ad at first guessed, a lady.

"Then you do not feel able to tell me, here, what you wish to speak
with me about?" he inquired.

"I shall begin as soon as we start on our drive," she promised. "Oh,
please do not refuse me. You cannot imagine how much is at stake--for
me!"

Though Jack Benson felt the peculiarity of the request from a stranger,
he was unable to see how harm could result from his being kind.

"Very good, then," he agreed. "I will do my best by listening to you."

After he had entered the cab, and had taken the seat, beside her, the
young woman turned to look at him keenly.

Jack, for his part, saw that she was rather better dressed than the
average. He imagined her to be the daughter of a family in comfortable
circumstances.

"You do not know who I am, of course?" she began.

"No, madam."

"But you do know one in whom I am much interested," she continued.

For some reason that he could not explain to himself, Jack Benson began
to feel very uncomfortable under the witching battery of her handsome
eyes.

"Who is he?" inquired the submarine boy.

"You know him as--"

She paused, as though stricken with sudden reluctance.

"Well?"

"The name by which you know him is Millard."

Had Jack Benson been lashed at that instant with a whip he could not have
been more astounded.

"Who?" he cried. "What? That in fam--"

He checked himself abruptly.

"It was kind of you to stop as you did," the young woman declared,
gratefully. "The man whom you know as Millard is my promised husband."

"I'm sor--I mean, I'm astonished," sputtered Jack Benson.

Then he turned to take another keen look into her face.

"What do you want to say to me about Millard?" he demanded.

"I ask you--I beg you--to aid him to escape from Washington--from
the country. Yet, to do that, all he needs is to get safely out of the
District of Columbia. You know that he is here in Washington, or I
would not have told you as much."

"Does Millard find it so very difficult to get out of Washington?"
queried Jack, grimly.

"If he did not, Mr. Benson, believe me I would never come to the enemy
to beseech mercy. Probably I am not telling you anything you do not
already know," she went on, rather bitterly. "But every avenue of escape
from Washington is blocked by Secret Service men. It is not so difficult
to hide in the city, but to get out of it is impossible--to-day."

"Madam," Jack answered, softly, "it would be my