Evening star., 1925-08-26

on MIR. Blunn's shoulder She drew
| his head down to hers.
Mon Dieu"' she whispered 1T is
easy. ] have heard strange things
! myself. to which I have paid no at
tention. He talks in his sieep--taIks s
] ia alks--talks--ah. how he talks
I sometimes all through the night
The little case was in her fingers.
I She dropped il into her bag. Cor
nelius Blum sat by her side, grim and
silent, veritable Nebuchadnezzar.
| brooding over the terrible writing.
! Thirty years of his own toll. 80 years
| of nations agony. q stealthy creep
| ing forward through the ages. the
| brains of two greedy empires concen-
| trated upon one end. building and toll
| Ing and planning-these things were
! all imperiJed because a dancing girl
! had known jealousy,
CHAPTER TX.
t Stoneham returned from lectur.
! ing tour in the West dispirited, and
with a frank confession OF failure
! He presented himself at Grants rooms
/ just as the latter was finishing break
/ fast.
I've bad news. old chap" he de.
! clared at once. I've done my best
and | guess I've made about as much
! impression upon my audiences as II
! Pussyfoot Johnson had come back tn
] life and We're preaching prohibition
! once more. They won't have it at any
price
| Grant pushed box Of cigars across
! the table and rang for a waiter 10 re,
move his tray.
America outside still their motto
| eh?' he observed. as he drew a chair
| up to the open window
You see." Stoneham went on
| they've never forgotten what tri
umph it was for American diplomacy
| that our people in those days. refused
a II invitations TO join the Genoa con.
| ference. We scored immensely all
| round by remaining outside, and you
! know what general muddle that af
| fair ended in. The fact of 1t is" he
| continued. selecting and lighting his
| cigar. our people over here have
never regained their faith in British
| diplomacy since those days. They
can't see that they stand to be hurt
| in any way by remaining outside, and
! they can see that they might be drawn
| into lot Of trouble IL they got in.
Volved in some of these economic dis.
putes. We make our own rules now
and play our own game. and we're the
! richest country in the world. It's a
| pretty hard situation TO shake. Grant
Grant was less perturbed than his
compa Mon had ina sined possible.
| We talked with Cornelius Blum
| since you've been away" he an.
! nounced. I've heard the same story
! from him. ! believe he's right. I be
! lieve you're right. ] believe that il
the matter were 10 be decided upon
today. the invitation to join the pact
would be rejected by an overwhelmins :
| ma ajority. Fortunately, the meeting
OF the limitation of arma.nents is To
come first"
| Sure, but what difference does that
| make Stoneham inquired.
| It's soing to make ell the differ.
I ence, Grant assured him. I'm on
| the track OF things already. and the
conference doesn't take place for an
/ other month"
| Am I 70 be wise to this?"
You are. But we've got to move
| warily. Blum can afford TO be good
| natured about our fight against hin,
so far as II has gone. He knows very
wen that his propaga anda department
! Is In perfect order. He can pra cti
| cally count his votes. He knows tba
on light as things are at present we
haven't chance. The moment he
| realizes that we are getting round his
I hanks. though. he'll be dangerous.
Dan. you remember my telling YOU
about Cleo, the little dancing girl. who
oSed TO go about with Count Itash?"
| Quite Well"
! Well. Itash has brought the othe,
girl over here. Cleo has followed, and
| Cleo paid me visit the day before
yesterday. She gave me a hint and !
verified II. She is coming here again
this morning
| DO you trust her." Stoneham asked
doubtfully. DO you think it really
| likely that man like Itash would
| have told her secrets"
"Of course he wouldn't" Ora Mt
| agreed. But this is the point. Itash
mas habit of which he is ignorant.
he talks in his sleep. Cleo admits
| mat she thought nothing of it. at
hrst-that she did not even listen
! Then some OF the things he said
struck her as being strange. Finally
| she understood. He was worryine Q
1 over failure of his to keen secret
| TWO great contracts for steel given
last year and the year before. I
| followed this up. IT happened TO be
rather in my line. What about this
for bombshell. Dan? Japan bought
| steel plates enough in Germany dur.
ing the last two years to build every
| scrap or naval armament 10 which
she was entitled. She also bought
from different firms Sn America, some
! In the name of China and some in her
own name: three times the same
/ quantity of steel. all of which wa
/ shipped
But, say. how could she get away
with thing like that?" Stoneham
asked incredulously
Largely bluff. The steel plates
from Germany she declared faulty
4 hor ir,A
! them for factory construction. Ger
many. with unusual complacency.
! actually admitted at the last meeting 2
| or the limitation of armaments that
! the plates were unfit for battleships.
and. nominally. received a large com.
! pensation. This is the first little hint
Mile. Cleo has given me, Dan, and by
the time / get my dispatches in from
Japan have a good man out there.
| thank Cod think / shall be able
| 10 give the limitation of armaments
| conference a shock. Cleo has a few
other little matters to tell me about.
| too
Say. this is great" Stoneham ex-
claimed. Pity you couldn't have got
| her to make complete disclosure
| while she was about it."
Il did my best" Grant assured him.
/ Il offered her everything in the world
except my hand and fortune. and l
don't think she'd have accepted those.
She's simply crazy over this fellow
ltash. Shes going slowly in case he
relents"
| Stoneham. with a start. sat upright
| in his chair. A sudden recollection
! had flashed into his brain.
| My God" he cried. "whstever
! have been thinking about? What
| did you say her name was?"
I've never heard her called any
thing but Mile. Cleo What about
her? Don't tell me anythings hap
] pened already"