nd he showed me the translation of a
cipher-dispatch which had just been received from Europe. That
dispatch gave information concerning a dangerous situation which might
lead to war. It was very long, and dwelt also on the situation in a
certain Grand Duchy, the ruler of which had just died. The next in
line, a girl, had disappeared. The King was worried. With war almost
on his hands, he did not want the girl to take the throne, but rather
desired the succession of her uncle, who was a strong soldier and just
the man for the emergency. The dispatch left it plainly to be
understood that the girl was in America, and that the King would be
glad if she remained here permanently--in other words, that she be
allowed quietly to disappear. It was a cold-blooded proposition to
deprive her of her rights, or to find some means of doing it. Our own
military attache at the royal capital secured the information; and,
since America had been mentioned, thought it his duty to forward the
dispatch to our State Department. As soon as my friend had read it, he
sent for me. He put me under a pledge of secrecy until the matter was
settled. It has been settled now; but there is no need of the story
going any farther than yourself. 'Since the girl has died,' said my
friend, 'the wishes of the King may easily be obeyed. The uncle will
ascend the throne, and the Duchy will remain an ally of the Kingdom.
This information should be in the hands of the Minister now and,
instead of trying to prove that the lady is the Grand Duchess, he will
probably be only too anxious to be rid of her.' I had all that
information," continued Father Murray, "when I went to find you
gentlemen and save you from getting into mischief."

"We would have had a glorious time, Father," sighed Saunders,
regretfully. Then he leaned back and whistled softly as his mind
grasped the full significance of the priest's words. "The detective
business, Father," he said energetically, "has many angles, and few of
them are right angles; but I think that the number of obtuse and other
kind of angles is much larger in diplomacy. But I rather like that
Minister," he added. "He isn't heartless."

"No," replied Father Murray, as he contemplatively lighted a cigar.
"He was mighty human when he came to see us at the New Willard. Don't
you remember how he forgot himself--even had tears in his eyes when he
referred to the dead Duchess and the fact that she was better off in