Shot With Crimson

eur secret service men brazenly proclaiming themselves, went about more actively than ever, showing their badges and looking up clues at the same time, doing mor

ar in home waters, provided the public with its daily supply of pessimism. Scores of alien suspects were seized, examined and interned. Others were caught with “the goods,” so to speak, and were flung

airs home. He was a smart-looking, upstanding chap in the uniform of a captain of Infantry

ughbred. Only a few months before, he had given up a splendid position down town, with a salary that few young men commanded and prospects that even fewer enter

e same time he had conquered in an enterprise sweetly remote from the horrors of war. Louise Hansb

, a prominent Southern Senator, an Admiral of the Navy, a Foreign Ambassador, to say nothing of more than one potentate in the realm of finance. And women whose names were not more wide

ef Organizations controlled and operated exclusively by women; far from being a me

ess whose labours in the war hospitals of her native land h

a small child,—the girl had made her home with this adoring uncle. She possessed a somewhat meagre fortune,—sufficient to guarantee independence, ho

g her off to look anxiously, searchingly into her eyes. Th

ed, her eyes agleam w

x yourself too much. It’s a serious

goose. I never fel

more beautiful,”

something really serious,” she cried,

moment it took to regain a temporarily lost air of

t, or—Very good, Captain! Orders is orders, sir.”

my letters. And there is all this talk about Belgium being a nest of spies at the outset, and—oh, that would be too much. Sit here with me, Derrol, and—you might hold me close to you,—just for a little while. It—yes, it does give me strength to feel yo

out all right. But,—‘gad, it might have resulted very seriously. Do you remember that I told you about

r quite well, D

ort. I was received by the general himself. He was dumbfounded. Instantly an investigation was started. The officer I mentioned was missing from camp. It was found that he had gone to New York the night before, but was expected back in the morning—just as I was. That was ten days ago. He has never returned. It has

ut, Derrol dear, what does it all mean? You—

t, dear,—cert

n suppressed excitement. “And I give you my word of honour that I did not

matter here,—you may be quite sure of that. That would bring trouble and annoyance to you and—well, I couldn’t allow that, you know. Just the same, he has disappeared, completely, utterly. He got the scent somehow, and didn’t lose a minute

Do you—do you suspect any one here? Any one of the servants? They have all been with us for yea

close to her ear, and the half-whispered

aked upstart, and all that sort of thing,—but I just can’t help feeling that if I hadn’t s

red, aghast. “You don’t

l, just the same,”

e from this house?” She attempted

hink it came from you, or in any w

you suspect?”

he said, his eyes narrowing

, and violently anti-German.

aid he. “I trust you, dearest, not to repeat a word o

ot even to Uncle Davenport or Aunt Frieda. They

o Mr. or Mrs. Carstairs,—or tha

sible to suspect me than

, and a moment later young Alfred Ca

the dimly lighted hallway. He was shedding his ove

” said Derrol Steele, crossing o

looking over the officer’s should

day. Much beauty is required for this evening.

napping,” said Alfred warmly. “She’s a wonder, Derrol.

smiling. Even as he uttered the jesting words, a strange

tside the most secret recesses of the State department were frankly asked here,—and answered by some one who spoke with authority. No man feared his neighbour, nor his neighbour’s wife, for here were assembled only those to whom the Government itself could look wit

Steele. It was not modesty alone that kept him silent in this imposing group, nor the recog

ooth combination of thought and thoughtlessness. In any case, tongues wagged loosely and wits were never keener than in this atmosphere of ripe security. A good

itted her profound mentality to rise to its highest level and her singularly clear-headed vision to project itself across spaces that defy even the most far-seeing of men. She went below the surface of everythin

as too bad she wasn’t a man! With a mind like that, well, ther

ld have exchanged places with Davenport Carstairs. Despite her beauty, her no uncertain charm of manner, her strange

l. He was profoundly apologetic, but if she knew how much depended on the outcome of this very, very important meeting,—and so on, and so on. She said sh

se,—yes, time was the essence of everything in these bitter days. She was quite right; the whole trouble with the Allies had been the wasting of time; now they realized the importance of doing things promptly

whispered something in her e

to be repeated,—strictly confidential,—abso

epeat it to my hu

uld not approve of my mentioning a matter tha

sm

my dear Ambassador. I am as g

—ah—get out, so to speak,” said he, wishing i

to the Sphinx,”

