The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-10-16
CHAPTER VI.


Disclosures.
In a little corner Office soberly fur
,nished, on the topmost floor; Of one of
lower Manhattan's Hottest offiee-tow-
ers, a little mouse.brown man sat over
big,mahogany desk; aylittle man of
big affairs, sole steward OF one Of
Americas most formidable fortunes.
Precisely lat eleven minutes past
noon Tor at the identical instant chos-
en- by Alan Law. to catapult over the
edge of a cliff in northern Maine) the
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:
TASK her to. cometin at once. please"
Jumping up, he placed a chair in In
innate juxtaposttion with his own;
and the door opened, and 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 unconventional invita-
tion," said the little man. Wont
you-ah-sit 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
dimdently-"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?"
Il have the honor to be his nearest
friend, this side the water, as well
as his man Of business"
He paused with IN embarrassed ges-
ture. so I have ventured to request
Neutrality-suspicious. appointment in
order to-ah-take the further liber-
ty of asking whether you have. recent
IL sent Alan messenger"
Her look OF surprise was answer
enough, but she confirmed 1t with Wig
orous denial: 81 have not commune
Gated with Mr.. Law In more than a
year!"
Precisely as / thought" Mr.. Digby
nodded. None the less, Mr.. Law not
long since received what purported to
be a message from you; in fact-a
rose" And as Miss Urine sat for
ward with start of dismay, he AIDED:
II have the information over Mr.. Laws
signature letter received ten days
ago-from Quebec"
ALLAN In Americal" the girl cried
In undisguised distress.
HE came In response to-ah-the
message of the rose"
"But did not send It'll"
81 felt sure Of that. because" said
Mr.. Digby, watching her narrowly
because of something that accompa-
MED the rose, symbol of another sig
nifcance altogether playing card, a
trey Of hearts,"
Her eyes were blank. He pursued
with openly sincere reluctance: II
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..
Digby pursued hastily, as IL in hope
OF getting quickly over most unhap-
ply business. "Alan's letter, written
and posted on the steamer, reached me
within twenty-four 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 as soon as he
reached Moosehead Lake. He should
have wired me ere this, i am told by
those who know the country he was to
cross. Frankly, am anxious about
the boyi"
"And II" the girl exclaimed 'pitisully.
ITO think that he should be brought
1utO SuCu perm lniob6u AAe'
"You can tell me nothing?"
"Nofhing-as yet. l did not dream
Of this-much less that the message
of the rose was known to any but Alan
and myself. 1 cannot understand"
"Then I, may tell you this much
more, that your father maintains a
very efficient corps of secret agents"
"You think he spied upon met" the
girl famed with indignation.
81 know he did" Mr.. Dlgby per
mitted himself 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!'i she protested. But what
earthly motiye-?'
THAT Alan might be won back to
America through you-and So"
There was no need to finish out his
n, 5,TZ,.