Evening star., 1925-08-19

! to the manner In which TINS hoStlnty
was to be displayed?"
! sir" Grant replied, 81 am a
wealthy man, so this is of no moment,
but | have spent a hundred thousand
! dollars trying to get hold of per
| fectly simple document, which | know
! to be in existence. There is an
! elaborated scheme agreed TO by Japan
and Germany, which Is intended to
| strike at the very heart of our exist
enCe, and for which | have the
| strongest reasons for believing that
| Mr. Cornelius Blum is responsible.
There are two people from whom l
hope to obtain II. Both have, so far.
disappointed me. Nevertheless, |
shall get it some day. As regards the
part of the conspiracy dealing with
direct warfare, that, without a doubt,
is TO be conducted by seattle Ger
man fleet coming from eaStWards to
the Atlantic seaboard, the Japanese
fleet to San Francisco. | might point
out, sir. that the American fleet,
honorably kept within the limitation
of armaments statutes, would be
utterly unequal to dealing with both
adversaries arriving from opposite
| directions.
You drive me TO the conclusion
Mr. Slattery, that l am devoid OF
imagination, his host observed, Smll-
ing. Il cannot conceive the spectacle
of those two fleets approaching our
shores with a hostile purpose. You
need not take il as a cause for alarm
that l am unable TO embrace your
theory. SO far as you are concerned,
| am with you on the practical side
of the matter. My influence will be
directed towards securing an accept
ance of Lord YeoviPs proposition"
Grant rose to his feet. His com
panion laid a OBTAINING hand upon his
shoulder.
MY wife desires that YOU will give
us the pleasure of lunchlng with us,
he said. Her mother and yours were
friends. as, you may know. And /,
myself. was at Harvard with your
uncle. I knew your father, too, al
though he graduated a year or two
before me. You are, | hope, free
4 shall be honored." Grant acceded.
Luncheon was an informal meal. y
few officials were present. two ladies
who We're distant relatives of the host,
a recent arrival amongst the dlplo-
mats and a newly elected Senator,
The presiding genius of the establish
ment took Grant under her special
protection.
I'm not going to pretend TO be tact
full, Mr.. Slattery," she declared. be
cause YOU know that Gertrude's
mother and I were great friends. and
l was, at one time, very fond Of Ger
trude. I think I was one of the first
TO notice her friendship with Otto
Won Diss. and certainly one OF the
first to disapprove OF it. I'm ter
rible gossip, and I read all the society
papers So, of course. 1 know that
you have been meeting at Monte
Carlo. Tell me, has she changed?"
She is as beautiful as ever" Grant
said, but she has certainly changed.
She has gained a great deal, and l
think lost something
"She can't possibly be still in love
with that ridiculous little husband of
hers"
Grant was silent for a moment.
Under ordinary circumstances he felt
that his hostess lack of reserve was
really the truest form of tact. But
the things she did not know were
burning in his brain.
Il did not see a great deal OF Ger
trude in Monte Carlo" he confided.
Her husband arrived Unexpectedly.
and / think that he is of very jealous
temperament"
Were you speaking of Gertrude
Won Diss?' one of the women from
across the table interposed. II see
from the paper that she is in Newport,
just arrived from Europe"
His hostess turned inquiringly to-
ward Grant.
Il heard the same rumor," the lat
ter remarked, but I scarcely think
that it can be true. I inquired in New
York. but no one there knew any
thing about her. At the same time
it is certainly a fact, as I learned this
morning, that her husbands friend,
Cornelius Blum, who was with us all
at Monte Carlo, landed in New York
two days ago. The Won DISCS may
have come with him.
Grants host frowned for a moment.
CONTINUED in TomorrowIs Starl