The Argosy, Vol. 81, No. 4 — page 133: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Se Be ee ee “Well,”’ Lansing leaned forward, to touch the secret service man upon the arm. “Now if you will catch Clarkin and Apponnetti I think that will be about all.” As Griscom smiled Lansing increased the pressure of his fingers upon the man’s arm. “Can’t you see, man, that girl is a dupe —a dupe, I tell you. She doesn’t realize the mess she is in. I like her; hang it, the more I try to get her out of my mind and set her down as an adventuress, the more every fiber of me objects. Give her a chance, will you? Give me a chance.” “Took here,” and Griscom smiled toler- antly. ‘We have Rimini; we have Krakoff —he’s the waiter—and, between you and me, we don’t want Apponnetti just now, because through him we have got in touch with a lot of these espionage people. Later he may lead us to more of them. So with the girl; she’s invelved all right, but you will have your chance to reform her. As a matter of fact the harbor defense steal is all settled, and it may be that ends the activities of this bunch. If so, all the bet- ter for the girl. But Apponnetti’s got to answer for what he’s done, whether he ever lifts a finger again or not.” “And Clarkin?” Lansing grinned. overlooked one man.” “Did we?” Griscom laughed in his peculiar noiseless manner. “Clarkin, eh!” “Yes, Clarkin,” persisted Lansing, puz- zled at the man’s manner. “Who is he?” “Why, Clarkin,” the detective said softly, “happens to be one of the ablest detectives in the employ of the United States secret service.” Lansing sank back weakly, throwing up his hands, murmuring only that Clarkin struck him as being the liveliest person out the window when the raid came, to which Griscom replied, that detectives have to be careful always to maintain appearances, and that those of the guild who looked only to the present and not to the future never got very far in their profession. “When you stole that waiter’s coat with the papers in it,” added the detective, ‘‘you gummed up Clarkin’s best laid plans, which is perhaps the reason why he tried to take a crack at you last night.” “Now I recall,” laughed Lansing, “he seemed pretty much of a spectator; kept in the background.” “An interested spectator, I’ll warrant,” agreed Griscom. ‘‘He said it was the dandiest scrap he had ever attended.” “You 699 ‘I suppose,” murmured Lansing deject- ediy, ‘‘that I’ve queered.myself with Mrs. Granger and her daughter.” ‘No, you haven’t,” retorted the detec- tive. ‘You have been made a member of the government secret service with orders to keep the fair lady out of trouble. We don’t wish her to get into this mess, be- cause her father was a distinguished officer, and her grandfather before her. We don’t wish to blacken the name, and we believe with you she is a dupe.” “Good!” cried Lansing. “Now,” went on the detective, “we satis- fied Mrs. Granger that you came to her in good faith last night. We informed her, in the presence of Apponnetti—you should have seen the old rascal beam. with delight —that those men whom he had picked up with were really confidence men, that they had fooled Apponnetti into believing they were merchants. She believes now that those two thugs who played the part of detectives were strong arm men in the em- ploy of Apponnetti’s friends. Apponnetti agreed with everything we said, no doubt thinking in his heart we were the greatest fools that ever breathed. So you have a clean bill of health—you now pose as the much injured young man.” “And the girl?” breathed Lansing. “T don’t know what she thinks, honest- ly,” replied Griscom. “She knew, of course, we were lying to her mother—just as Apponnetti thought we were deluded thick-heads, filled with nothing but theories. She’s brighter than the count. Anyway she joined in with us in clearing your char- acter—which leads me to the belief,” and Griscom winked, ‘‘that you have made an impression.” Lansing started up. ‘““Well, in that case,” he said blithely, ‘‘I think I shall pay my respects at the earliest moment. Do you know, Griscom,” he added impulsively, ‘‘that when I looked for- ward to this day without the prospect of seeing that girl all my interest in life went out.” The detective regarded him queerly. “Well, I don’t think you'll see her to-day, nor her mother, nor the count.” “Why not?” “Because I wanted to see her myself . about an hour ago-—just before I came here, and the three had disappeared.”’ “Where?” cried Lansing. “YT don’t know where,” was the reply. S CORNICLOO ? (E@)