The Washington herald., 1914-05-03
tcoryrisht. lslIl
SGE row was Spain?' Anna asked.
H. Spain" replied Mr.. Cap

Spain" replied Mr.. Cap
tain, newly returned from
thence, interested me more than lit
tie"
The beautiful young woman in one Of
her white gowns, sitting upon her green
diyan in the Emperor's Gate fat, re-
garded him questioningly. The young
man, fresh from holiday travel, brouzed,
alert, faultless as TO clothes, smiled, and
said further:
There IS just a triAe of business
which"
She leaned forward, sparkling, and
crying. "Businessl For you and me?"
Certainly" d-he May l have a
cigarette?" She assented and he rolled
one. "The state dinner service of Spain
is not all it should be at the moment, |
am afraid"
Explain, Charles" said Anna Stuart.
Il mean, lady, that part of the state
dinner service has, quite unknown to the
chief butler, been replaced by very
clever, but comparatively worthless, irni-
tation."
She nodded, and asked for more.
He continued: Il was looking over
certain factory in Madrid when the fact
first dawned upon me. My guide sub
manager or some such person-was ex-
tremely courteous, and quite pleased to
show me round. We arrived, however,
before a door which was bolted, though
from behind it came the sound of men
at work. | asked to see the room-my
guide was evasive = it was an order
given by a wealthy nobleman, and was
TO be kept a secret. But at that mo-
rnent. lady, the door was unbolted and
one of the workmen came out. Your
servant brushed past him in an instant
and glanced inside Imagine the fury
of the sub-manager! He and the work
man pulled me back, chsttering like apes.
/ apologized; implied my rudeness was
merely due to the ordinary high spirits
of tourist. Finally, emptied my pock-
cts for the workman and asked the man
ager out to dinner. But, lady, your ser
want had seen one piece of a complete
facsimile of the state dinner service"
Anna thought seriously.
On the same boat by which l return
ed" said Mr.. Captain, was gentleman
of the Spanish court, Predella by name,
on a secret diplomatic mission to Eng
land"
Well" replied Anna, in her manner
of one expecting more.
81 made acquaintance with Predella
on the boat"
"Wel?"
And on arriving in London, 1 fol-
lowed him up"
"And?"
HE has been twice to the Office of
Israel"
The biggest money lender in Lon
don," Anna murmured.
Exactly" said Mr. Captain "On the
second occasion he drove up in taxi
cab with packing case. After he had
gone Israel came out, followed by cou-
pie of clerks carrying what was presum-
ably the same packing case wrapped in
oilcloth, and drove away Your servant
followed him to the safe deposit in
Chancery Lane, where he left the pack
age, suppose, since he came away with
out it"
The thread is thin," said Anna after
pause.
But worth holding carefully" Mr..
Captain replied
Then he looked at her, and his eye
melted and his lips curIed into smile,
and he said. Come out to dinner, lady,
in the soft and wheedling tone of a
young man very far gone in love.
What shall put on?" unused Anna, |
and looked in the glass.
Kindly don't dress, lady," said he.
81 will, with your permission, combine
business with pleasure, and take you to
La Rose, the little French place in New
Oxford street." Mr.. Captain added. !
thoughtfully. Israel dimes there on
most evenings when work keeps him |
late at his Office, and on most evenings
work keeps Israel late"
1t was then 6:3o Anna Stuart dis
appeared, and the young man sat looking |
after her, and dreaming. He forgot at
this moment, the state dinner service of |
Spain, the money lender. the safe deposit |
in Chancery Lane, pleasantly intricated |
as he was in the new web into which he |
was drawing the white girl and himself |
until she came back, in a white hat
and white fox furs, drawing on white
kid gloves, and shining gloriously upon
him. Then he reused himself and said |
"Ah, yesl l am to have the privilege
of taking you out to dinner"
In the taxicab he added: I'VE shall |
stop at Israels Office in the Strand. You
do not mind? 1t would, think, be help
full to make his Acquaintance"
Have you made a plan?"
None yet. But think our first move
would be to get Israel out of the field"
auow 81