, 1923-01-08

strange device In the center.
She was freei For there, at her
feet, lay h ma with the devils ban.
ter, the man she had married.
DARsoN KENNEDY leaned against
L the side OF the window and looked
across Pennsylvania avenue The
man at the desk asked.
Are you keeping an eye on Arml.
tase?"
81 am keeping two eyes on him He
doesn't keep many secrets from me"
Gould you put your hand on Nor
CAMS shoulder"
you can arrest him for a spy? As
easily at that said Kennedy. snap.
ping his fingers. But II We spring
him, we lose a more valuable quarry.
Armstrong could have handled them
both, poor lad"
DO o know where Armstrong
died-"
Somewhere inside the enemy's
lines"
"At the home of Jeanne Beaufort"
said the other. gazing curiouSly at
the broad back of his friend
Kennedy whirled around. "Jeanne
Beaufort's homer G-RD-A died
there? . They are pairing US
down. FoEarty has beer hanged. and
Schmidt; Henderson has died of ex.
posure; Skinner has been shot; and
now comes Armstrong. And you tell
me he died at Jeanne Beaufort'sy"
You say hat Armitage has no Sc.
crets from your asked the man at
the desk.
'I repeat It."
'Twho Is Alice Trent7"
Alice Trent?" Kennedy blinked.
why. SO far as I know. she is a
young woman from Baltimore, Mt
present living with the Caldwells. a
family inclined to sit on the fence.
The Trents are of an old stock in Bal.
timore. of established loyalty"
h"Armltage calls there quite FIRE
quently."
What of that?'
well. Morgan has called two or
three times"
Morgan oes everywhere"
I've are laying a trap for MorgsN
today, merely to open Senator KS
eyes. The president is to entrust to
tho are of Senator X some valuable
papers al four. We have spread the
rumor quietly that these documents
relate to the munition stores. You
will escort the messenger from the
White House TO the senator's. Nor
gan Is his private secretary. as you
know"
KENNEDY began TO rub his palms
IN together in pleasurable antlclpa-
ton. Morgan knows the combinn-
ton to the senator's d~ispatch.box. But
IL those are bogus dispatches, we'll
lose him"
That's exactly what we wish to
do We want him out of the sena-
tors house. in the open. There rae
lots OF men who'd be happy If a scan
DIAL popped up in the senator's home.
II the documents do what we hope
they will. Morgan will never cross the
senator's threshold again. Parson.
those documents are his Indictment.
That's the joke. II he purioins them
and reads. he'll go into hiding; but
he will not leave Washington at this
time. If he doesn't go into the dis
patch-box, then we'll have TO try some
other method"
You are taking great risks" srum.
bled Kennedy.
Sooner or later. hen hang. Go to
Baltimore tomorrow. Come back rs
0 o as you can. For Armitago's
sake I hope there's nothing TO my
If there is anything ~oef-color. I'm
cure that the boy is innocent. Ordi-
narily It would be water eff a ducks
hack. But he's under n cloud. Ana
II you yarn him. therein be trouble
for you"
TT not warn him. Eut If Morgan
sueceeds in getting south. I'll never
forgive you"
REST easy on that score. That's
ALL"
Kennedy went away somewhat dis.
turbed. What new coil rad the. boy
sprung about his feet?
MORGAN left Senator ks at ten
III o'clock In the evening. The sen.
ator saw him to the door. Immedl-
hteiy Morgan returned through the
garden window which he had left
open and was in the act of lifting
back the lid on the dispatch!box, when
the p~ortieresN ratified on the poles and
the senaor himself, with candle 1 N
hand, appeared.
Morgan sprang. bore the older back.
ward, toppled him to the floor, bun.
died the dispatches into his pocket.
and ran all the way to his lodgings.
There he burned what papres he had,
saving only his various passes. and
fed to another part Of the town.
The room he entered VA rather
bare. He lighted the candle and
placed the sealed document before
him. One by one he broke the seals.
He stared entraneed. Suddenly he
Jumped TO his feet. furious.
Fooled, triokedi He swore. He
ripped these cynical indictments into
t~atters. They had played with him,
Henry Morgan, as they would have
played with a tyrol
He laughed shortly. Clever, devil.
ishly cleverl They had gotten rid of
him without dragging the senator
Through the mire Of a political scan.