each into the eyes of the
other, then MI Grimm entered his
private Office where he sat for an hour
with his immaculate boots on his
desk, thinking. A world-war-he had
been thrust forward by his govern
ment to prevent it-subtle blue-gray
eyes-his Highness, Prince Benedetto
d'Abruzzi-a haunting smile and scar
let lips.
At about the moment he rose to go
out, Miss Thorne, closely yelled, left
the Venezuelan legation and walked
rapidly down the street to a corner,
where, without a word, she entered a
waiting automobile. The wheels spun
and the car leaped forward. For a
mile or more it wound aimlessly in
and out, occasionally bisecting its own
path; finally Miss Thorne leaned for
ward and touched the chauffeur on the
arm
''NoWI" she said.
The car Strengthened out into a
street Of stately residences and scut-
tied along until the placid bosom OF
the Potomac came into view; besides
that for a few minutes, then over the
| bridge to the Virginia side, in the
dilapidated little city Of Alexandria
The car did not slacken its speed, but
wound in and out through dingy
streets, past tumb1e-down negro huts
| for half an hour before it came to g
standstiu in front of an old brick
! mansion
Miss Thorne entered the house with
/ q key and was gone for ten minutes
| perhaps. She was readjusting he1
veil when she came out and stepped
into the car silently. Again it moved
! forward, on to the end Of the dingy
| street, and finally into the open ccun
Try. Three, four, five miles, perhaps
out the old Baltimore Road, and again
the car stopped, this time in front OF
an ancient colonial farmhouse.
Outwerdly the place seemed TO be
deserted. The blinds, battered and
stripped Of paint by wind and rain
were all closed, and one corner OF the
| small veranda had crumbled away
| from age and neglect A narrow path
| strewn with pine needles, led tortu
ously up to the door. In the rear Of
she house, rising from an old barn, &
thin pole with a cup-like attachments
at the apex, thrust its point into the
open above the dense, odorous pines
! Il appeared to be a wireless mast
Miss Thorne passed around the house
and entered the barn.
A man came forward and kissed hel
"a thin, little man Of indeterminate
/ age-drying his hands on piece Of
cotton waste. His face was pale with
the paIlor Of one who knows little out
door life. his eyes deep-set and a-glit
ter With some fsverish inward ere