The Tupelo journal., 1911-10-27

entered an automobile together, and
then as we were starting away ! re-
membered something which made it
necessary for me to re-enter the
house. When l came out again. just a
few seconds before the explosion, the
prince and Miss Thorne had gone
The secretary's lips curled down in
d%isapproval.
Wasn't it rather unusual. to put 1t
mildly, to leave your prisoners to
their W devices that way?" he
asked.
We'll, yes Mr.. Grimm admitted.
"But the circumstances were unusual.
When / entered the house ! had lock-
ed a man in the cellar. / had to go
back to save his life, Otherwise
"Oh. the guard at the door, you
mean" came the interruption. who
WAS it?"
Mr.. Grimm glanced at his chief, who
nodded.
1T was Mr.. Charles Winthrop Ran
Kin of the German embassy" said the
young man.
Mr.. Rankin of the German embas-
sy was on guard at the door, de-
manded the president quickly.
Eyes. We got out safely
And that NEAR that Germany
was"
The president paused and startled
g~lances passed around the table. Aft
err a lnon,ent of deep abstraction the
secretary went on:
so Miss Thorne and the prince es-
caped, Are they still in this coun-
try?"I
THAT I don't know" replied Mr..
Grimm. He stood silent a moment.
staring at the president. Some subtle
change Ncrept into the listless eyes.
and his lips were set. Perhaps had
better explain here that the personal
equation enters largely into an affair
of this kind" he said at last, slowly.
1T happens that it entered into this.
Unless l am ordered to pursue the
matter further I think 1t would be
best for all concerned to accept the
fact of Miss Thorne's escape, and"
He stopped.
There was a long. thoughtful ST.
Ience. Every man in the was
studying Mr.. Grimm's impressive face.
Personal equation" unused the
president. Just how. Mr.. Grimm.
does the personal equation enter into
the AFFAIR.""
The young mans lips closed tightly,
and then:
There are some people. Mr.. Presi-
Gent, whom We meet frankly as enc
mics, and we deal with them accord
ingly; and there are others who op-
pose us and yet are not enemies. 1t
Is merely that our paths OF duty cross.
We may have the greatest respect for
them and they for ", but purposes
are unalterabiy different. In other
words there is 4 personal enmity and
q political enmity- You, for instance,
wight be q close personal friend Of
the man whom you defeated for pres
ident- There might"-he stopped sud
denly.
go on" urged the president.
Il think every mar meets once n
his life an individual with whom he
would like to reckon personally" the
young man continued. THAT reckon
Ing may not be a severe one; it may
be less severe than the law would
provide: but it would be a personal
reckoning. There Is M individual in
this affair with whom I should like to
reckon, hence the personal equation
enters very largely into the case"
For a little while the silence of the
room was unbroken, save for the
steady tick-tock of a great clock in
one corner. Mr.. Grimm's eyes e
fixed unwaveringly uron those of the
chief executive At last the secretary
Of war crumpled a sheet of paper Inn
patiently and hitched his chair up TO
the table.
Coming down to the facts It's ike
this. isn't IT." ne demanded briskly.
"The Latin countries by an invention
Of their own which the Uaited States
and England were to be duped into
purchasing. would have had power
to explode every submarine mine be-
fore attacking = port! Very well.
This thing, OF course, would have
given ihem the freedom OF the seas
as long as VI were unable to explode
their submarines as they were alb .
to explode ours. And this Is the ccndi-
ton which made the Latin compact
pOSsible, isn't it?"
He looked straight At Mr.. Grimm.
who nodded.
Therefore" he went On. 'f the
Latin compact Is not = reality on pa
per-; II the United States and Eng
land do not purchase this-this wire
less percussion cap, we sre right back
whore We were before 1t all happened.
aren't We? Every possible danger
from that dissection has passed, hasn't
It? The w0rid-war OF which Ne have
been taking is rendered impossible.
isn't it,"
That's & Grestion," answered Mr..
Grimm. II you Will pardon ne for