Evening star., 1923-02-15

had been sent for me by Capt. Rem
nison, who, as a government agent,
has fastened on me the responsibility
for the death OF oliver Charming and
with him to Washington
1t was plain that he was fairly
staggered by the nature of my reply.
After hesitating a bit, he asked:
What disposition did you make
OF those papers. Miss Warburton?
II told him the truth"
You told him the truth" Rennison
exclaimed.
Il told him l had slipped the papers
into Hayden's cane while he was
having dinner at my apartments, and
that Hayden then had left me to 60
to the Guilfords' reception. not know
ing. OF course. that the papers were
In his cane. I also explained that.
later, Hayden came with you to my
apartments. and that you had learn
ming. told him, too, how you had
found the broken sword-polnt and
the Henneshaw napkin and that, as a
result OF these discoveries. you had
identified me as murderer and a
thief and had found the papers in
the cane"
1T Is plain that Kerfoot was not
long In winning your confidence"
Rennison put in. grtmly.
1T was his confidence, not mine.
that was the stake in the game"
Miriam corrected. "As l proceeded,
more impressed by my straightfor-
wardness."
II should think he would be-" Rem
nison agreed.
AT length he put the question to
which my course had been directed"
now. Miss Warburton. please tell me
In whose interest you were working
at the time you took those papers
from Channing?" replied I had
been working in the interests repre-
sented by Capt. Reifsnyder.
And what interests were those"
he asked.
The interests OF seafalcon,' an
swered him.
He stopped his questioning then.
For two or three minutes he sat beside
me without speaking. then he laid a
hand on one Of my shoulders and said.
quietly:
"'All right, Miss warburton. There
are certain circumstances connected
with this affair that did not under
stand
"He rose. as he spoke. and stepped
out of the car. AS he moved away he
was joined by the man ! had seen
with him I first. They halted and
for two or three minutes they con-
versed earnestly together. Then Ker-
Ing open the door, he said:
must ask you to leave this car,
Miss Warburton. and come with US In
the limousine. The change should be
desirable one. l think, for 1t looks
as il we were about to have a storm
Where am to be taken? asked.
Our destination Ia Baltimore he
replied. II what you just have told
me is true. you will find yourself with
friends who will afford you all neces-
sary protection against any unpleas-
ant consequence OF your service TO
Capt, Reifsnyder yesterday after
noon
Strange as it may seem to YOU, I
was unconscious OF any sensa ton of
fear as | rose. In vague sort of
way | felt there was opening to me
an opportunity to undo. In a measure,
Reifsn+der. 1t was impossible, OF
course. to restore life TO poor Cham
ming. but the idea came to me that |,
who had taken his life. might avenge
his death in manner that might
hasten the fall OF Seafalcon.
And SO 1t was not with fear, but
with eagerness, that ! trembled as
left the car and allowed Kerfoot to
conduct me to the waiting limousine.
As l sank back on the rear seat i
saw that the chauffeurs place was
being taken by the man who had
called for me at my apartments. The
stranger ] first had seen with Kerfoot
sat beside the chauffeur. Kerfoot
came in with me and closed the door.
The man who had been driving the
Limousine went over to the touring
car.
Once we were in our places in the
machine, there was little delay In get
ting under way. At the next street
intersection the limousine was headed
northward, and II was not long be-
fn ANA to lnk
nized as constituting the most direct
route to Baltimore.
Though Kerfoots general appear
ance was indicative of calmneSs, j
fancied that beneath the surface were
evidences Of unrest. AS we passed
the lamps with which the road was
] was conscious OF the efforts
he made to scrutinize my face. When
he first broke the silence it was to
ask me IL ! objected TO smoking In
the car. replied that did not. but
the coldness OF my perfunctory an
swer apparently led him to believe
that such action would be undesira BILE,
for he did not light the cigar which
he took from his pocket.
"At length he spoke again.
And so you have believed yourself
to be working in the interest of Sea-
falcon?" he said.
Yes / answered, shortly.
but Reifsnyder gave us-gave
me--to understand that, though you
were working in accordance with his
others associated with him to be en-
gagged in conspiracy against the
government
Il laughed a little as replied that
Capt. Reifsnyder and / understood
each other perfectly.
For several minutes he was silent.
then he asked a question ! had been
expecting.
"'How does it happen. Miss War
burton, that Rennison, knowing you
to be guilty of the death Of oliver
Claiming, did not take you into
custody at the time he visited you in
your apartment"
And then. in your interest and in
that OF the government Of the United
States, / lied to him. ! told him that
you and ! had been friends for many
months. but that, despite this fact,
you had not suspected my interest in
the cause OF Seafalcon."
You have been playing boldly"
Rennison muttered. thoughtfully.
your purpose Is becoming clear to
me, however. The plan was well de-
vised, and I must congratulate you
on having made such a clever be-
ginning. So we had been friends for
several months. eh?"
HE asked me If our friendship had
been known to Hayden Storrow."
Miriam went on. II told him that
Hayden did not know we were ac-
quainted. I explained, then. that,
having traced the crime to me, you
doubt concerning the manner In which
you were to proceed, but that ] defied
you, and directed you not to spare
me-"
"You told Kerfoot you saw in my
possession the papers you had taken
from Channing?" Rennison asked.
Yes. I told him also that I at
tempted to take your life In order to
regain them. Incident to this, /
described your talk over the telephone