For an instant their gaze held, and then he looked away. She turned to speak to the man on her left. If he had been an observing person, he would have noticed the tired look that suddenly clou

, of political and ecclesiastical intrigue that sapped the courage of the people, and of the serious situation on the Isonzo where victorious Italian armies were in constant danger of collapse because of an utter lack of su

He spoke loudly, for he was at the far end of the table. “They haven’t a good

nce of a real victory over the Austrians,—if you could only be made to see how desperately we are in need of all the support you can give us in men, and guns, and food, and—aye, in confidence, too. If the German Emperor knew the truth about our position on the Isonzo and in Trentino, he—

s a woman. That was just the way a hi

irs, “if the Kaiser had even half a million men to spare. H

? No! Are they holding his vast armies in check? No! They are doing more than that. They are shoving him back, driving him and all of his men and guns out of Russia. Driving them down into Italy and over to Flanders, that is what

before they sailed the other day, and there wasn’t one of them who expressed the slightest uneasiness about the Italian front

ountess, a trifle curtly. “You do not know what the Italians know, and what

true state of affairs, I can’t see that there is

r ever, Mr. Carstairs,” exclaimed the Countess.

al mission. The members of the party came, remained here for more than a fortnight, sailed for home last week, and Germany never had so much as

sharply from the lip

al. They sailed on the E

, you know, of a leak somewhere. One never can tell. So everything that could be thought of was done to frustrate the ‘system.’ The destruction of the Elston with those men on board would have been a greater disaster to the Allies than the

ns?” cried the Ital

e food that is made in America,” said he. After a mo

, and again, as before, after an instant they were averted. Something in his steady look seared her like a hot iron. He seemed to

h cards. He leaned back in his chair, neglecting a dessert of which he was

y,—or at the very latest tomorrow. I confess we’ve all been anxious. They are wiring me from Washington as soon as—By the way, Mrs. Car

terribly interested.” Late in the evening,—in fact, just as the guests were preparing to depart,—the Admiral

lemen,” he said. “The Elston was torpedoed this m

’s silence. Then C

our on the Elston. It would seem, Admiral, that the spy sits pretty clos

man. “It—it is absolutely incredible. Th

w that the party was sailing on the Elston?” i

er of people,—such as we are here,—but, what are we to do if we can’t trust ourselves? Nothing could

any one directly connected with the Navy

say that, sir,” said t

Elston and not the Campion they went after. A spy i

Elston,” said Davenport Carstairs, a queer huskiness in his voice. “Co

little hall outside. He had rung for the elevator. The door, on the latch

ned, but suddenly I had a—well, a revelation. A great, flaring light seemed to flash in my face. I give you my word, it was actually blinding. I thought my heart would never beat again. I saw through everything. It is all as plain as day to me. God help us

utching his arm. She was trembling like a leaf, and swayed.

e,—but, by heaven, it’s true,—

“Oh, Derrol,—I felt it too,—tonight.

t. I don’t have to go back to Camp till tomorrow night. Tomor

ng for a walk,—about

tor door

e went back into the apartment, and, as one drugged, passed the

awing-room, saw the girl pass,

—are you ill!”

a. I—I’m all ri

t, dear. S

ck into the drawingroom with a sigh. Her husband was looking over the nig

ightmare of his,” she said. “Really, Davenport, the boy is wearing

up. Their eyes met, and she smiled gently, lovingly. He

If only he wouldn’t smoke that dreadful pipe w

he. “They’ve got sheet-iron lun

, intently into space when she returned,—he knew not how long afterwards. H

eemed to me his room was stuffier and smokier than I’ve ever kn

collecting himself and smiling. “You don’t kn

fred, coming up behind his mother. “Are

go out without your overcoat. There is