Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-05
ACHARMINC LOVE STORY /.
INSID)EIHEIINE
AEAu hGGEB Observation-Disclosures
uJRRDBeN WElES RIpQnE
an1RDBET WEIlES Rlr1iIE
CHAPTER XII. (Continued.)

CHAPTER XII. (Condnued.)
But here comes q beach comber, a
miserable 1ackal from the back alleys
OF society, and warns the governor
general Of the Rock that he has a man
from the Wilhelmstrasse-a spy bent
on some u~nfathomable mission-in his
very forces on tho Rock. He says
that an agent Of the enemy has dared
masquerade as q British officer in or.
der to gain admission inside the lines
OF Europe's most impregnable for
tress. England's precious stronghold,
there to do mischief!
General Crandall's tremendous re-
sponsibilities would not permit him
to ignore such a. warning, coming
even from SO low a source. Yet the
man found himself cropping blindly In
the dark before the dilemma present.
ed; he had NJ foot rule of precept or
experience to guide him. :;
His fruitless searching for a prop
in emergency was broken by the ap-
pearance Of Jane Gerson in the door
opening from Lady Crandalls rooms
to the right Of the library. The girl
was dressed for the out-of-doors; in
her arms was a fragrant bunch OF
blood red roses, spraying out from
the ton of a bronze bowl. The girl
hesitated and drew back in confusion
at seeing the room occupied; n
seemed eager to escape ~undetected.
But General Crandall smilingly check
ed her fight.
Ell thought you would be out
Jane stammered, "and-"
"And the posies-" the general in
terrupted.
Were for you to enjoy when you
should come back" She smiled cas-
lily into the mans eyes. They'll look
SO much p~rettier here than In my
room"
very good Of you, I'm sure" Gen
eral Crandall stepped up to the rich
cluster of buds and shifted critically.
without looking at the girl, he con-
tinued: ut appears to me as though
you had already made a conquest on
the Rock. One doesn't pick these
from the cliffs, you know"
az should hardly call it a conquest"
Jane answered, with a sprightly toss
of her head. .r
"But a young man sent you these
lowers. Come-confess!" The gener-
ais tone was bantering, but his eyes
did not leave the piquant face under
the chic summer straw hat that shad-
ed 1t.
"Surely. One Of your own men
Captain Woodhouse, Of the signal SER
vice" Jane was rearranging the
stems in the bowl, apparently ready
to accept what was on the surface OF
the generals rallying.
"Woodhouse, Ell? You've known
him for a long time, I take it."
"Since last night, General. And yet
some people say Englishmen are
slow She laughed gaily and turned
to face him. His voice took on a
subtle quality of polite lnsistence:
Surely you met him somewhere be-
fore Gibraltar"
How could I, when this is the first
time Captain Woodhouse has been out
OF Egypt for years"
Who told you that?" The general
was quick to catch her up. The girl
felt a swift stab OF fear. On the In
slant she realized that here was some
body attempting to drive into the mys-
terry which she herself could not I'M
tOCISld11O, UuI WAASH ouO q pASoSS"
herself to keep inviolate. Her voice
f1uttered in her throat as she answer
ed:
why, he did himself, General"
He did, Ell? Gave you a bit of his
history on first meeting. Confiding
chap, what! But you, Miss Gerson-
you've been to Egypt, you say?'
mo, General"
Jane was beginning to find this
cross examination distinctly painful.
She felt that already her pledge, so
glibly given at Captain Woodhouse's
insistence, was involving her in a sit
uation the significance of which might
prove menacing to herself-and one
other. She could ense the beginnings
Of a strain between herself and this
genial elderly gentleman, her host.
"Do you know, Miss Gerson"-he
was speaking soberly now-"I believe