The Huttig news., 1911-02-25


 as he might have imagined to be her home-beautiful with the air of a longer family tradition than is com monly found in the middle west-un- obtrusive out complete. And the fur nishings of the room in which he was standing were in quiet but perfect taste
 On a table near him lay book. Mechanically he picked it up.
 It opened at the fly leaf Something was written there-her name, per haps.
 He closed the cover without read ing the inscription. conscious only 0. a line of writing in feminine hand that might be hers or apotner's. Nc, he could wait The name did not matter She was his, and that was enough
 Near the book lay an empty en velope, addressed to--he sverted his eyes.
 He found himself wondering wheth CT Poritol was still kneeiing in the field. and whether Maku was still run. ming, and whether the Japanese min. ister was still telling charming stories on the porch at Arradale.
 And presently. when she came again. her face radiant, and said soft ly. You have done a great thing, my dear"-when she said that he could only look and look and thank heaven for his blessedness.
 Where were the papers when you fooled me into leaving you?" she asked
 .Arima had them. It's quite story. girl, dear"
 Then, wait little while" she inter- rupted; we have permission to see the papers signed
 She led him through the adjoining room and to the curtained doorway of a library-long, alcoved, shelved with books, and furnished with heavy leath- CT chairs. In the center was a large table of polished mahogany. upon which rested a reading lamp.
 The glow of this lamp illuminated the forms and faces of group of se-
 
 CTS standing. In the golden light, with the dim background of shelves, surmounted here and there by a vase or a classic bust, the group impressed Orme like stately painting-a tab leau distinguished by solemn dignity.
 We are to remain here and keep very quiet whispered the girl
 Orme nodded. His eyes were fixed on the face of man who sat al the table. a pen poised in his hand. Those strong, straight features-the eyes. with their look of sympathetic com prehension. so like the girls-the lips, sloquent in their calmness-surely this was her father. But Orme's heart beat faster, for the face of this man, ramed in it's wavy hair, was familiar
 Where had he seen this man? That they had never met, he felt certain. lnless indeed, they had shaken hands n a casual and forgotten introduction.
 Or was he led into a feeling of rec ognition by the undoubted resem- bance of father to daughter? No, 1t could not be that; and yet this man, or his picture-ah. The recognition came to Orme in fash
 This was the magnetic face that was now so often appearing in the press the face of the great, the revered, the able statesman upon whom rested so great part of the burden of the coun try's welfare. No wonder that Orme recognized it, for 1t was the face of the secretary of state. And the girl was his daughter.
 Orme was amazed to think how he had failed to piece the facts together. The rumors of important international egotiations; the sudden but not se- ous illness of the secretary: his tenn orary retirement from Washington , Chicago, to be near his favorite
 ysician--for weeks the papers had
 full of these incidents.
 Spn 'euth Americans and Jap
 Nned to hinder the signing of mysterious papers, he should have realized that the matter was not of private, but of public importance. But the true significance of the events into which he had been drawn had es- caped his logical mind. It had never occurred to him that such a series of plots. frequent though they might be in continental Europe, could ever be attempted in a country like the United States. And then. he had actually thought of little besides the girl and her needs
 He glanced at her now, but her gaze was fixed on the scene before them. The brightness of her eyes and her quickened breathing told him how in- tense was her interest.
 Across the table from the secretary of state sat a younger man. His breast gittered with decorations. and his bearing and appearance had all the stiffness of the high-born Teuton.
 Of the men who stood behind the two seated fiortroc coma ura~o ..o,,.~x