Evening star., 1923-02-16
The Scarlet Tanager
Story Of Secret Service and Diplomatic Intrigue
BY J. AUBREY TYSON
tcop,rish,. Ises. by the Macmillan company)

ASn receivers on the tables were
filled to overf1owing, and tobacco
ashes. match sticks and cigar and
cigarette stumps were scattered over
the polished floor and the rugs. The
! furniture. consisting. for the most
! part. OF comfortable chairs and
couches. was Of miscellaneous ma,
| ture. There were several large, well
| n!led bookcases. The pictures. were
| OF the sort one sees displayed in the
cheaper art stores-pictures of cathe'
drals. Venetian scenes, bathing girls
and Photographic reproductions OF
paintings by old masters. There was
something IN the aspect of the place
that seemed to suggest the absence OF
womanly interest In It,"
1T Is evident that the preneonition
OF evil, to which you have referred
did not have the effect Of so agitating
you that you were unobservant of de.
tails" Rennison remarked, with a
smile.
Il will confess frankly that I wa.
very nervous and was making hard
Miriam explained. MY observation OF
these details was partly the result OF
my apprehension. Like many other
persons. often am inclined to esti-
en- by their environment--by, the
things which they select and the
manner in which they place them
As glanced about me I was relieved
W lltiu ludt the place u WI udu
been brought was the abode OF per-
son OF culture. rather than the haunt
of human animals"
The smile faded slowly from Rem
nison's face. He nodded gravely and
the actress went on:
dulEe in speculation. for l now found
Strangers. nTan,s !" One s Of 4ses these-s short
hroadfaced. bald-headed man. with a
tiorid complexion and surly expression
had opened the door through which
we had entered the bungalow. The
other stood, near the middle Of the
room. beside the table that held the
electric lamp which just had lighted
the apartment.
las 1 glanced at the man beside the
table. great fear gripped me-a fear
that chilled my blood and stif1ed me.
Trembling, 7 tottered and Erasped the
back Of a chair. Then felt kerfoot
pass an arm around me. 1t was ap-
parent that he feared / was about TO
The man who had excited this new
fear was about six feet tall. long
limbed, broad-shouldered and with
the graceful bearing of an athlete.
The upper part of his face was con-
cealed by a black mask. His head was
well nodded and his carefully brush
ed black hair was little gray AT the
temples. noticed. too. that his
usual in a man OF such height. He
wore close-fttinS gray woolen
shirt, with a collar Of the same mate
rial. His four-in-hand tie and trou-
sers were of the same color. He mad
black leather belt. but no coat
LAS this stranger stood watching
me, with his right hand resting on the
high back OF a chair, there came to
me suspicion that l was face to face
with the arch enemy OF the Amerl-
can government and OF the world"
You suspected, then. that the man
was Seafalcon, himself" Rennison
queried.
Leaning closer to him. over the
table. Miriam asked:
You have heard the rumor that,
some sort OF an accident that resulted
in the loss of one of his eyesT'
YES" Rennison answered. thought
fully. II have heard several such re-
ports, but none appear to have been
authoritative. One had it that he was
wounded by a woman with whom he
had been infatuated and who COM
mitted suicide after inflicting the in
jury upon HIM Another was to the
effect that he was struck by a frag-
hurled at him by the officer Of one OF
the American vessels he boarded. All
such reports have been denied, OF
course"
W ell, these TepOTlB CeAll0 u my
mind looked at the masked face
before me-" Miriam continued. For
several moments the sinister appear
ance of the man and my suspicion
concerning his identity overwhelmed
me with awe and horror.
But tho action of Kerfoot in pass
ing his arm around me effected re-
, vulsion Of feeling. The contact in
spired me with loathing. AS I thrust
him aside, my strength began to come
back to me. The eyeholes in the
fascination for me. One thought was
burning in my brain. Trivial as this
might seem to you, in the circum-
stances, ! kept repeating. mentally.
Two eyes or one-two eyes or one"
addressing me:
".Come. Miss -warburton, steady
yourself. he said Nothing will oc-
cur here that should give you any
'IIe placed a chair for me. and, as
sank onto this, he turned to the man
beside the table.
Miss Warburton has had a hard
day and night OF it,, Kerfoot ex-
planned. She has convinced me that
snyder's directions, she knew she was
aiding our cause
"Indeed" exclaimed the man be-
side the table, and the note of sur
prise IN MS tone was unmlStakdple.
Leaning forward. the man in the
mask crossed his arms over the high
back of the chair. He still was look
ing at me over the shaded lamp, and
I could not see the light I sought in
the eyeholes Of the mask he wore.
"Kerfoot then repeated all ! had
told to him concerning my expert
ences of the afternoon and night. So
accurate was this repetition that it
was unnecessary for me to offer any
correction. While he was thus en-
gagged, 1 was trying to formulate
nication with you and acquainting
you with the fact that Seafalcon was
in Baltimore. for not for a moment