Evening star., 1923-02-04
T tcontinued From Yesterdays starr
Miriam seemed dazed.. Renni


Miriam seemed dazed. Rennison,
watching her closely. saw her throat
and temples throbbing.
Ian agcnt-of seafalcon,s" she
ardiy traitor! DO you not know that
L know why 1t is you are here? You.
taking. advantage of the trust i'm
posed in you by the government. and
utilizing your position in the bureau
OF military intelligence, have learned
how the spy Charming lost the papers
he had stolen and was about to give
to one who was to deliver them 10
Seafalcon. You have, traced them
here. and have induced that prince
Of fools. Hayden Storrow, to, intro
duce you to me-, Well, you are here:
Now, search-search every nook ana
Granny Of my apartments for the pa
pers you are seeking. You are clever,
am told. Men and women have died
at your bidding-as 1 may die. The
government still may trust you, but
when you are done here. If still am
alive, l."
Rennison. now sitting upright, with
Stop it, Miss warburton." he said.
Have / not told you that each OF US
must trust the other? II l did not
know you to be an agent OF Scarab
cons would / have been following
you all this afternoon for the pur.
pose of afrording you protection? II
you were not a Seafalcon agent
would you have slain that young IN
iventor? Would you have placed the
stolen papers in Storrow's stick for
! transmission to the man who WIN De
at the Guilfords' reception to receive
them? Oh, no. my dear Miss war
burton, you know very we'll that L
| ments for the papers which went out
| of here with Storrow.
/ "You-you know that?" Miriam fall
tered.
easily. He looked at his watch. then
added: "In a few minutes the papers
should be In the right hands, my
dear"
Miriam sank slowly to her chair. 1t
was plain to Rennison that she was
striving desperately to regain SELL
"You-you would have me under
stand, then. that Capt Reifsny-
der"
she stopped abruptly.
The name of her confederate had
! slipped quickly from her lips. But
| the features of Rennison expressed
neither satisfaction nor surprise.
1T was only natural that ReHsnyo
der should be anxious, of course, ne
said. He did. not doubt that you
would carry out your mission sue
cessfully, but it was fortunate that L
kept after you-to cover your trall.
Indeed" Miriam murmured.
Yes. After drawing the body OF
young Claiming into his room. you
locked the door without closing IT.
Then, too, you left in your own room
in the hotel the point Of storrows
sword blade, and-this-
He tossed on the table the "Henne-
Miriam. who had been nervously
moving the table drawer in and out.
looked at the napkin duly. Her
glance wandered to the little onyx
.'Tm sorry I blundered So" she muir
but. inasmuch as found the arti,
cles, the oversights Will not maeter'
Rennison assured her.
Il am very glad.
She reached for the napkin, ex-
amined 1t thoughtfully. then droppeo
In into the open drawer of the table.
y used i. to e,e protest s.eiainsd ms hsnaS from
"The cuts in the fabric indicated IL
had served that purpose replieo
Rennison. .,v
"But YOU will let me have the nap
kim he asked. 1T is best. of course,
that Il should not be found here"
"Of course" che assented.
AS she drew the drawer. out
little farther she rose. Picking up
the napkin, Suc iicAu ~ ~ $1,000
the table.
Her eyes flashed at him def1antly as,
sra.sping the crumbled napkin, she
held il above his extended hand, then
brought it down sharply.
With a swift movement, Rennisons
hand eluded hers, then caught ner
wrist. From the napkin something
fell noiselessly to the lace cover or
the table-somethfng pink and white
and green--a little tea rosebud. with
closely folded petals and without
stem. But. noiselessly as 1t fell'
Rennison saw it.
Still grasping Miriam's wrist, Ken
nison raised his gaze to a pair OF
ewes which, though flashing dehantly
only q moment before, now were wide
with growing fear.
"One hand already has plucked that
little flower of immortality TO-DAY
Miss Warburton." he said quietly.
."There shall be no other"
The table was between them as she
tried to free her hand. In few mo-
ments her feeble efforts ceased. .
You are wrong. Capt Rennison,
she answered. There shall be one
Then he saw that her free left hand
llay. slightly arched, over the death
flower on. the table. -:
| "Stand back" she said. .r
Though quietly, tensely spoken, the
words were mandatory,