he
beautiful young wife of the distinguished representative of a friendly
nation, and a woman besides of irreproachable character, and accuse her
of being in the pay of an international crook. You cannot do this any
more than you could attempt a similar liberty with regard to an equally
beautiful woman of equally good repute who happens to be a prominent
figure in the most exclusive circles of this country and the favourite
sister of a leader on the Administration side in the United States
Senate. Of course since the developments began to focus suspicion upon
them, they have been watched. Yesterday at church Miss Ballister's wrist
bag was picked. Along with things of no apparent significance, it
contained a note received by her the day before from Goldsborough--Geltmann
rather--reminding her that they were to meet to-morrow night at your
cousin's party. Later in the afternoon Madame Ybanca received a telegram
and sent an answer, as I have told you; a telegram inviting her to the
very same party. Putting two and two together, I think I see Geltmann's
hand showing. Having put two and two together, I came to New York to get
in touch with you and to enlist your help."

"But why me?"

"Why not you? I remembered that Mrs. Hadley-Smith was related to you. I
felt pretty sure that you would be going to her party. And I am morally
sure that at the party Geltmann means to meet his confederate--Miss
Ballister or Madame Ybanca, as the case may be--and to receive from her
the bit of paper that means so much to him and to those he is serving in
the capacity of a paid agent. It will be easy enough to do the thing
there; whereas a meeting in any other place, public or private, might be
dangerous for both of them.

"Miss Ballister will be coming over from Washington to-morrow. She has a
chair-car reservation on the Pennsylvania train leaving there at ten
o'clock in the morning. I don't know what train Madame Ybanca will take,
but the news will be coming to me by wire before she is aboard the
train. Each one of them is now being shadowed; each one of them will be
shadowed for every moment while she is on her way and during her stay
here; and of course Geltmann cannot stir a step outside his suite at the
Hotel Atminster, on Fortieth Street, without being under observation. He
didn't know it, but he was under observation when he woke up yesterday
morning.

"But I think these precautions are of mighty little value; I do not
expect any i