he concluded, "there is the
proposition; take it or leave it."

"I'll take it!" replied Yeasky. "As for the Austrian plans, you need
not bother about them. You have promised me freedom after two or three
days if I keep silent. That is all I ask. Ever since I have been in
this country I have been on the point of making up my mind to become a
citizen. The Russian Government cannot touch me here, can it?"

"Not unless you have committed a crime."

"I have committed many crimes; none, however, against the Russian
Government. I am weary of Koltsoff, weary of this service, weary of
this life. There is much money for me here in the practice of my
profession."

"You 've already worked in this country, have n't you. Your letter of
recommendation from the Eastern Electric--"

"Was forged," said Yeasky quietly. "No, I have never been employed
here. I came from Fiume with Prince Koltsoff. I had some thought at
the time of deserting; but I was afraid. Now my mind is made up. I
want to remain here; I shall remain. I have a brother in Chicago."

"Good," said Armitage. "Come on, now, quickly."

Softly they went down the stairs, and after switching off the burglar
alarm, Jack escorted the man out of the servants' door, where he
whistled softly. The watchman came up on the run.

"Here's a burglar I caught," said Jack cheerfully. "He was lurking in
the second floor hallway."

The watchman, a former New York policeman, was not excited.

"All right," he said. "We 'll take him to the gate house and telephone
for the patrol."

This was done and within half an hour the sidelights of the heavy
vehicle plunged out of the darkness to the gate.

"Now, don't worry," whispered Armitage, as the man was bundled into the
wagon. "I 'll have the chief on the 'phone within five minutes.
Remember your part."

Yeasky nodded, and the wagon rumbled away.

It was a very angry chief that Jack, sitting in the butler's hallway,
got on the 'phone. But within a few minutes he was laughing and
promising to obey Armitage's wishes in every respect.

The clock was striking four when Armitage arose from the telephone. He
stood, stretching himself and yawning for a moment, and then stole to
the stairs.

"I have spent eventful days before this," he smiled, "but this one
breaks all records." As he slipped past the door of Anne's suite, he
stopped just an instant.

"Good-night, Anne," he said.

CHAPTER XX

WITH REFERENCE