evoted to bridge, and stakes are high. She
played and won, and played and won, and on and on, until her winnings
were about eight thousand dollars. Then luck turned. She began to lose.
Her money went, but she continued to play desperately. Finally some old
family jewels were pawned without her father's knowledge, and ultimately
they were lost. One day she awoke to the fact that she owed some nine or
ten thousand dollars in bridge debts. They were pressing and there was
no way to meet them. This meant exposure and utter ruin, and women do
strange things, Mr. Grimm, to postpone such an ending to social
aspirations. I know this much is true, for she related it all to me
herself.

"At last, in some way--a misplaced letter, perhaps, or a word
overheard--she learned that fifty thousand dollars would be in the
legation safe overnight, and evidently she learned the precise night."
She paused a moment. "Here is the address of a man in Baltimore, Thomas
Q. Griswold," and she passed a card to Mr. Grimm, who sat motionless,
listening. "About four years ago the combination on the legation safe
was changed. This man was sent here to make the change, therefore some
one besides Senor Rodriguez _does_ know the combination. I have
communicated with this man to-day, for I saw the possibility of just
such a thing as this instead of your stethoscope. By a trick and a
forged letter this girl obtained the combination from this man."

Mr. Grimm drew a long breath.

"She intended to take, perhaps, only what she desperately needed--but at
sight of it all--do you see what must have been the temptation then? We
get out here."

There were many unanswered questions in Mr. Grimm's mind. He repressed
them for the time, stepped out and assisted Miss Thorne to alight. The
carriage had turned out of Pennsylvania Avenue, and at the moment he
didn't quite place himself. A narrow passageway opened before
them--evidently the rear entrance to a house possibly in the next
street. Miss Thorne led the way unhesitatingly, cautiously unlocked the
door, and together they entered a hall. Then there was a short flight of
stairs, and they stepped into a room, one of a suite. She closed the
door and turned on the lights.

"The bags of gold are in the next room," she said with the utmost
composure.

Mr. Grimm dragged them out of a dark closet, opened one--there were
ten--and allowed the coins to dribble through his fingers. Finally he
turned and stared at Miss T