The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1911-10-20
CHAPTER xlIi.-(Continued.)

you knew l was mere, repeateu
Mr.. Grimm musingly. And may /"
Just as you knew that I. OF some
enc, at least, had entered his house
b few minutes ago." she interrupted.
1.-THE automobile horn outside was a
signal, wasn't 1t? Hastings was in he
car? Or was it Blair or Johnson"
Mr.. Grimm did not say.
Didn't you anticipate any person
al danger when you entered?" he
querIed instead. weren't YOU afraid
] might shoot?"
no"
There was a long silence. Mr..
Grimm still sat with his elbows on his
knees, staring at the vague white
spOtch which was Miss Thorne's face
and bare neck. n Of her white arms
hung at her side like a pallid serpent,
and her hand was at rest on the seat
Of the couch.
1T seems, Miss Thorne," he said
at length casually, that our paths of
DUTY are ineXtricably tangled. Twice
previously we nave met under cir
cumstances that were more than
strange, and now-this! Whatever in
Justice I may have one O in the
past by my suspicious has, | hope,
been forgiven; and in each instance
ne were able to work side by side to-
ward a conclusion. ! am wondering
Q if this singular affair will take
4 similar course"
He paused. Miss Thorne started to
speak, but he silenced her with a
sight gesture of his hand.
ut is only fair to you to say that
we-that is, the Secret S~ervice-have
learned many things about you,' he
resumed in the same casual tone. I'VE
have, through our foreign agents.
t.aced you step by step from Rome
to Washington. We know tina you
are, in a way, a representative of a
sovereign of Europe; we know that
you were on a secret mission to the
Spanish court, perhaps for this sover-
eign, and remained in Madrid for n
month; VIC know that from there you
went to Paris, also on a secret mis-
siOn-perhaps the same-and re-
manned there for three weeks; we know
that o met diplomatic agents of
those governments later in London.
We know all this; we know the man
nec of your coming to this country;
of your coming to Washington. But
we don't know why you are here"
Again she started to speak. and
1gain he otopped her.
I'VE don't know your name, but that
IL Of no consequence. We do know
that in Spain o were Sonora Cas-
savant, in Paris MademOiselle d'Aubi-
non, in London Miss Jane Kellogg,
and here Miss Isabel Thorne. We re-
a-ize that exigencies arise in your call
Ing, and mine, which make changes of
name desirable. necessary even. and
there is no criticism Of that. Now as
tho representative Of your govern
ment-rather a gOvernment-you have
q right to be here, although unaccred-
tied: you ave a right to remain here
as long as your acts are consistent
with our laws; you nave a righ. to
your secrets as long as they do not,
directly or indirectly. threaten the
welfare of this country. Now, why
are you here?"
He received no answer; he expected
none. After a moment he went on:
Admitting that you are a secret
agent Of Italy, admitting everything
hat you claim to be, you haven't con.
vinced me that you are not the person
who came here for the letters and
cigarettes. You have said nothing to
prove TO my satisfaction that you are
not the individual l was waiting for to-
night"
You don't mean that you sus-
pect-" she began in a tone of amaze
ment.
Il don't mean that l suspect any.