The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-08
THE LONG
 WHITE GLOVE

ed whether ne would. She was the kind of a woman to whom a man might tell secrets which he would whisper to no one else. It was an in teresting point that they had met in ,he Polish capital some years pre- vious 10 the war. Mrs. Higginson might be far more deeply interested in world politics than her average American social set imagined, but she would hardly have been in the mind of the Chief of the Secret Ser vice when he once said that many so- ciety women gave valuable secrets away in chatter.
 A few weeks before Harry Kettle had attended an important conference at the Chiefs office, and since then every social function in New York city and other large American cities attended by General Melnikoff had been attended by this baby faced, tall, blonde spectacled Secret Service man who wore those burdensome glasses for reason of his own and who was generally known to be a man with more money and time than he knew how 10 spend
 Kettle kept In the background now lest the General should realize he had seen him several times lately. Not very much was likely to escape those Keen dark eyes of the distinguished ( guest of the evening"
 Mrs. Higginson glanced at the watch on her wrist, and concluded she had given late arrivals grace enough. Now General" she said, asking for his arm. We have a Po- fish orchestra in the music-room. in your honor, O. course. You must tell whpthaY national as people say, and also you can tell me -"
 The pair moved away. and Kettle lost the conclusion of the sentence. and In the mUsic-room he dared no. get close enough to overhear their conversation. He had to be conten. with watching them from a distance.
 The orchestra was small but ex- cellent, playing almost exclusively Polish music, perhaps on Mrs. His- Slnsons instructions, or perhaps the leader, the first violin, had noted that the honored guest of the evening was a com-patriot. It was in the Generals direction he bowed when acknowledg- ing applause.
 He Mysterious Glove
 The music-room was the centre of q suite of rooms containing art treas ures, pictures, statuary, china, and rare furniture, treasures which could nave come under the autcioneer's hammer, so it was whispered had il not been for the ex-Ambassador's sudden plunge in war industries. The music ceased. The hostess was called away for a few minutes. and the guests gathered in groups and sauntered about, inspecting the costly . treasures which were so lavishly scat : tered everywhere. Kettle. too. moved ahout, rather aimlessly. now and then noddlng pleasantly to some ac- ouaintance. but always keeping bis Watchful eyes on the General He no uced, or thought he did, that tht General himself though very pleased and polite. was lodging the othe, guests who would have flocl1ed abou him, asking questions that he could not answer and would not if he could.
 Then suddenly he observed that the leader of the orchestra was malxirc in the direction where the Genera : had edged his way through the saun. . tering guests. Kettle straightened H, and turning half way around followet l the musician with a steady gaze from : the corner of his eye. He saw thc . orchestra leader approach tfn1fdIy , A>VI'Ae qulckiy nlanOeVeured aOC i placed himself at a distance nee, ! enough to hear such conversation a. ! might pass between the musician anf 1 the General
 Your excellenecy, is it possfbIe that the lady has dropped this?" ht said as he handed the General Ions i While glove, and as hastily disappear. | ed amongst the guests. Kettles hear ! of hearts throbbed At last. he wa, ! on the right track for sensational ex . cftement. Strangely enough he hat noticed that Mrs. Higginson had dur. ing the evening kept on her gloves | But the General did not show sur. : prise, folding the glove hastily he pu . 1t in his side pocket. That was z , signal. Something was about to hap. 1 pen and what was about to hapDer would probably happen instantly. | Kettle had his attention still cen. 2 tered on the General when suddenl, { he noticed that the distinguished Pol, ] made for the adjoining hall He saw i him feel the gloves fingers, extrac ! a tiny piece of paper, read 1t an, 1 after crumbling 1t in the palm of f1,
 hand throw it on the floor wha : was there on that paper that the Gen eral had thrown so carelessly on tn, { floor? Perhaps there was nothint | on IL, perhaps what was on it had not | appeared to him as significant Blu
 why was he not looking for the owner l of the glove. He had folded 1t agair l and replaced 1t in his pocket
 ! Kettle walked to to the spot wher,
 the strip of paper lay crumbled oi
 the floor and after several cleve
 kicks, succeeded in finally pushing i
 into the hall. With quick movemen
 he picked 1t up and walking to an ad l Joining room pressed out the crease l in privacy and read it. "She will b,
 at your service tonight after one, a
 42 Grovedale Street, Jersey City, Who was she, and what bushes 1 would she have with the General a ! such a late hour? Suddenly Kettl i remembered that the most importan
 part of his task was still to kee]
 his eyes on the General
 Again he located General Melnikof
 and saw him hand the glove over to
 servant and heard him say, "One o
 the guests must have lost this, per haps the owner will be looking for 1
 presently"
 KattIo reIiauad l.,