Evening star., 1911-05-28

The somewhat puzzled Skeel thought at first that it
merely movement to tie shoe tear shred of
hanging lace from underskirt. To his sudden abas
ment, however, he realized that she had drawn OBJ
long packet of blue tinted papers from her stocking
These papers she looked down at for a moment
though to make of their identity. Then she held
them out to the Russian. He stepped forward and
swept them from her hand with decision and prompt
that rather amazed the watching Skeel
THE woman, now white and passive as statue,
stared at him without moving She continued to
watch him as his hungry eyes through the closely
folded packet What it made up of Skee could not
even guess. But it had disappointed him little to
think they had been carried that room as they
had been carried The fact that they had been so hidden
gave touch of sordidness to figure that had other
wise proved so appealing SO capable of touching his
romantic imagination. Skeel could not analyze his feel
ngs in the matter. All he remembered was that it in
some way lowered the tone of situation from which
he had looked for nothing unbecoming, so incongru
Gus, SO discreditable
But Skeel promptly forgot his own feelings in the
matter. His attention was fixed on the Russian who
was again going through the papers, one by one 1t
now only too plain that these papers blue
prints of sort. The beside the door, her
companion examined sheet by sheet, began to talk
again. She apparently explaining, making excuses
striving to impress him fact that he refused
accept unable to comprehend He became
expostulatory he looked up her from time time
autocratic accusatory, though indignant
at sin of omission commission her part The
woman in turn, became earnest in her gestcula-
tons, passionate in her hurredly reiterated pro-
"A
tionship. The huge limbed Russian became more than
the domneering master. The seemed to
betray herself and under the dictates of
his will They stood facing each other almost master
and servant Yet about that alert and dark eyed woman
there nothing to imply either subservence SUBJ
jugation. She suggested rather guarded secretive
though she held under lock and key mental
chamber which her gross limbed companion should
never invade
Skeels body fairly tingled with anxiety to catch at
some key to the enigma to read sort of conference
into their clater of foreign tongues. He ached to know
what it all about One word alone struck the bulls
eye of his strainng attention, and that the word
"Carey" He heard the it twice, three
times, in her Gating gun voley of words. He heard
the repeat the name, with grun of dsdain Then
he looked back at the folded buesheets of paper
ing them over between his fingers ticket speculator
counts money held fanwise in his hand
Then sudden TRADE in which the word "Pana-
ma" occurred again and again. with the woman object
word "Wilkie' she did So Then the papers were
checked off, an English phrase or two began to strike
on the eavesdroppers ear. He caught the words Gru
turrets," and moment later "mortar batteries
Here and there, bright metal granules in dull
quartz, the drone of the unknown Russian stipped
with such words "fortications' and torpedo
troll" Then what seemed to be geographic terms,
San Diego and puget Sound Fort Wadsworth'
and @Fort Hancock"
Then the talk seemed to revert to the problem of
Panama" again; and again the woman explained and
protested until the Russian stepped closer to her and
spoke unbroken low rumble which scarcely reached
Skees The hidden listener her lower the up
thrust ve speaking through she adjusted her hat
with her fngertips. And when for the last time he
overheard the nameof "Wie he began to wonder if the
man under discussion not the Wilkie he had some
where read of head of the Secret Service. But he
too busy watching the outer to give the mat
ter much thought.
He the woman turn to the portere draped door
and stand there, apparently listening. The in
front of her calmly took out his watch and looked at
it. She turned back, with passionate gesture, and
started to speak to him; but he senced her with
peremptory movement of the hand. They stood there
in silence, until nod of his bearded head seemed to
imply that the right moment had arrived She felt for