The Washington times., 1911-07-21
THE TIMES DAILY SERIAL STORY
THE GRAY WOLF
Ey F. K. SCRLBNEl


4 MOTEdu, lncu ldlu llOlo VA AhC flhC6
and began the ascent to the window
sill, twenty-five feet above me. The
task was easier than l had at first
imagined, for the parent stems were
so firmly. rooted and the vines clung
so tenaciously to the wall that it
would have required the strength OF
powerful horses to tear them from
their fastening. l mounted. there
fore. without difficulty until my ell
bows rested on the window-sill.
| Gently i grasped the wood which
supported the glass and pushed up
ward; had feared the window might
be fastened. when the task must have
been more difficult, but fortune favor
and the window glided up noiselessly.
Before me was a black aperture, and
| beyond the room, silent as the grave.
Cautiously l drew myself upward
by the vines and swung my legs
across the sill, For a moment I re-
mained perfectly motionless, scarcely
breathing. then slid downward until
my feet rested on the carpet.
AS l have said. the room was as
silent as the tomb and black as the
bottomless pit. l was facing inward
| so the papers must be under the edge
OF the carpet to my right. Morgan
| had drawn a rough diagram which
had studied carefully. On the left of
/ tains, was a massive wardrobe, and II
| was between this and the opening
he had hidden the papers: AS for the
rest, the bed stood in an alcove twenty
: feet across the apartment; this al
| cove was provided with heavy drap-
! cries, and behind them Major Shul-
hof was sleeping.
| Noiselessly ] removed the lantern
| from my belt and pushed back the
| slide ever so little; a ray of yellow
| light pierced the darkness and I di-
rected 1t along the wall until II fell
upon the massive bulk of the ward
-1hA No. Il ,-l T
reached the line where the carpet
touched the wainscoting. In another
moment 1 had turned back the former
and the little packet OF papers, in
their otlskin covering. was in. my
hand. 1t had been easy. The docu-
ments were ours, and I had but to
retrace a dozen feet. slip over the sill
and rejoin my companions waiting
in the darkness at the foot of the
wall.
flashed the light once upon the
open window, and my fingers were
feeling for the slide when suddenly
my satisfaction was turned into ap-
prehension and dismay. From the
sound-the rustic Of heavy draperies
and a stifled exclamation.
Possibly the wisest course, for I
stood within a few feet of the win
throw myself over the sill and get TO
the ground as quickly as possibly but
l did nothing Of the kind. Somehow
or other l forgot that IL ] could not
see the person behind me neither
could, 1 be seen in the darkness I
imagined Major Shulhof sitting on
the edge of the bed, the muzzfe of
his revolver covering my back. !
made quick calculation that before
l could possibly disappear out of the
window a bullet would find lodgment
between my shoulders. The lantern
was In my hand. Almost unconscious
ly, dreading perhaps more what 1
could not see than what the light
might reveal, ! turned, threw back
the slide and directed the bulTs-eye
full upon the spot where l Judged
the alcove was situated.
For a moment there came no sound,
almost let the Itflter fall to the car
pct. Then little gasp, a sharp IN
drawing of the breath broke the ST.
lence. and 1, helpless through amaze-
ment. stared stupidity at the picture
revealed by the stream of light For
before me, sitting in the bed. was
not the grizzled heavy cavalryman
covering me with a revolver, but the
Countess Won Holleun, staring into
eyes.
1t required several seconds TO collect
my scattered senses, then I realized
that TO prevent possible catastrophe
1t was necessary to explain nv pres
ence in the room: II 1 was startled.
the girl was doubly so: should she elect
to scream, the soldier in the hall would
put In an appearance. lowered the
light and spoke as calmly as possible,
i am one of the Americans-t was
under the impression that Major Shul-
hof occupied this room entered It! had
/ known" and then my voice failed
me.
Though the light was not full upon
her / could still see her plainly and
she me, standing between the bed and
the window. A swift change passed
hesitated. and when she spoke there
was a note of uncertainty in her voice.
Major Shulhof was assigned to an
other room yesterday. I do not under
stand-why you have come here. r
heard nothing until a moment ago, then
the flash of light awakened me-"
My proper course OF action would
doubtless have been to beat a dignified
retreat. Indeed. half turned toward
the window. Then suddenly an inspi-
ration seized me.
Our object in entering Brescia was
to meet the countess and deliver to her
the papers. Now we had another pur-
pose-to save her from young Won Sell
dorf. But still. the first was part Of
the game. The documents were in my
pocket, the countess and l were face
to face, and there was none to inter-
rupt US. True, our meeting was a trife
out of the ordinary. but we were alone
together and the opportunity was come.
1 Ol0 not, having entered the lady s
apartment in the middle of the night.
retire without further words. Instead,
I turned from the window and set the
lantern on the floor.
The countess looked at me with some-
thing akin to alarm in her eyes. took
the packet from my pocket.
Madame" said /, eft is probable Cap
tain Haupmann has explained a part u
you, and why we have come from the
city in company with the Baron Won
Seldorf: but you are doubtless in igno-
rance what errand has brought US into
Brescia."
Monsieur" she answered, "I have
been told you were my friends; that II
is your purpose to thwart the plans of
the Baron Won Seldorf; but why you
two gentlemen, who are strangers 70
Brescia and to me, should interest your
selves in my behalf / am at loss to
understand"
Continuation of This Story Will BE