Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-02

we INJECT rs CHUTE StIdilSCIS.
Does Mr.. X know your" asked
Mary.
II think not" said Jones with a
good deal of satisfaction. His peo-
pie are very fond of laughing at our
secret service-but we manage to
turn trick ourselves once in a
while" ....
Even in the hustle of sailing it was
not difficult for the two girls to make
guess as to which of the passengers
was Mr.. X. They both fastened upon
man who was booked as Mr.. Arm
strong. He appeared to be bored, in,
stead of excited, by the incidents Of
departure. His manner indicated thai
it was all an old story to him. And
the Difference that was paid to him by
the office of the distracted purser, re-
vealed his importance.
Mary, without any real plan in
her mind as yet, still determined te
waste no time. She was really well
versed in the routine of travel, but
from the moment she went on board
she played the part of a helpless
traveller, unaccustomed to the most
ordinary things of shipboard life. She
haunted the office of the distracted
purser, and he seemed to be entirely
willing to give up his time to her. he
answered her questions, promised to
see to her chair, her seat at table, all
the other things.
you're so good to me, Mr.. Shell
Tyr she told him, in wide-eyed in
nocence. ~ must be frightful nui'
sance1
"Nuisance-not a bit of it, Miss
Burnett he assured her, CALAMITY
II know how strange it must seem
the first time you cross. Just you
leave everything to NELL see that
YOU have such a comfortable trip
that you'll never cross on any other
boat. You'll understand, won't you
if | have to run away and leave you
constantly There are all sorts OF
things that I have to attend to-peo.
pie who don't like their cabins. and
cranks of all Sorts"
"Of course-you mustn't let me
bother your!
"You could never do that! Once
we're off I'll have much more time
you must let me show you the ship
then"
tones, as a secret service man nat
urally would be, was an amused wit
ness of Marys dealings with the pur-
ser. And that night, when they were
at sea, he contrived an opportunity to
see the two girls.
"I'ye found out a few things" he
said. "Our man, just as l expected,
has taken the state cabin, as they call
ia regular suite, really-two state.
rooms, brass bed, private bath-all
that sort of luxury. No wonder-his
government has to payl He's plan
ming to keep to himself pretty WELL
we'll find
"A man travelling with such danger
Gus baggage would, l fancy" said
Mona.
"Rightl I'm almost sure he has no
suspicion that he has been followed
He looked over all the passengers
pretty carefully-he was one OF the
first aboard. you know. made my
self conspicuous as l could you
noticed" - :, ~,
"You certainly didp said Mary,
with laugh. while ! was trying
to find out things from the purser you
were simply brutal in your INTERRUPT
tons! couldn't have the man to
myself for five minutes. He's thor
oughly convinced that you're very
important newspaper correspondent
and he's going to see that you give
a good report Of the liner ~
Il saw what you were doingT
laughed Jones. "Well, you simply
anticipated my suggestion. It's going
to be very important for one OF you
to be on good terms with the purser'
| think he'd do good deal Tor me-
but | won't take chances by asking
too much. He didn't offer to show
YOU the state suite, did he" -
mo" said Mary, regretfully. u
never thought to askp
II managed that" said Jones, com
placently. "He showed me over the
whole ship. Awful bore it was, too
| crossed in her half dozen times
before he got his berth, and ! imagine
| know things about her he hasn't
even suspected yeti But / wanted a
look at Mr.. KS cabin-and | got it:
There's a small safe in there-and
Shelly explained to me that he and
the passenger occupying the suite are
the only ones who have the combina-
ton. It's changed for every voyage
and even the captain doesn't know
itp j.,
Hell keep his papers there. of
course?" said Mona.
1--WE don't have to worry so much
about where he's hidden those valua-
Bile papers. Unless all signs fail we
know that what we've got to do is to
get that safe opened, by one of the
two men who can do it. IF he'd
turned his stuff over to the purser for
safe keeping I'd be lot more dubious
because a purser's strong room is
the real thing. And Shelly is rather
stupid-and very faithful and con-
scientious. l couldn't have done any
thing with him."
Just what do you expect to do as
it is1" asked Mona.
Zone of you-and Miss Mary has
started, so that she'd better be the
one-will have to make friends with
Shelly. The other will have to see
if there's human side to X. There
must be, you know-he must be sus-
ceptible in some way"
IL don't like his looks" said Mona.
"And doubt very much whether he'll
see anything in me-"
You'll have to try" said Mary.
"Oh, I'll do that" said Mona.
Mona lost no time in attempting to
arouse the interest of the mysterious