so I would n't have to lie in case he took what he did
take."

"Yes," agreed Thornton, "there is no use in letting on how bad it
really is."

Thornton was growing quite optimistic.

"Yeasky can't get away; you 'll have the thing back here within three
days."

Armitage smiled.

"Not through capturing Yeasky. He hasn't it now. You don't suppose he
is enough of a fool to risk being caught with the goods, do you? He
got that thing off his hands, quick."

"Transferred it! Who to?"

Armitage shrugged his shoulders.

"To Prince Koltsoff."

"Koltsoff! How do you know?"

"How do I know anything that isn't as plain as a pikestaff? Common
sense! Prince Koltsoff has that thing right now." Armitage grinned.
"The noble guest of the house of Ronald Wellington playing the spy--and
rather successfully. Quite an interesting society item, eh?"

Thornton did not smile.

"Look here, old man, what is your drift? Prince Koltsoff! Old boy,
this is serious! It is nothing to smile about. Say, do you know what
this means?"

"Oh, no!" said Armitage sarcastically. "Oh, I don't mean the loss to
yourself and the Government, I mean the politics of it. Jack, every
nation knows about that torpedo. You know the _attaches_ that have
been snooping round here on one pretence or another since you have been
working. Japan knows about it; you know her situation with Russia.
Russia gets your torpedo--what's Japan going to do? What will England
say? How can the Government prove it was stolen? Oh, we can say so
but we 'd say so anyway, would n't we? How will you look?" Thornton
threw up his hands and confronted Armitage. "I tell you, Jack, it's a
nasty mess. Your status in the matter will size up about like a pin
point at Washington. You 've got to catch Yeasky, somehow."

"Fine, bright boy!" Armitage twisted a newspaper in his hands, broke
it, and tossed the two ends away. "I don't want Yeasky, I tell you.
You 're off the track. I want Koltsoff. The secret service fellows
can go after Yeasky. It's perfectly certain he turned that control
over to Koltsoff, after, if not before, I held him up. He knew he was
suspected. Anyway, the Russian was undoubtedly here to receive it.
Why else would he be here?"

"Anne Wellington, so the _Saunterer_ says."

Armitage turned quickly upon his friend and brother officer.

"Anne, nothing!" he fairly snarled. "I remember about Koltsoff now.
Worcester was once _attache_ at S