The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1917-12-15
trying to threaten me-" he answered,
more than puzzled by her attitude.

next week to arrange matters with
your people to announce our mar
riag@"
"Of course, Of coursev' he broke in
upon her hurriedly. He had forgotten,
for the moment, all about that plausi-
Bile promise of his. AS matters stood
on the continent he had thought 1t
more than likely that another week
would find him out of England for
good. But now he congratulated him
self that he had made her that prom.
Use. So far as he could see, that false
hope he had held out to her was all
that stood between him and the Tower
of London-and likely worse Ser
tainly We'll announce our marriage"
he assured her. "All that told you Of
my family, my income, was true-ex-
| cept that I'm German, not French"
She gave him an amused look.
But you see, you are not as clever
as you thought" she informed him. "If
you'd only been frank with me, l could
have been of so much greater help to
you"
You could?" he said us a look of
mystitication spread over his face.
How? Why?"
II have not been quite honest with
you" Ethel said.
He seized her roughly by the arm.
You have not lied to me about the
fleet?" he threatened.
mo, no! That was absolutely true"
Streetman released her then.
"Then what do you mean?" he asked.
So long as she had not deceived him in
that quarter it mattered little to him
what she might have done.
81 told you" Ethel explained, ~
told you there was no Englishman in
my life. l lied. There was-a cap
tain in the English army. Before l
met you we were engaged. He threw
me over for some other woman--a
woman with money. e.. 1 hate
himw Streetman saw no reason to
doubt her. AS Ethel flung herself into
the character Of woman scorned she
did her best to convince him Of the
truth of the old adage that hell had no
fury such as hers. AS she perceived
the success of her ruse she hurried on
to elaborate her fiction. Eyes, / hate
him" she repeated. II hate their
army! hate all Englishmen. 1t is
for you-for Germany I you'd serve,
she told him. THAT is why have not
done more for you. I thought you
were working for France, England's
ally. England-how l hate her!
want to see her dishonored, defeated,
ruined by your people"
"You-youW Streetman cried, as a
great light broke over him. "And l
never dreamedw he murmured, as he
seized both her hands. He was not
rough now-but eager, impulsive. Eyes,
1t is true" he said then. 81 am a Ger
man. serve the Wilhelmstrasse."
Then let me serve 1t, too" Ethel
begged, much as she had besought
Larry Redmond only a short quarter Of
An hour before. But then she had been
in earnest. Think what IA woman
could do; and clever woman" she
urged. Take me with you, wherever
you go. l would be useful"
The idea pleased Streetman.
Eyes, you wouldw he exclaimed
"And you shall co. You shall go with
me tonight"
"Where?" she asked him.
ITO Brussclsr'
"Brussels-but why there?'
He told her then the very heart Of
the German plan.
Germany will invade France
| through Belgium" he informed her.
'In two weeks we shall be in Paris"
But Germany's treaty with Bel
gium-you forget that!" Ethel remind
ed him. She could not believe that any
country that retained the merest YES
tige of honor would so debase herself.
"Belgium's territory must be sacred"
she said.
He released her hands then. He
needed even them to express his scorn.
Treaty? Bah! What is that-a
scrap Of paper!' he cried.
But are you sure?' she pressed
him. This she knew, was information
and big information, Of the greatest
moment to the English war Office.
Eyes, yes! I'm sure" he declared.
THAT Is the plan worked out by the
great general staff, and we must go to
Belgium tonight. You will meet me in
an hour at Charing Cross. Tomorrow
we shall be in Brussels"
"Where shall we stay in Brussels?"
81 am sent to the Grand hotel" he
explained. II shall pass myself OFF as
| Monsieur de Lorde. You shall be
Madame de Lorde."
Madame de Lorde" she repeated,
as if to fix the name indelibly upon her
memory.
"In Brussels we shall await instruc-
| tions," he cr2tinued. when they come
we shall do much--you and for the
Vaterland. Good-by, my dear,
until tonightr He started to go. But
he turned bach suddenly as If the urge
of great events had not quite oblit-
Grated all thought of his relations with
Ethel. He leaned toward her Now"
he said, NOW you won't refuse to kiss