Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-06

Stammering he turned away Wiz. shrug and long
suffering air. fumbled in pocket found cigar, and,
savagely worrying off the end of it, struck match
and began to smoke.
Too deeply moved for speech tears, Lydia watched
him with eyes of profound dependency.
well what about this card? I've satisfied you,
haven't 1? How much longer do you mean to keep me
wating?' And now he must lash himself into in
sensate rage.
"No longer lydia told him quietly. I'm quite
ready to tell YOU what little know And then per-
haps you'll tell me whether Downing Street employs
Mr.. Southpaw Smith, card sharper, and why
GOOD God7 The exclamation was one of uncon-
trolable disrnav Unconscously perhaps he cutched
the edge of the table for support and again his left
hand stole toward his heart. 4What's that you say?
Smith! What do you know about him? What has he
to do with this?
@If you'll listen to me-
Subsding into a chair Craven listened alphabetically
and without interruption to his daughters succinct
story of the attack and robbery Quon's intervention
and recovery of the puzzle box.
She watched him as closely. Was he merely acting
again? What really working in the mind behind
those inscrutablc eyes?
@That's all KNOW" she concluded. 3How the card
got into the box can't say-uness this Smith
put it there when he replaced the necklace at
Mr.. Quoin's direction. l presume a card sharper
would have sleight of hand enough to do that unde
tected."
at couldn't be worse said Craven huskily finger
ing the Knave of Diamonds.
He rosc moved unsteadly to the center table, and
helped himself to the remainder of the brandy
aYou should have told me first thing" he mumbed
aIf YOU hadn't mslcd me, shouldn't have hestatcd
an instant Father; but silly cnough-it
to hope that by saying nothing l might ward off dan
ger from you.
Eyes, he agreed simply at would have been better
if I'd told you the truth. But then, of course, you
wouldn't have consented to bring the stuff in. And how
was I to know they watching me SO closely?
How did they guess I'd
@'They'?"
He gave her a sulcn glance. @Smith and Colonel
Gordon. Gordon's the other crooks name-if Quoin
forgot to tell YOU Curse it! why didn't you tell me
this frst?"
aWhy? What difference
GNo difference" he grumbed 3Too late: mis-
chiefs done!' He withdrew into morose contempla-
ton of the Knave of Diamonds.
"What have such men to do with the secret servce?
Lydia demanded abruptly.
with the-ah-sccrct service?" He looked up
blankly "Why-nothng whatever! What makes
you ask?'
aThen what we're they after when they attacked me?
Not the evidence you talked about?'
aMy dear child! What do you suppose? What but
the loot-that necklace? They've been hot Betty's
trail from the it became known she had bought
the thing from Cottiers"
3You confuse me sol" Lydia protested in bcwilder-
ment. @If they weren't connected with the secret
service, if-if you had nothing whatever to do with
them, why you afraid of them?'
II? But-n,y dear Child Craven said ndulgenty,
ayoure quite mistaken. I'm no more afraid of them
than of-well-say Mr. Collector Loeb
3But the card!"
aEh? Oh, this card? To be sure" And now Craven
able to laugh toleranty the face of the Knavc of
Diamonds. "We | confess it did give a turn But
see I'll have to tell you: In the service code Knave
Of Diamonds is warning of gravest danger; but to
mean that it must of course come from one of our
corps. But this, coming from common gambler is
than
as much as to say, You think you're smart eh? Well,
look out or Ill get YOU Yetrn And Craven sat back