Elusive Isabel

ion remains unanswered,

question?" rep

d'Abruzzi, the secret env

" mused th

act is signed in t

mm interrupted. And then, after a moment: "Have we received any furt

f shook

d a denial, but she was quite frank about it. And I had no intention whatever of placing her under arrest. I knew some one was in the adjoining room because of a slight noise in there, and I kne

dingly. Mr. Grimm was silen

s mood changed: "And now our lady of mystery may come and go as she likes because I know, even if a dozen of our men have ransacked Washington in vain for the prince, she will inevitably lead us to him. And that r

packet that was taken from Se?or Al

se. "I sealed it again and returned it to the se?or. Evidently it was not what Signo

ice where he sat for an hour with his immaculate boots on his desk, thinking. A world-war-he had been thrust forward by hi

a corner, where, without a word, she entered a waiting automobile. The wheels spun and the car leaped forward. For a mile or more it wo

" she

or a few minutes, then over the bridge to the Virginia side, in the dilapidated little city of Alexandria. The car did not slacken its speed, but w

nety-seven," the c

tepped into the car silently. Again it moved forward, on to the end of the dingy street, and finally into the open country. Three, f

rom age and neglect. A narrow path, strewn with pine needles, led tortuously up to the door. In the rear of the house, rising from an old barn, a thin pole with a cup-like atta

rish inward fire, and the thin lips were pressed together in a sharp line. Behind him was a long bench on which were scattered tools of various sorts, fantastically shaped chemical apparatus, two or three electric batteries of odd sizes,

osa?" the little man que

in the same language. "It will be, I ho

d and waited so long for this, and now it will come, and with it the dominion of the world again

, nervous hand caressingly, and a grea

light will appear at the apex of the capitol dome in Washington. That is the signal agreed u

ed. The feverish glitt

ourse you will not attem

he put in quickly.

can see the light in the

plans are work

And

will buy. Do you know what it means? Do you know what it means?" He was silent

rew misty, thoughtful for a moment, then

enezuela were

ilent a little. "Our difficulty now, our greatest difficulty, is the hostility of the French ambassador to the compact. His government has not yet notified him

act, with the vast power that will be given to them over the whole earth

ly. "And now, how are you? Are you well? Are you

for an instant. "Yes, I am quite comfortable," he added. "I have no t

. It was a sinister looking thing, nickeled, glittering. At one end of it was a delicate, vibratory apparatus, not unlike the

!" exclaimed the man triumphant

I shall be watched and followed wherever I go. If I get an opportunity I shall reach you by telephone, but not even that

d," said the

went on. "I understand the night must be perfectly clear; and you understan

o'clock,"

, and went out. He remained looking after her vacantly until the chug-chug of her automobile, a