Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-13

~ a9
be as nice to you. Good night"
Woodhouse and Almer were alone
in the mongrels reception room. The
hour was late. Almer began sliding
folding wooden shutters across the
back of the street windows. Wood
house fingered over the excuse OF q
final cigarette, knowing the moment
for his rapprochement. with his fell
low Wilhelmstrasse spy was at hand.
to admit even to himself. The days
developments had been startling
First the stunning encounter with
Capper. there on the very Rock that
was to be the scene of his delicate
observation-disclosures. whom he had
thought sunk in the oblivion of some
Alexandrian wine shop, but who had
followed him on the Princess Mary"
The fellow had deliberately cast him
self into is notice, woodhouse re-
f1ected; there had been and
insolent hint Of a power to harm in
his %sneering o~bjurgation that Wood
house should remember \ his name
against a second meeting "Capper-
never heard the name in Alexandria.
eh?" What could he mean by that
if not that somehow the little ferret
had learned of his visit to the home
Of Doctor Koch? And that meant
Ay SoPp0A AL ~ = was oo eAA
gerous as a coiled cobra!
Jane Gerson, the little American he
had mourned as lost in the fury of
the a All, that was a joy not un-
mixed with regrets! What did she
think of him? First, he had been
forced coldly to deny the acquain-
lance that had meant much to him in
moments of recollection; then, he had
attempted a lame explanation, which
explained nothing and must have left
her more mystified than before. In
fact, he a frankly thrown himself
on the mere Of a girl on whom he
had not the shadow of claim beyond
the poor equity of a chance friend
ship-an incident she might consider
as merely n of a days travel Is far
as he could know. He had stood be-
fore her caught in a deceit, for on
the occasion of hat never-to-be-for-
gotten ride from Calais to Paris he
had represented himself as hurrying
back to Egypt, and here she found
hotel In Gibraltar.
Beyond all this, Jane Gerson was
going to the governors house as a
guest. She, whom he had forced, ever
SO cavalierly, into a promise to keep
secret her half knowledge of the
double game he was playing, was
going to be on the intimate ground of
association with the one man in Gil
braltar who by 6, crook Of his finger
could end suspicion by a firing squad.
This breezy little baggage from New
York carried his life balanced on the
rosy tip Of her tongue. She could be
careless or she could be Indifferent; In
either cas- 1t would be bandaged eyes
and the click Of shells going home for
him.
It was Almer who interrupted
Woodhouse's troubled train Of
thought.
Captain woodhouse will report for
signal duty on the Rock tomorrow, I
%suppose?" he insinuated, coming down
to where Woodhouse was standing be-
of tidying up the scattered magazines
and folders on the table.
Report for signal duty?": the other
echoed coldly. How did you know I
was to report for signal duty here r.
I'm the press a few weeks ago" the
hotel keeper hastily explained. ''Your
transfer from the Nile country was
announced. We poor people here in
Gibraltar, we have so little to think
"Ah, yes. Quite so." woodhouse
tapped back a yawn.
Your journey here from your sta
ton on the Melt was without Incl
dent?" Almer eyed his guest closely.
The latter permitted his eyes to rest
on Almer's for a minute before re-
plying.
Quite" Woodhouse threw his
cigarette in the fireplace and started
for the stairs.
"Ah. most unusual-such a long
journey without incident OF any kind
in this time Of universal war, with
all Europe gone mad" Almer. was
twiddling the combination Of a small
safe set in the wall by the fireplace,
and his chatter seemed only incidental
to the absorbing work he had at hand.