Evening star., 1925-08-30
Tmtiuued from Fridays star.j
CHAPTER XII.

ttFflE lNlIs
Grant drew little sigh of reflex
O. in response TO his invitation, the
door of his room was opened and his
iong.expected visitor arrived. He rose
at oncs TO his feet. For a person
whose enthusiasns were chiefly
,atent, his manner was almost ex-
uberant.
"Col. Hodson." he declared, you're
she one man in the States I've been
longing to have q chat with ever since
{ landed. I'm afraid I'm responsible
for bringing YOU back from your va
-ation."
The newcomer smiled slightly as he
shook hands. He was tall, fine.
looking man, with strong features
and d dignified carriage. His eyes
wandered from Grant 10 Stoneham.
Who was seated at the table writing
* letter.
This IS my friend, Nh Dan stone,
hsrl, late editor Of the New York" "
Grant explained. "Tlr IS with me up
10 the eyes in this business. Dan.
come here and shake hands with Col.
Hodson, head of the-well what do
you call your department now, Hod-
son? Home Secret service il used 70
be before the word secret service
became taboo
service a We Call II now tiou-
xor Con.ided. Nothing much in n
name. anyway. And nothing much
in rhe job lately. IA heeu over IN
Honolulu a month when they cablrd
for me-"
Grant pushed up an easy chair,
produced cigars. whisky ana IA syphon
and rang for ice.
''I was afraid they weren't going 10
send for you after ALL he observed.
They didn't seem in any way anxious
70 put me IN touch with YOU. Tell ne
honestly, Hodson. what do they think
OF me IN the department
"They are Interested" the latter ac-
knowledged. stretching himself out
and lighting q cigar. They have a
great respect for your insight on all
ordinary matters, but III the present
instance they are inclined to think
that you have 81 bee IN your bonnet" ="
s"I was afaid So Grant admitted.
I'm not surprised at it.
'"rhey think that you've been mix
ing with the foreigners, and especially
With the British. pretty freely, over
on the other side, Hodson continued.
and that you've got :; lot OF un.
American stun in your blood. You
know secret service and foreign plots
and all these German cum Japanese
scares don't cut much tee in Wash
ington these days. You should hear
senator Ross on the subject"
"I've heard him." Grant groaned.
'I know the spirit, too. and 1 know
perfectly well. Hodsou. that il I'd been
living IN America for the last 20 years
and hadn't been out OF It except as a
tourist. 1 should probably be feeling
exactly the same way. Ross IS wrong.
should have been wrong. There's 2
very terrible crisis looming UP before
VS. You and /. Hodson. are going TO
avert the greatest calamity with
which the world has ever been threat
sned.'
Let me warn YOU" Hodson said.
my instructions are 10 go dead slow
with you. I am to do nothing which
will make a laughing stock Of the de-
partment or which will evoke even
questions from nations with whom we
are upon friendly terms"
"1 quite understand your position. "
Grant assured him. When you re
convinced, as you will be soon, youTl
be with me body and soul. Until then
I'll take you by the hand carefully
Lets get TO work. then" EIodson
suggested. "Give me an outline or
your suspicious and show NE the
loose threads that you can't lay hold
Of yourself"
all, then. In Monte Carlo / came
across q plot to prevent that invita-
ton being sent to America to Join the
Pact of Nations. l frustrated it, Over
dinner some time III tell you how.
That doesn't matter for the moment.
The information upon which l acted
came partly from the Princess Won
Oiss, who was sent from Berlin to
Monte Carlo to see what l was up to
there, and partly from dancing girl,
The sweetheart OF Count Itash, u
young man who has held various Dip
lomatic positions in Japan and whom
I should describe as Japan's arch in
triguer, just as Cornelius Blum is
Germanys. The information she gave
me was correct"
"1s this man Itash the sort OF per
son who gives away his secrets to his
feminine companions" Hodson asked.
quietly.
''Not in the least" Grant acknowI-
edged. LAS a matter Of fact we have
only just discovered the truth. He
talks in his sleep. The girl, unfortu-
aately. is madly in love with him and
only gives him away piecemeal. A
few days ago. in fury Of jealousy
ttash has brought another woman out
here-she told me that he was wor-
Red about Japan's contracts with the
steel houses here, in addition to their
tmportations from Germany. I spoke
70 Washington on the telephone. They
have agreed to take the matter up
They have already applied to their
own steel companies for particulars Of
steel supplied to Japan during tho last
two years, and when they get 1t, which
they viii before the Limitation Of Arm
anents Conference, il will be a stag
gerer. That's only g. tiny little link
In the chain, though. Japan's clever
enough to wfsgle out OF that, or to
Keep the thing going until it's too late.
K Just helps, that's ALL Last night
the girl was fool enough to try and
shoot her rival. She escaped arrest
and came to me. She declared that
unless Itash promised to give up the
other woman she would tell me Won
ierful things. We telephoned Itash.
who was still ignorant OF his nocturnal
indiscretions and who came round at
once. His attitude toward the girl
vas brutal and am convinced that
she was on the point Of making a full
disclosure of all she knew. Cornelius
blum, however. had discovered the