Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-10-25
cs,AprEf; II (continueaD

keep up q pfeteitSe OF eating, the pApel
held ~ one hand white he seemed to
be studying it. Once he turned it over
and looked ON the bacis. There vas Il
large eros5lnars IN red ink at the up
per end tie looked at it euliQuslN and
shen instinctiyely at his host.
That is my own marx" said Alr.
ktelInAn. put it there to distinguish
" from other papers lie was smtl-
iyg politely, but he might as well have
said II put it there to identity it IN
case Of theft" for every one at the
taiis, unless it might be his wife, UNI
defstood that that was what he meant.
Goi ION felt ii and was conscious of the
otbAr paper in his v~est-pocset. The
way vas going to be most difficult.
Ains,ng the articles in the envelope
which the chief had given him before
his departure from Washington We're
Q pair Of shell-rimmed eyeglasses, a
false ~n,Istache, a goatee, and a pair
Of eyebrows. He had laughed at the
Congestion of high trag edy contained
In the disguise, but had brought them
with him for a possible emergency.
The >yN glasses We're tucked in2o the
vest-pocket beside the duplicate paper.
He b%atht ught himself Of them now.
CONld he, under cover OF taking them
cut, manh&e to exchange the papers?
And 1t he ahoufd, 20 about that red
lnk mark across the back? Would any
one notice It's absence? IL wa well to
exchange the papers as soon ia pos
sihle before the writing had been stud
ie0 by those at the table, for he knew
u1at the oiheI message, though resefn-
Ding this one IN general words, differed
enough To attract the attention of al
close observer. Dared he risk their
noticing the absence of the red cross |
on the back?
Slowly. cautiously. under cover of
the conversation he managed to get
mat duplicate paper out OF his pocket
ana under the napkin in his lap. This
he did with one. hand, all the time
ostentatiOusly holding the code mes
iii the other. hand, with it's back
to the people at the table. This hand
meanwhile also held his coat lapel out
that he might the more easily search
his ~Sest-pOcitetS for the glasses. 1t all
hooked natural. The hostess was en-
gagged in a whispered conversation
with the maid at the moment. The
host and other guests were finishing
the exceedingly delicious pattics on
their plates, and the precious code
message was safely in evidence, red
CROSS and oil. They saw no reason to
be suspicious about the strangers
hunt for his glasses.
"Oh, here they are,'' he said, quite
unconcernedly, and put on the glasses
TO- look more closely at the paper,
spreading it smoothly on the table
VbS[AS --Ci ILL I'LL "
he should get it into his lap in place
VI the one that now lay quietly under
AiS napkin.
The host and the guests politely re-
nained from talking to Gordon and
told each other incidents of the day
IN low tones that indicated the nom
Importance of what they We're saying;
while they waited for the real business
vi the hour.
Then the butler move the plates,
pAusing beside Gordon waiting punctil-
pusly with his silver tfay to brush
Way the crumbs.
This was just what Gordon waited
tof. 1t had come to him as the only
way. C-ourteously he drew aside, lift
inE 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
cross was slipped under the napkin.
n the other paper look it's place.
upon the table, back down, so that it's
tA9ks Of a red cross could not be noted.
20 far, so good, but how long could
his be kept up? And the paper under
ene n~apkin-h0w wa 1t to be got into
ala pocket? His hands wore. like ice
olltng heat as ne sat back, and real
ised that the, deed was done, and could
Dot be- NndQne. II any. one shoMldg
pick UP thgt paper from the, table and;
g the lack Of the red mark. it
W0Aid lee all up with him.. He looked
E II I9E ~ instant TO, meet the gaze Of
elhe Stx men up0 him.. They had moth.
eng better TO do now than to- look at
9tm until the next course arrived He
Eeatl10A that not one of them would
rave mere. upon him iftstheyy knew,
Wnat ne had done not one unless ID
nsieht Pc NE tired. ~oldtlookingg ono9
eng ne would q dnla interferes
VIII GEOE00n, VINE -. c-s.Ae