Ashton Kirk, Secret Agent

rk Goes t

rk turned

have taken down

ther did not speak; he remained gazing down at the shabby hordes which eddied and murmured in the street. There was

ved upon the western fringe of the Orient, are tinged with its mystery. Every now and then

ehow, have always impressed me uncomfortably; they seem, so to put it, to have something in re

-Kirk

and took down a thin folio; placing it upon the table, he began to rapidly

smile, "I have an idea that food and the cooking thereof has more to do with it than anything else. The mental and physical differences are the results o

his was a "Boom" suburb, and as yet had no great population; down the list of subscribers ran the i

," sa

book to Full

e's number in

of the city and suburbs. It was done by hand and in variously colored inks; every street, avenue, court and alley were clearly traced; each house and number was microscopically set down. This map was the grow

is the first stree

2979," said Fuller, look

e lines. Then he burst into a laugh and allowed the spring to whis

own to know that his utterances were not always meant to be heard. The secret agent took up a bit of b

all the nam

sistant, after a moment's thought.

cabinet," sai

ulled open the drawer marked "OK." Aft

he is, and underscored in red

of bells. A buzzer made reply; th

Volume X

tte. In a little while Stumph entered, bearing a huge canvas-covered book; this he laid up

n to-day," said he. "And I'll

ed Fuller, when Stum

bury after seven o'clock. And stand

urs followed; cigar succeeded cigarette and pipe followed cigar; the table became littered with burnt matches, ash, and impossibly short ends. When Stumph finally knocked to announce dinner, he found tottering mountains of books

Eastbury Station; and among those who got off

splashes of reddish gold piled high on the horizon line, and lo

d its grading was as level as that of a billiard table. The buildings were even fewer here than elsewhere i

ge fence; and a cemented path led to the front door. A tall, angular old woman opened this in answer to the ring. Her eyes were sharp an

k at home?" as

ome partly veiled, the thin lips o

ould s

nd as the old woman a

not Engli

bristle with indignation; her

am a French wo

essly kept sitting-room; a single window overlooked

," she said, "I will

st glance had been thr

anese for nei

and this was divided in the center by a hedge fence. Upon the opposite side of the latter, engaged in uprooting the encroach

l pagans," she said, r

et agent

zealot even without that," he said. "

s, at all events," said Full

ton-Kirk, "is a member of the househol

nd wielded a huge pair of shears diligently; in spite of the mildness of the eve

led in to do the trimming

n-Kirk. "That is a Scottish terrier running about the

was sure and soft, the air mournful and full of minors. They ha

sparkle in his eyes; as he spoke his voice shoo

ly, as he shook hands. "I a

ng has h

r ago. A few moments after receiving it I heard him shouting al

ou go

lan to leave him alone. After venting his rage in the

comment upon this; his eyes were

that?" a

ollowed h

a Pole, and came about a month ago; he seems very intelligent, an

peaker turned

Dr. Morse rushed from

Upon his desk I found this, which was, mo

the only peculiarity of which was that the down stroke was red, and

e cried aloud in the libra

orbin did. She

him. "I would like to speak

suppose it w

shton-Kirk was at the window, and

clipping a hedge near by; and if you noticed that they gradually and

ier had stopped his capering and lay gnawing one of the

ance. It seems to me," in the low, rapid tone of one to whom an idea had just occ

t and dark and dressed in white. Her most remarkable feature was her eyes; they were big and black and

ays that hidden things are plain to you. I do not understand how or why this is, but nevertheless I am glad that you

to control yourself. You are cold with fear. It is necessary that you answ

be calm when I read such things in his face?" One hand was upon the arm of the secret agent, the other upon that of y

ied the youn

t is even nearer than I dream. It

irl," crie

ore. "Have you been blind that you have not seen? But no," her tone changing

a second meaning seemed to lur

urned to A

Dr. Morse has been to me. Everything that I have I owe to

to se

im. You have seen some of it," to Warwick, "but not all. It is terror of the

not know the meaning of these grotesqu

evening, upon opening the letter, he rushed out of the library. I happened to be

all you

word he threw open the f

nced at the two

find the envelope which this came

into the librar

k words to Fuller; the latter nodded and took a seat by the window, p

ere were two huge, flat-topped desks. The bookcases were stuffed with serious, well-handled tomes; at one side was a highboy, the many draw

of the desks Warwick p

n," said he. "I know, because

address was written on a typewriter." He threw the envelope upon the desk. "We'll learn nothing

y. At the sound Ashton-Kirk noted the girl go swift

just a trace of sharpness i

d in the hall, then a

said Stel

out him, but his feverishly burni

-Mr. Ashton-Kirk. He has be

smile about the thin lips

ck he added, "It is not every one, my dear Ph

, pasty-white face. There were deep, sour-looking lines about hi

d the secret agent, "is r

ave no doubt," replied Dr. Morse,

"it argues the existence of a counter condition, don't

of the young Englishman. Dr. Morse smoothed back his short, stiff hair and sat down; the smile

that the fewer the personal foes, the weaker the man. And since we must have them in order to prove our personality," with a l

mented Ashton-Kirk with the air of a man merely making t

sician

he agreed. "I learned its us

ws went up. "You served in t

infantry,

waiting for Warwick I noticed that the house in your rear is occupi

Dr. Morse, "were the

good terms with you

s long as I have been here; but I

r; the old servant woman entered, but a

she said to Morse. "I did

d at her

it now? Out again? There is no

she addressed him by his first name indicated that she felt no sense of inferiority. I

ervice to-night, as you know very

s as though he were groping about for something hidden away i

of him?" ask

le he clips the hedges, he sha

ll cabinet and took out a jar partly filled with whitish pil

-before the doctor was born. He has the bad taste to sneer at her religion; and I really

pellets in an envelope upon

handing them to the old woman. "T

othing serious,

ne, that is all," re

ung at her side; Ashton-Kirk noted her dart a sidelong glance toward Mor

door closed