The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1911-11-14
CHAPTER XVI.
In Which They Both Win

Mr. Grimm dropped into a chair
with his teeth clenched, and his face
ike chalk For a moment or more he
sat there turning IL all over in his
mind. Truly the triumph had been
roDped or rs splendor when the blow
Tell here--here upon a woman he
loved
There's no shame in the confes.
sion of one who is fairly beaten" lisa.
bel went on softly, after n little
There are many things that Won
don't understand. l came to Washing.
Ton with an authority from my SOW.
ereign higher even than that vested
IN the ambassador; l came as | did
and compelled Count di Rosini to OBJ
tam an invitation TO the state ball
lor me In order that / might meet a
representative Of Russia there that
night and receive an answer as TO
whether or not they would Join in the
compact. I received that answer: its
substance is of no consequence now.
And you remember where I first
met you? 1t was while you were in.
Vestigating the shooting OF Senior Al.
varez in the German embassy. That
shooting, as you know, was done bv
Prince d'Abruzzi, so almost from the
beginning my plans went wrong he.
cause of the assumption of authority
by the prince. The paper he took
from Senior Alvarez after the shoot.
Ing was supposed TO bear vitality upon
Mexico's attitude toward our plan.
but, as 1t developed, it was about an.
other matter entirely"
Yes, / know" said Mr.. Grimm.
The event of that night which you
did not learn was that Germany
agreed to join the compact upon con.
ditions. Mr.. Rankin, who was AT.
tached to the German embassy in an
Sdvisory capacity. delivered the an
swer to me. and I pretended TO faint
I'm order that might reasonably avoid
you"
Il surmised that much" remarked
Mr.. Grimm
The telegraphing did with nv
fan was as much to distract your at
tention as anything else. and at the
same time TO identify myself to Mr..
RANKIN whom / had never met You
knew him. of course; l didn't"
When next / met you it was in the
Venezuelan legation; you were inves.
dgating the theft of the fifty thousand
dollars in gold from the safe.
thrust myself into that case, because
j was afraid of you; and mercilessly
destroyed a woman's name In your
eyes to further my plans made you
believe that Senorlta Rodriguez stole
that nifty thousand dollars, and re.
turned 1t to you, presumably. while
we stood In her room that night. ONLY
" was not her room-it was mine
stole the fifty thousand dollars, All
the details, even to her trip TO see
Mr.. Griswold in Baltimore in company
with Mr.. Cadwallader HAD been care
fully worked out: and she did bring
fne the combination OF the safe from
Mr.. Criswold on the strength OF a
forged letter. But she didn't know II.
There was no theft. OF course. ! had
no intention Of keeping the money II
was necessary to take IL to distract
attention from the thing ] did do
break lock inside the safe TO get a
sealed packet that contained Veue.
Suela's answer TO our plan. / sealed
that packet again, and there was
never a suspicion that Il had been
opened"
Only a suspicion Mr.. Grimm cor.
rected
Then came the abduction OF Mon.
sieur Boissegur. the French AMBUSH
dor / plunged into that case as ! did
In the other because was afraid Of
you and had 20 know just how much
you knew. II was explained 20 YOU
as an attempt at eTtortion with dc.
tails which ! carefully supplied. as "a
matter OF fact. Monsieur Boissegur
opposed OUR plans. even endangered
them. and II was not advisable 10
have him recalled or even permit
him to resign at tho moment So we
abducted him. intending to hold him
until direct orders could reach him
from Paris. Understand please. that
all these things were made possible
~ the aid and cooperation Of dozens.
scores. Of agents who were under my
orders; every person who appeared Do
tnat abduction was working at my di.
recuon. The ambassadors unexpect.
I'D escape disarrangcd our rlans: but
be was taken out or the embassy by