The Washington times., 1913-11-25

thoroughly for long time" she replied
with perfect truth.
You are dressed exactly as YOU were
then, even to your hat" ne went on
whimsicaily. That is somewhat IN
usual, isn't it? Also, is not the nour
he abroad and alone? You see, he
went on before she could rep y. thai
evening when we met before proved to
be a tragic one for me. Possibly that
is why ] recognized you at once when
Are you sorry that you did see me
tonight-and remember me?' she asked
him.
NO" He spoke shortly.
Lady Kate glanced toward MIN from
the corners of her eyes.
Have you classified me?" she in
quired after they had walked onward
short distance
Yes"
"How-if l may venture to ask
He turned his eyes toward her then'
and looked her over from the plume
upon her hat to the hem OF her gown
with calm scrutiny. Then. in the same
neutral tone trat he lad used since the
beginning of the conversation. H.
piled:
1T it were not that you bear the un-
mistakable evidence of refinement and
gentle breeding, and that you speak
with the voice and in The tones Of one
who has always been accustomed 10
drawing room and its environment, L
should feel no hesitation in pronounc-
ing Won to be a woman detective, VINO
has been put upon my trail in the WHO
hone that your fascination and your
beauty might lead me into a trap soon
er or later"
.'And-as il is?'' she asked, coolly
meeting his searching gaze. He shrugged
his shoulders and looked straight ahead
of him again.
"As it is. / shall keep in mind the
fact that you are Just a young woman
who is at the present moment very
much in need of an escort" he replied
with conviction.
They had turned toward Amsterdam
avenue again at Seventy-fifth street.
She halted at the corner and faced him.
The impulse was upon her to confess
to him exactly what she was and why
she was abroad alone at so late an
hour. He was not at all the sort II per
sonality she expected TO encounter
and yet, in a way, she was, too.
She had discovered during the last
few minutes that she had formed an
unconscious estimate of him already
the outgrowth of their first meeting,
when he had so courteously escorted
her to the Madison avenue car.
She was suddenly aware that she re-
GREETED the assignment that she had
been so eager to accept-to lead this
man into trap. And all the time she
was quite conscious of the fact that sne
was also glad that she had undertaken
the task. Her own assignment would at
least prevent another from getting ii.
1t happened that there was no police
man in sight at the moment They had
come to a stop almost directly beneath
q street light Kate turned to face her
companion when they halted, and began
in what she meant to be a tone of
finality:
You must leave me here. because"
She stopped speaking right there. Her
eyes widened. Her face blanched ever
so little. She took one impulsive step
nearer to him and paused with her
hand partly extended. for she had seen
him thrust his right hand inside of his
waistcoat where one button had been
loosened, and withdrew II stained. Then
he had thrust IL back again in haste
to conceal it from her.
But she had recognized the signifi-
cance of that stain.
You are wounded" she exclaimed.
'One of those bullets"
It's nothing-nothing at all. he in
terrupted her. Il partly satisfied my
self of that much before l came out
OF the house where those policemen
searched for me. That was why l was
so long in reappearing."
He was facing the street through
which they had just passed. and as he
ceased speaking he grasped her gently
by the arm and led her INTERESTINGLY
along their back track "Yonder is
cab which appears to be disengaged."
he added without a pause. IF you will
let me put you into ii you need not give
the man your home address until after
have gone away.
They approached II even as he ceased
speaking. and he signaled to the driver.
Unperceived by the Night Wind, kath-
crime also made a gesture toward the
chauffeur. The consequence was that
the cab at once came to a stop quite
near to them. Nevertheless, the Night
Wind had barely ceased speaking when
she exclaimed, with genuine protest in
her voice:
But your wound, It needs attention.
and you dare not visit a surgeon. Your