Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-10-26
IL (continued).

The spell of .breathlessness was
broken. The guests relaxed and went
on with their dinner.
Gordon, meanwhile, tried coolly to
keep up a pretense of eating, the paper
held in one hand while he seemed to
be studying 1t. Once he turned it over
and looked on the back. There was a
large crossmark in red ink at the up
per end. He looked at it curiously and
then instinctively at his host.
That Is my own mark" said Mr..
Holman. II put 1t there to distinguish
1t from other papers," He was smil-
Ing politely, but he might as we'll have
said. II put 1t there to identity it in
case OF theft for every one at the
table, unless 1t might be his wife, un-
derstood that that was what he meant.
Gordon felt 1t and was conscious Of the
other paper in his yest-pocket. The
way was going to be most difficult.
Among the articles In the envelope
which the chief mad given him before
his departure from Washington were
. pair of shell-rimmed e-glasses, a
false mustache, q goatee. and a pair
Of eyebrows. He had laughed at the
0uggesttOn of h~igh-tragedy contained
In the disguise, but had Brought them
with him for O possible emergency.
Tho eyeglasses were tucked into the
yest-pocket beside the duplicate paper.
He bethought himself Of them now.
Gould he, under cover of taking them
out, manage to exchange the papers?
And IL he should. how about that red
ink mark across the back? Would any
n notice Its absence? 1t was we'll to
exchange the papers a. soon rs pos
eible before he writing had been stud
led by those at the table, for he knew
that the other message, though resem-
bling this n In general words, differed
enough to attract the attention Of q
hose observer. Dared he risk their
noticing he absence, Of the red cross
on the back?
Slowly. cautiously, under cover OF
the conversation. he managed to get
that duplicate paper out Of his pocket
and under the napkin in his lap. This
no did with n hand, all the time
ostentatiously holding the code mes
sage In the other hand, with its back
to the people at the table. This hand
meanwhile also held his coat lapel out
that he might the more easily search
his vest-pockets for the glasses. 1t all
looked natural. The hostess was
gagged In a whispered conversation
with h maid at the moment. The
host and other guests were finishing
the exceedingly delicious patttes on
plates, n the precious code
message was safely In evidence, red
0IOSo dtlu dl. 4uoy saw IO reason 10
suspicious about the strangers
hunt for his glasses.
oh. here they are!" he said, quite
unconcernedly, and put on the glasses
TO look closely at the paper,
spreading 1t smoothly on the table
cloth before him, and wondering how
he should get 1t into his lap In place
Of the one that now lay quietly under
his napkin.
The host and the guests politely re-
Trained from talking to Gordon and
told each other incidents Of the day
in low tones that indicated the non
Importance of what they We're saying;
while they waited for the real business
OF the hour.
Then the butler removed the plates,
pausing beside Gordon waiting punctil-
lously with his silver tray to brush
the crumbs.
This was just what Gordon waited
Tor. 1T had come to him as the only
way. C~Ourteously he drew aside, lift
ing the paper from the table and put
ting 1t In his lap, for Just the instant
while the butler did his work; but in
that instant the paper with the red
and the other paper took its place
upon the table, back down SO that its
Of a red cross could not be noted.
So far. SC good. but how long could
this be kept up? And the paper under
the ~napkin--how was 1t to be got into
his pocket? His hands were like ice
now, and his brain seemed to be at
boiling heat as he sat back and real
i1od that the deed was done, and could
not he undone. II any one should
pick up that paper from the table and
discover the lack of the red mark, it
would, be all up with him. He looked
up tor an instant to meet the gaze Of