. Don't worry about me,
Thessa; if I didn't have brains enough to catch him, at least I was
clever enough to know it was safe to try." He laughed. "There's
nothing of the hero about me; don't think it!"

"I think that Dulcie and I know what to call your behaviour," she said
quietly, taking the silent girl's hand in hers and resting it in her
lap.

"Sure; it was bull-headed pluck," growled Westmore. "The drop is the
drop, Garry, and you're no mind-reader."

But Barres persisted in taking it humorously:

"I read that gentleman's mind correctly, and his character, too."
Then, to Thessalie: "You say you don't recognise him from my
description?"

She shook her head thoughtfully.

"Garry," said Westmore impatiently, "if we're going to discuss various
ways of putting an end to this business, what way do you suggest?"

Barres lighted another cigarette:

"I've been thinking. And I haven't a notion how to go about it, unless
we turn over the matter to the police. But Thessa doesn't wish
publicity," he added, "so whatever is to be done we must do by
ourselves."

Thessalie leaned forward from her seat on the lounge by Dulcie:

"I don't ask that of you," she remonstrated earnestly. "I only wanted
to stay here for a little while----"

"You shall do that too," said Westmore, "but this matter seems to
involve something more than annoyance and danger to you. Those
miserable rascals are Germans and they are carrying on their impudent
intrigues, regardless of American laws and probably to the country's
detriment. How do we know what they are about? What else may they be
up to? It seems to me that somebody had better investigate their
activities--this one-eyed man, Freund--this handy gunman in
spectacles--and whoever it was who took a shot at you the other
day----"

"Certainly," said Barres, "and you and I are going to investigate. But
how?"

"What about Grogan's?"

"It's a German joint now," nodded Barres. "One of us might drop in
there and look it over. Thessa, how do you think we ought to go about
this affair?"

Thessalie, who sat on the sofa with Dulcie's hand clasped in both
of hers--a new intimacy which still surprised and pleasantly
perplexed Barres--said that she could not see that there was
anything in particular for them to do, but that she herself intended
to cease living alone for a while and refrain from going about town
unaccompanied.

Then it suddenly occurred to Barres that if he and Dulcie went to