to gambling, into sharp tricks--then became a mercenary soldier,
an officer, in the continuous revolutions of the southeastern part of
Europe. I sank deeper and at last, in one serious escapade, I managed to
have myself reported dead, so as to quiet the heartaches of my mother,
who believed I was killed on the battlefield. There is the miserable
story--or all I will tell. They caught me in Paris and a girl betrayed
part of my name--fortunately they did not hunt me up, so my mother
was saved that disgrace. Will you keep the secret now, on our
understanding?"

"I give you my word for that, Warren." Shirley rose, putting the torn-up
papers into his pockets. "I am sorry for the past--but you have made the
present for yourself. Good-bye."

Warren returned to his cell and the detective to the club house.

There he found an additional cable message. It said: "Countess Laschlas
has been dead ten months." It was signed like the other.

Shirley tore up the message, and blinked more than seemed necessary.

"Poor little old lady, she knows it all now. I will not have to tell
her."

* * *

That afternoon Shirley called again at the Hotel California for Helene.

"I want you to go to a sweet, old-fashioned English tea-room, where I
may tell you the rest of the story. There will be no tango music, no
cymbals, no tinkling cocktails, nor, champagne. Can you pour real tea?"

"I am an English girl. I have been five days without it."

As they were ensconced at the quaint little table, he realized how
wondrously blended in her was that triad of feminine essential spirits:
the eternal mother instinct, the sensuous strength of the wife-love and
the wistful allurement of maiden tenderness.

"Does my great big boy wish three lumps of sugar, after his hard tasks?"

"He'll die in the flower of immaturity if he has too many sweets in one
day."

He drew out his memorandum book, opening it to a closely-written page.

"Before the confections, I must hand in my report to the commanding
officer."

"Advance three paces to the front, and hand over the details," and she
added another lump of sugar, with a mischievous twinkle in the blue
eyes.

"Very well, excellency. We transcribed the addresses of Warren's
gangsters from his note-book, and they have all been arrested. The men
we captured in the earlier skirmishes are all languishing in the tombs,
as accomplices in his crime, as well as for their attempts against my