Arizona republican., 1914-08-21

 never working through any motive save his own impetus. A kind face, the woman had, yet the possible outcome of the weak unhappy girl she had captured go boldly seemed to make not the slightest impression upon her. Only at the end of their drive, when the chauffeur opened the door did she speak,
 Any attempt to escape would be quite use less," she said in dull, mechanical tone of voice. If you wise you will not make the situation any more difficult for yourself by being foolish"
 As the motor car ceased purring at the curb. the woman pressed the door bell. Came scuf- fling along the hall, shadow futtered there second, then the door swung open. Lucille stepped across the threshold with her captor, surprised to see no one in sight. Apparently the door had opened of it's own voition. Before her was straight stairway, appearing to end at the second flight. To her left was a living room into which she was ushered. Again the woman pressed a bell.
 You will want some tea and cakes," she said quietly.
 Lucille nodded, studying her surroundings keenly. What change from the place she would have expected and yet how natural that the in ternational spy should choose just such an un- pretentious place from which to pull his wires, play upon the strings of the world How typical of Hugo Loubeque was every detail!
 She turned at a suggestive clink of china She had heard one enter the room, yet, in the shadows she attentive butler hold ing the tea. tray while the mysterious yelled woman poured. The moved toward her, moved silently, swiftly, surely. There some thing about his manner, his perfection, strik- ingly reminiscent of some she had seen be- fore. He stood before her and, even as he bent his head murmuring query as to her prefer regarding sugar lemon, she recognized him.
 'Thompson" she gasped. Thompson! You here! What you doing here?".
 "Yes, Miss Love! Thank you, Missi l am employed by Mir. Loubeque, Miss Love! Thank youi"
 She stared at him incredulously at the mask of face, upon which not the flicker of expression was stamped. And then gradually she understood, knew who had stolen the papers from her fathers safe, realized how completely they had all been fooled by this cunning servant She shranl away from him as though from the plague, but still he showed sign of anger or chagrin.
 ''Go awayr' she muttered brokeny. "Go away I can't bear to look at you.'
 'Yes, Miss. Thank youl'
 When she looked up he had disappeared.
 Swiftly she gathered herself together. Such childish tricks must not be permitted to shatter her courage for even an instant. She must strike while her capture new to them al before a system of surveillance had been thoroughly established. She slipped stealthily to the door through which she had entered the house. In the hall she looked cautiously about, then put her foot upon the stairs and proceeded to move to the first flight Midway, she was paralyzed into inactivity by finding the stairs to be in motion.
 Horror seized her Then once more she braced herself Only another trick of Loubeque's it was. The stairs seemed to fold up within themselves like a miniature escalader. They grey steady once more and the girl looked about unfurnished of stone vail. But she did not see this wall did not mark the lack of dec orations or furniture in the room, for com pany of men formed a crescent facing her. one tall figure standing apart from the rest, immov- able, silent.
 The solitary figure lifted his hand. Then frozen with terror though she was, Lucille saw that each figure was swathed in black robe and that plain, silk mask of black covered every face. Masks through which threatening eyes gared out upon her, masks light they iattened against the wearer's features witt hideous significance.
 Slowly the company passed her, pausing be fore her to peer narrowly into her face, as though impressing her every feature indelibly upon their minds When she regained her pow CTS of observation the line had passed, hat paused and disappeared. She lookedi about her.
 She alone.