Ashton Kirk, Secret Agent

rnation

door; in the hall, the secret agent pulled on a p

my instructions?"

secretary that you would reach Washington

e matter was possibly

es

ed to Stumph, who sto

train after dark," said he. "We sh

e car; the soft throb of the engine changed to a st

y "Limited"; Ashton-Kirk turned the pages of a magazine. For a

as though he were cold. What are we to make of men who edge toward each other, apparently bent upon some sort of a secret co

s no message dropped across the h

d signals is scarcely possible, unless they were remarkably ingenious ones. And then, had they desired to signal, they could ha

after another period spent in

as existing between old Nanon and he

mew

accompany him to a new country-and all t

odded, his ey

't forget that this woman is, by her trace of accent, a Breton, and

ears. I can see very readily what Warwick meant when he said you'd n

e we were awaiting him last evening,

. His face was flushed and his voice trembled a bit-

secret age

Miss Corbin, I feel sure; and s

was with Dr. M

pered something to Warwick, rather pleadingly I thought, and he brusquely

" said

i-cab and whirled to a government building. Ashton-Kirk was shown through a spacious su

ecretary, to put yourself

tleman arose and sho

," he said, "and they have never failed to

etary pushed a box of long loo

s," said he. "You ma

hey sat in silence watching the smoke drifts

tion was called to a rather int

more to be said. I recall several matters which you handled in a somewha

things of this sort, and as a looker-on, this appealed to you. But this present affair," leaning a trifle forward, "m

of ash from his cigar; he examined

dee

den archives of the nations were thrown open to the world, history, perhaps, would have to be rewritten. Of course," with a wave of one long finger, "som

good," smiled

e public all the details of government. Things are handed from one admini

oked quietly, bu

e which I bring to your attention perhaps involves a delicate point of international relationship; if my reasoning holds, I

said the

for a moment; then w

; then I will come as swiftly as I may to the present." There was another pause, but in a moment he resumed. "Have you ever noticed that there are indivi

bellion of England's American colonies in the year 1775, he turned to Russia and tried to borrow an army. Catherine was then Empress of Russia; an

keenest regrets. And he did not stop at this. Through his representative, Daschkoof, and by personal letters, the Czar strove to bring the war

ops into Mexico in defiance of the Monroe doctrine, Russia still stood our firm friend. To the wonder of the nations she sent a fleet across the Atlantic; it entered our northern ports and lay grimly

hen that same nation, because of geographical disadvantages, was outclassed in her war with Japan, it

is chair, his fingers pattering upon its arms; that he was interested

?" sa

ssian Count Malikoff, with some military officers, came to Washington. At once a scarcely audible murmur ran through the more daring of the newspapers, but almost instantly died away. Howev

d the secre

ith the visit of Warwick, he related the queer happenings at Sharsdale; then came the flig

d woman handed me by Warwick, and my attentio

etary. And he sat a

g. It then occurred to me that if a Japanese were vitally interested in Dr. Morse he would be likely to live as near to him

ry laid dow

. "I think I re

person," said Ashton-Kirk; "though

the official,

is in itself seemed to tell something; but when I add to it that he had never before come into contact with Japanese, and that one of t

rson and effects had been spared more than once. Then I got a faint gleam

the name quietly; his ruddy face

A few weeks ago he came to Eastbury entirely destitute. I recalled that a Colonel Drevenoff made one of the party which bore Count Malikoff company upon the mysterio

ed the files of a newspaper; from this I learned that Colonel Drevenoff had, some six mon

retary

?" sa

ached as surgeon to the 47th Siberian infantry; and I learned from the news

; his face was still unreadable;

ch some significanc

ht in wounded and dying, what more likely thing than that he should be attended by Dr. Morse? Also it is not

magination." And as the sec

or what I am about to say. I merely place it before you as what might have happened and ask you to fit it to any facts of which you may be possessed. That Colonel Drevenoff was in the party of so e

hing-a document, perhaps, in the hand of some person high in this government. Suppose Drevenoff were suspected of taking it, but could not be charged with the act because of lack of proof. There we have a reason for h

arose and cros

se here," said he

for the first time of its reality. But before the matter could be closed, Drevenoff met his death; and after Dr. Morse returned to England, the enemies of Russia i

sical methods employed? And how do you account for the apparent igno

rk shook

said. "That is a thing which

e box toward his visitor; after he had the long roll burning freely,

most tremendous importance. Colonel Drevenoff was suspected. The paper in question, should it fall into the hands of those unfriendly to this government, might cause a nasty diplomatic complication. That i

all you

of which you lately accused me," and here the secretary smiled, "I should say

d looked at his watch, "and as there is a train in another half