Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-08-24
tcopyright, The Bobbs-M Merrill Go.
XIV.

Inc captain Comes TO Tea.
Jane Gerson, alone for the first
time since't h incident of the cigarette
on the parade. ground a few hours
her room at Government House,
fighting q great bewilderrnent. The
window opened on a varied prospect
OF blooming gardens and sail-fecked
bay beyond But for her yes the
riot of color and clash Of contrast be-,
tween bald cliff and rnassed green,
had no appeal. Her hands locked
and unlocked themselves on her lap.
The girls mind was struggling to CO.
a comprehensive whole, to graphic
with the ethical problem of her own
conduct.
What she knew, or thought She
knew-and what she should do
those were the two saber points of
III dilemma upon which she found
serself impaled.
Could there TO- be any doubt Of
what she felt to be truth? First, she
had met Captain Woodhouse on the
Express du Nord-an oficer in the
returning from leave in England to
his post in Egypt. Then, the en-
counter of last night at the Hotel
Sp1endide, Captain Woodhouse first
denying his identity. then admitting
1t under h enforced pledge. that she
should not reveal the former meeting.
Captain Woodhouse, not In Egypt, but
at Gibraltar, and. as she had soon
learned. there with papers of transfer
Of the Rock. Following this surprise
had come General Crandall's dogged
examination of that morning-his
blunt declaration that a serious ques-
ton as to the captains position at
Gibraltar had arisen, and his equally
p~iatn-spoken threat to have the truth
from her concerning her knowledge
lof the suspected officer. @
To cap all, the message on the
cigarette! An informer-she guessed
the prefix to the unfinished word
had denounced you and Louisa to
General Crandall. To whom the pro-
noun referred was unmistakable-
Almer's eagerness to insure Captain
Woodhouse's receiving the cigarette
case plainly defined that. AS to
Louisa" involved with Woodhouse.
BILE only of q passing flash OF Curl
osity, made a bit more piquant, per-.
haps. by a little dart OF j%ealously.
hardly comprehended 81 such. "A
hotel keeper warns an officer In the
Gibraltar garrison that he has been
denounced. but in the same message
adjuras him tt ''play your W game"
That was the single compelling fact.
Jane Gerson flushed-in anger. or
was 1t through guilt?-
found her Lips framing the word
Now she understood why General
Crandall2 had put her on the grill
why he. informed, had leaped to the
Significance OF the gift Of roses and
dednced her previous acquaintance
with their donor. Her host was not,
powers Of mind reading. He was.
Instead. just the sober. conscientious
protector Of the Rock on whom rest
ed responsibility for the lives Of its
defenders and the maintenance of
1England's nag there. His duty was
to catch-and s~hoot-sptes.
Shoot spies! The girls heart CON
tracted at the thought. No,snol She
would not-she could not reveal to the
would be to send death to q man as
surely as * hers was the finger at the
trigger. Ri
ing the room. Over and over again
she told herself that this man who
had come Into her life. obiiquelyS
enough. had no claim on her; had
tOASAit tOI1til6 ~ SLtST BQL II Sb8.
He had deceived her even, and then,
when caught in the deception, had
wrested FROM her a promise that she
would help him continue further de-
ception against others. Against her
will he had made her a. party to some
deep aidacious plot, whose purpose
SIN could not guess, but which must
be but q part of the huge mystery
OF war.
And soon this Captain Woodhouse
Of HIS Invitation to tea that afternoon
flashed clear as white light. Soon she
would be In the ssme room with him;
would be forced to witness the spin
ming OF the web set to trap him. He,
would come unwarhed, un5uspecting.
might leave that room under
guard and with guns ct HIS back-
guns soon to be leveied at his heart.
Ket she, Jane Gerspn. poesneee6 the
power 20 sHvs hzms--As Tho wzrnanNLpR