Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-09

manifest love. And so. all Rutherford
reasoning got him nowhere.
During the succeeding days, as tn,
| steamer neared her port, the young mar
grew more and more restless He sought
other opportunities to speak to Mrs Tal
| cott alone, but found none. Meanwhile
the story of the smugglers poisoned the
| minds OF nearly every one else. Rumors
nitted about among the passengers
| Ihose who had formed pleasant acquaint.
anGes during the voyage suddenly found
| chhi and suspicion spelling them. The
entire first cabin became place of fer.
ment and discomfort. The few bearded
men lodged about as inconspicuously as
possible, or appeared unwarrantably
oraSen In their efforts to seem above sus-
picion' The situation was not wlthou,
| Its humor, but for once Rutherford was
blind to the funny side of things. He
could do nothing but worry over the
twdin--or rather the one-who seemed
unconscious Of, or Indifferent to, all this
covert suspicion And, try as he might,
he found no chance to get within speak,
Ing distance of Mrs. Talcott unmatched
by the invalid or the secret-servlce men.
Rutherfords discomfort and uneasiness
were not lessened when, on his return
to his stateroom. one morning, he found
many triflng evidences that his things
had been disturbed.
He hurried into the smoking room and
found other men fumlng and fussing over
similar surroptitious searches in their
quarters. This was strange, Certainly all
the passengers could not bo under sus-
picion, and II they were he knew of no
legal right for such overhaullng. 1t looked
as II the net were gradually being hauled
In around the Talcotts, and this general
search were merely a pretense. But the
whole performance struck him as at
variance with Government procedure and
more like the work of private detectives.
Nevertheless, II was decidedly annoying,
and Rutherford listened in silent sym
pathy while the men poured out their
walls of wrath upon the whole situation.
Presently a voice at his side claimed
his attention.
"NIr. Helderman would be glad to have
you join him In his room, sir"
Craig started up. glad of any distrac-
ton. The financlers valet was standing
respectfully waiting for a reply.
Very well. Tell him / shall be there In
15 minutes-if that's agreeable"
The man bowed and withdrew. Craig
did not know just why he had not fol-
lowed the man at once. Perhaps he did
not want to seem to be dancing attend
ance upon the occupant of the royal
suite. Perhaps he wanted breathing space
to think things over, before trusting
himself with the lynX-eyed German. At
any rate he started to his own room first.
AS he walked noiselessly ahead over
the rubber carpet he saw two men stand
Ing between his own door and that of
Mrs Talcott. They were so absorbed in
their Investigations that they did not mo-
tlce his approach.
THE doors always locked" one COM
planned.
"She keeps the key" the other asserted.
The two men hurried off in opposite di-
rections the moment they Glimpsed
Rutherford, but a flash of understanding
came to him as he saw the square,
stocky back of one of them. He was the
secret service man and likewise the man
who had tried to take the blue buckle
away from Mrs. Talcott.
This put another and very disturbing
idea into Rutherford's head. Certainly
the man could have no possible use for
the buckle; was that, then, what he had
really been after-or had the girl used
the buckle as a blind? Had the man
really wanted the diamond necklace, con-
cealed upon her person.
The more Rutherford puzzled over the
situation. the more at sea he was. Gus
toms officers didn't usually proceed that
way; and he was ready to stake his soul
upon his faith in the girl. He went into
his room, scowling and shaking his head,
and busted himself trying to discover
whether or not his unwelcome visitors
had been his way again.
Presently he heard the door just across
the corridor open softly, almost stealth
fly. His own door stood open by tiny
crack and cautiously he stepped to it
and peered through. He saw slender fig
ure in a gray cloak, her back turned to
him, as she tried evidently, to turn the
kay in the lock. The key stuck, and In
turning it she dropped it to the floor 1t
struck the metal trim with a sharp clang.
She did not stoop to pick 1t up; on the
contrary, with a swift and, he thought,
frightened glance along the corridor in
both directions, she hurried off.
This was very strange conduct 10 the
silent onlooler-then swift second
thought seemed to enllghten him. The girl
had been in her room all the time the two
spies were trying the door. She had been
too frightened TO call for aid. especially
with the lively memory OF the attack
upon her i'm the corridor; and now at the
first opportunity she was hurrying to her
husband for protection. Rutherford ST.
lently cursed the man who, though Ill,
could subject his young wife to such in
Eager to aid the girl. he rushed out
into the hall picked up the key she had
dropped and started after her. At the
Mrs. Talcott"' he called.
But she either did not hear or would
not heed He chose to believe the first
and quckened his pace into a run.
Mrs. Talcott, one moment"
The girl, however, did not pause al
though she could not have helped hearing |
him She seemed to be actually running |
away from him.
His pride made him pause; then the |
thought of her peril and loneliness urged |
him TO target himself I'm her. Obviously /
she was frightened. It was enough TO /
scare any woman to have her door tam |
pered with. In her haste she was confus-
Ing him with one OF the fellows who had |
been annoying her.
He sped forward again, but she had |
gained good start and a corner sud !
denly shut her from view. When he .
reached the turn she was nowhere TO
be seen.
He stopped and stared along the pass
age The unrevealing doors OF the rooms
ON either side faced each other and him
as blankly as n they had no secrets In
the world, and had never heard of a
slender woman in a gray cloak and blue
veil who had lately rushed by them, or
one.
Rutherford was baffiedi and his wits did
not tend TO clear as he suddenly realized
mat Mr.. Talcot's room was not at hand
al all. but aft Where. then, could the
young woman have been going? Into
what room did she disappear2 The Tai
.at+s h,d ,o aanuaintances on hoard that ]