The Washington times., 1913-12-17
CHAPTER XVII.

| =. CHAPTER XVII.
~ ATHERINE turned her eyes t.
/ X the clock upon the instant tha
she closed the door upon Rush
toms departure.
She did not for one moment believe
| what he had said about sending tht
two shadows away. She knew the mar
who had just left her better than that.
She knew him to be crafty. keen
! tricky-and Intelligent, after fashion
What she did belive was that he would
| If he could. send the two men away
but that he would remain behind him.
self, not to desert his post, but to cling
to 1t with all the tenacity he possessed
| She believed that he would follow her
and spy upon her II she should venture
outside: or. If she did not go out, If she
remained at home to keep the appoint
ment she had made with Thomas
Clancy. Rushton would without doubt
stick to the task he had assigned to
| himself.
Consequently, Rushton would know of
Clancy's call. More than likely he
would interrupt ii. There was no telling
or guessing what he might do. He was
capable of going to any extremity.
The hands Of the clock pointed to ten
minutes past 4.
For a moment she bent her head in
perplexed thought. Then she crossed
rapidly to the telephone, seizeed the di-
pages. Two numbers she jotted down
upon a pad of paper; then she took up
the telephone itself.
The first call she gave was unfruitfu
but she was told that Mr.. Clancy had
been gone an hour from his office, so
she called his house number.
1t was Scipio who responded to the
call He informed her that his master
had Tot vet returned from business, and
that possibly ne might not be az home
until late in the eevning. He might call
UP at any moment and say that he was
not coming.
If ne did so. would Scipio give him
Miss MaxweIrs telephone number and
ask him to call her up at once? Scipio
would.
After that Katharine paced the floor
for nearly half An hour-and then the
bell of the telephone rang out sharply.
Clancy. at the other end of the wire,
announced that he had received Miss
Maxwens message through his servant
Mr.. Clancy" she told him, ''it is i'm
portant that ] should see YOU at once,
instead of at the appointed hour. | do
not care to be explicit over the tele-
can find you within the hour l will go
t" ycu. 1 prefer not TO have you cone
here
Clancy replied:
''It is now half-past o'clock. If you
do not object to an early dinner. or to
dining with me, suppose you meet me at
the KELSEY at $50. VIII that answer?
Perfectly" she replied.
Thomas Clancy conducted his guest to
a table at one OF the windows, which
he had already reserved. He had made
the selection carefully. with a view to
as much isolation as was possible IN
that room. The hour being early, there
were comparatively few people in the
great dining room.
Il missed my luncheon today, Miss
Maxwell he told her. as they seated
themselves. AS a consequence, | am
rot sorry to eat an early dinner
And ! have not thought of eating
since my breakfast, sh" replied, so
We are agreed as TO that. assume,
MI CLANCY. that you are somewhat mix
ed il. regard to your opinion Of Lady
hate-of-the- Police, are YOU not
Frankly. Miss Maxwell. J had not
formed one-untIl two minutes ago.
What that may be You need not ask
Il think" she said, that We had bet
ter avoid all commonplaces and pretty
speeches. ] asked you to come to sec
me tonight because l had a request to
make Of you. / changed the place of
meeting and the hour because two men
from the central office have followed
me today, and were waiting outside OF
my home at the time I telephoned TO
who has taken their duties off their
hands-may pe watching us through
this window. The reason for this es-
pionage is that ] gave in my resigna-
ton at the police department This
morning. IL is thought down there that
have shown too much friendliness for
man whom we need not mention by
name"
In understand you.' Clancy replied.
II, too, am watched
The things that ! am telling you
now are not what ] intended to say
when asked you to make the appoint
meut," she went on. In the light OF all
that has happened since then, they
seem necessary
please be quite frank with me, Miss
Maxwell he said. Il will promise to
be the same with you
Thank you. Lieutenant Rushton
was inside of my apartment waiting for
me when / went there today ] had
not been there in three weeks, and had
not intended to go there today. 1t was
merely the result OF circumstances that
/ did go there. The lieutenant had used
false keys to get inside. We had rather
a stormy interview at first: it ended
however. under a fiaS Of truce-tem-
porarily. But i have no doubt that he
has followed us here. and that he is
watching US from some point of van
age at this very moment. That is why
( have explained the incident of today"
II understand"
"It has nothing to do with my request
to see you"
You will explain that in good time. "
When ] spoke to you this morning
was on my w9y TO meet-our friend.
Il was my intention, when ! did see
hiii., to urge him TO meet us both, you
and me, somewhere this evening. Ny