The Dolores star., 1923-09-07

eussestiVe. II you'll excuse my say
Ing so. you're a curious young couple.
don't know-you might succeed
where others have failed. 1
believe in luck, you know-always
have. :"
He paused a moment, md then
went on:
"Well, how about it7 You're out for
adventure. How would you like to
work for me? Expenses paid, and a
moderate salary?'
| Tuppence gazed at him. "What
should we have to do?' she breathed.
| Mr.. Carter smiled.
Just go on with what you're doing
now. FIND JANE FINN"
Yes, but-who is Jane Finn?"
| Mr. Carter nodded gravely.
Yes, you're entitled to know that,
l think"
| He leaned back In his chair, crossed
his legs, brought the tips of his fingers
together, and began in n low mono
| tone:
"1n the early days of 1915 n certain
document came into being 1t was the
draft OF secret ngreement-treaty-
call 1t what you like. 1t was drawn
up ready for signature by the various
representatives. and drawn up in
America-at that time neutral coun-
try. 1t was dispatched to England by
a special messenger selected for that
purpose. young fellow called Dan
vers. 1t was hoped that the whole
affair had been kept so secret that
nothing would have leaked out. That
kind Of hope is usually disappointed.
"Danvers sailed for England on the
Lusitania. He carried the precious
papers In an oilskin packet which he
wore next his skin. 1t was on that
particular voyage that the Lusitanla
was torpedoed and sunk. Danvers
was among the list Of those missing.
Eventually his body was washed
ashore. and identified beyond any
doubt, the packet was missing!
The question was, had 1t been
taken from him. or had he himself
passed 1t on into anothers keeping?
After the torpedo struck the ship, in
the few moments during the launching
of the boats, Danvers was seen speak
Ing to young American girl. No one
actually saw him pass anything to
her, but he might have done so. It
seems to me quite likely that he en-
trusted the papers to this girl, believ-
Ing that she, ms n woman, had a
greater chance of bringing them safely
| to shore.
"But, II so, where was the girl and
what had she done with the papers?
We set to work to trace her out. 1t
proved unexpectedly difficult. Her
name was Jane Finn, and it duly ap-
peared among the list of the survivors,
but the girl herself seemed to have
vanished completely. Inquiries into
her antecedents did little to help us.
| She was an orphan, and had been
| what we should call over here a pupil
| teacher in n small school out West
| Her passport had ben made out for
Paris, where she was going to join the
staff ia hospital. She had offered
her services voluntarily, and after
some correspondence they had been
accepted. Having seen her name In
the list Of the saved from the Lusi-
tania, the staff Of the hospital were
naturally very surprised at her not ar
rivlng to take up her billet, and at not
hearing from her in any way.
"Well. every effort was made to
trace the young lady-but all in vain.
No use was made of the draft treaty
as might very easily have been done
and we therefore came to the conclu-
sion that Danvers had, after all, de-
stroyed it. The war entered on an
other phase, the diplomatic aspect
changed accordingly. and the treaty
was never redrafted. Rumors as to
Its existence were emphatically de-
MED. The disappearance of Jane Finn
was forgotten and the whole affair
was lost In oblivion"
Mr. Carter paused, and Tuppence
broke in impatienly:
But why has it all cropped up
again? The wars over"
Because 1t seems that the papers
were not destroyed after all. and that
they might be resurrected today with
new and deadly significance"
Tuppence stared. Carter nodded.
"Yes. five years ago. that draft
treaty was weapon in our hands; to-
day it is a weapon against us. 1t was
a gigantic blunder. If its terms were
made public, 1t would mean dsas-
ter. 1t might possibly bring
about another war-nOt with Germany
this time! That Is an extreme posi-
bility, and do not believe in its like
lihood, myself, but that document un-
doubtedly duplicates number of our
statesmen whom we cannot afford to
have discredited in any way at the
present moment He paused, and then
said quietly:
"You may perhaps have heard or
read that there is Bolshevist influence
at work behind present labor unrest"
Tuppence nodded.
"That Is the truth. Bolshevist gold
is pouring into this country for the