The Spectator., 1916-04-14


 that!"
 The thought came to me after you left. I knew you'd recognize the men and understand. l see no reason why it didn't work
 It would have been all right if you had consulted clairvoyant."
 What the deuce do you mean by that?' Braine demanded roughly.
 T mean that then you would have learned your friend the reporter was to arrive upon the scene at it's most vital moment"
 What, Norton?"
 Yes The trouble is with you, you that you have grown overconfident. l tell you that there is a desperately shrewd man somewhere back of all this. Mark me, 1 do not believe liar greave is dead. He is in hiding. IL may be near by He may have dropped from the balloon before it left land The man they picked up may be Orts, the aeronaut. The five thousand might have been his fee for rescuing liar greave. Here is the greatest thing we've ever been up against; and you start in with every day methods!
 Little woman, don't let your tongue run away with you too far
 I'm not the least bit afraid of you, Leo. You need me, and 1t has never been more apparent than at this mo- ment"
 All right. fell by the wayside this trip. Truthfully, I realized it five minutes after the men were gone. The only clever thing I did was to keep the mask on my face. They cant come back at me. But the thing looked so easy; and 1t would have worked but for Norton's appearance"
 You all but compromised me. That butler worries me little.' Her ex- pression lost its anger and grew thoughtful. Hes always about, some where. Do you think Hargreave took him into his confldence?'
 Cant tell. He's been watched straight for 40 hours. He hasn't mailed letter or telephoned to any ptdC6 Dut tuS SlOSeiy. iiicAO Ao " been no telegrams. Some one in that house knows where the money is, and it's ten to one that it will be the girl"
 She lookes enough like Katrina to be her ghost"
 Braine went over 10 the window and stared up at the stars.
 You have made a good impression on the girl?" with his back still to- ward her.
 'I had her in my arms"
 Olga, my hat is off to you,' turn ing, now that his face was again in repose. Your very frankness regard ing your relationship will pull the wool over their eyes. Of course they'll make inquiries and they'll find out that you haven't lied. It's perfect. Not even that newspaper weasel will see anything wrong. Toward you they will eventually ease up and you can act without their even dreaming your part in the business. We must not be seen in public any more. This butler may know where l stand even though he cannot prove it. Now, I'm going to tell you something. Perhaps you've long since guessed it. Katrina was mine till Hargreave-never mind what his name was then-till liar greave came into the fold So sure of her was that l used her as lure to bring him to us. She fell in love with him, but too late to warn him, had the satisfaction of seeing him cast her aside, curse her, and leave her. In one thing she fooled us all. l never knew of the child till you told me
 He paused to light a cigarette.
 "Hargreave was madly in love with her. He cursed her, but he came back to the house to forgive her. to find that she had been seized by the secret police and entombed in the fortress. had my revenge. It was l who sent In the information, practically bogus. But in Russia they never question; they act and forget. So he had a daugh- teri"
 He began pacing the floor, his hands behind his back; and the woman watched him, oscillating between love and fear. He came to a halt abruptly and looked down at her.
 Don't worry. You have no rival I'll leave the daughter to your tender mercies"
 "The butler" she said. "haS full pow CTS of attorney to act for Hargreave while absent. up to the day the girl becomes of legal age"
 "Ill keep an eye on our friend Jones. From now on. day and night, there will be a cat at the kpothole, and ware mouse! Could you make up anything like this girl?" suddenly.
 "A fair likeness"
 Do It. Go to the ship which picked up the man at sea and quiz the cap tain. Either the aviator or Hargreave Is alive. It Is important to learn which at once. Be very careful; play the game only as you know how to play it. And if Hargreave is alive, we win. To morrow morning. early. Tears of an guish, and all that. Sailors are easy