Gunnison news-champion., 1915-03-19


woman eatos.a.
The mouse .broszE man bo~sa ~mi~s
Rose Triaey b. aszmszsd wtsh a
ersat asal u asfsrsnes
The young woman retsrpsd his how
wiah a shoe Of Dezplsxisy. MT. Lsx
sy7r
You are kind 10 come IN suapo,se
ton" said the littis man ''west
yos-ah-sit down.
She said. ''Thaas yos." grsvely. end
took the chair he Indicated. And Air
Daeby. xish an admiration he us de ne
effort 10 conceal examined the fasr
face turned Sc candidly TO him.
II L. eaite eonsyrehensibie.~ . he said
aifHdsusiy ~ yos viii permit me To
saw sO-nos that one secs you. Miss
Triae. Il n quite eomprehensibie why
my employer -ah--feels TOW ard you as
Ne does"
The sirl flushed MIR Law has told
YOU"
4 have the noEGr to be his nsarut
friend. this side the water, Is well
as his man of business
lie paused with an embarrassed gee
ture. so ! have voutured to request
this --ah-surreptitious appointments IN
order t0-ah-taks the further Hbsr-
ty Of asking whether YOU have recent
" sent Alan messager
Her look Of surprise was answer
enough. bat she confirmed il with wig.
orous denial: 81 have not eommuni-
Gated with MIR. Law in more than
yeari"
Precisely as thought" MIR. Digby
nodded None the less. MIR Law not
long since received what purported TO
be a message from you: In fact-a
rose" And as Miss frine sat Cor.
ward with a start Of dismay. he AIDED
Il have the Information over Mr.. Laws
signature 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 ! did not send it,"
Il felt sure Of that. because" said
Mr.. Dgby, watching her narrowly
because of something that accompa-
MED the rose. q symbol Of another sig.
nificance sltogether-a playing card,
trey Of hearts"
Her eyes were blank He pursued
with openly sincere reluctance: 81
must tell you, | see, that Q treG OF
hearts Invariably foresiSnaled a. 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 p Why I sent for you," Mr..
nsby pursued hastily, ss il in Asps
0f getting quickly over . most unhaD-
py business. "Alans letter, written
and posted on the steamer, reached ne
within twsntyfour hours Of his arrival
In Quebec, and detailed his scheme to
enter the United States secretly-es
hs puts n. by the back door by way
OF northern Aaine-and promised a.
vice by telegraph as soon as he
reached Moosehead Lake He should
have wired me ere this. l am told by
those who know the country he was 70
cross. Frankly. l am anxious about
the boyi"
And II" the girl exclaimed pitlfully.
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. l cannot understand"
Then l may tell you this much
more, that your father maintains Q
very efficient corps of secret agents."
You think he sried upon me?" the
girl famed with Indignation
i 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 10 no doubt that your
father sent you to Europe for the sole
purpose Of having you meet Alan"
obi" she protested But What
earthly motive"
That Alan might bs won back %
America through you-and So"
There was no need to finish out his
sentence. The girl was silent, pale
and staring with wide eyes vis.bly
mastering her wits to cope with this
emergency.
Il may depend on you" Mr. Disby
suggested, to advise me IL YOU find
out anything?"
For even more" The girl rose and
extended a hand whose grasp vas firm
and vital on his fingers. A fnp spirit
Of resolve set her countenanCe aglow.
You may count on me for action on
my own part, II ! find circuuetances
warrant 1t. ! promised not 90 marry
Alan because OF the feud betvaon our
fathers-but not to stand By ID see
him sacrificed. Tell me hov I mpy
communicate secretly with and
let me go as soon as poss bile"
CHAPTER VT.