The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-12-30


muted signal of the little mans desk
telephone clicked and, eagerly lifting
receiver to ear, he nodded with smile
and said in accents of some relief:
ASK her to come in at once, please"
Jumping up, he placed chair in in
innate juxtaposition with his own;
and the door opened, and a young
woman entered.
The mouse-brown man bowed. Miss
Rose Trine?" he murmured with a
great deal of Difference.
The young woman returned his bow
with show of perplexity: Mr.. Dig
by?"
you are kind to come in response
to my-ah-unconven invita-
tion," said the little man. Wont
journalist DOWN.
She said, Thank you, gravely, and
took the chair he indicated. And Mr.
Digby, with an admiration he made no
effort to conceal, examined the fair
face turned so candidly to him.
1T is quite comprehensive he said
diffdently-''if you will permit me to
say so-now that one sees you, Miss
Urine, it is quite comprehensive why
my employer-ah-feels toward you as.
he does"
The girl flushed. Mr.. Law has told
you?"
81 have the honor to be his nearest
friend, this side the water, as well
as his man of business"
He paused with an embarrassed ges-
ture. $50 l have ventured to request
this-ah- surreptitious appointment in
order to-ah--take the further liber-
ty of asking whether you have recent
ly sent Alan a mossage?"
Her look of surprise was answer
enough, but she confirmed it with Wig
orous denial: II have not communi-
Gated with Mr. Law in more than a
year,"
Precisely as 1 thought" Mr.. Digby
nodded. None the less, Mr. Law not
long since received what purported to
be message from you; in fact-a
rose" And as Miss Urine sat for.
ward with a start of dismay he AIDED:
Il have the information over Mr. Laws
signature-a letter received ten days
ago-from Quebec"
Alan in America!" the girl cried
in undisguised distress.
He came in response to--ah-the
message of the rose"
But l did not send it"
II felt sure of that. because" said
Mr.. Digby, watching her narrowly.
because Of something that accompa.
MED the rose, a symbol of another sig
nificance altogether-a playing card,
trey of hearts"
Her eyes were blank He pursued
with openly sincere reluctance: Il
must tell you, l see, that trey of
hearts invariably foresignaled an at
tempt by your father on the life of
Alan's father"
With stricken cry the girl crouched
back in the chair and covered her face
with her hands.
THAT is why sent for you," Mr..
D1gby pursued hastily, as if in hope
of getting quickly over most unhap-
py business. -Alan's letter, written
and posted on the steamer, reached me
within twenty-feur hours of his arrival
in Quebec, and detailed his scheme to
enter the United States secretly-as
he puts it, by the back door, by way
of northern Maine-and promised adj
vice by telegraph az soon as he
reached Moosehead Lake He should
have wired me ere this, am told by
those who know the country he was to
cross. Frankly. l am anxious about
the boy,"
And =" the girl exclaimed pitifully.
TO think that he should be brought
into such peril through mel
You can tell me nothing?"
"Nothing-as yet. | did not dream
OF this-much less that the message
of the rose was known to any but Alan
and myself. | cannot understand"
Then | may tell sou this much
more, that your father maintains
very efficient corps of secret agents"
You think he snied upon me?" the
girl aamed with indignation.
Il know he did Mr. Digby per-
mitted himself a quiet smile. 1T has
seemed my business. in the service of
my employer. to employ agents of my
own. There is no doubt that your
father sent you to Europe for the sole
purpose of having you meet Alan
OH" she protested. But what
earthly motive"
That Alan might be won back to
America through you-and So"
There was no need to finish out his
sentence. The girl was silent, pale
and staring with wide eyes. visibly
mastering her wits to cope with this
emergency.
Il may depend on you" Mr.. Digby
suggested. to advise me if you find
out anything"
For even more" The girl rose and
extended hand whose grasp was firm
and vital IN his Hn1e-~ g. --.-sx