prove it," continued Mr. Grimm mercilessly. "Personally, I am
convinced, and Count di Rosini has practically assured me that--"

"It's unjust!" she interrupted passionately. "It's--it's--you have
proved nothing. It's unheard of! It's beyond--!"

Suddenly she became silent. A minute, two minutes, three minutes passed;
Mr. Grimm waited patiently.

"Will you give me time and opportunity to prove my innocence?" she
demanded finally. "And if I _do_ convince you--?"

"I should be delighted to believe that I have made a mistake," Mr. Grimm
assured her. "How much time? One day? Two days?"

"I will let you know within an hour at your office," she told him.

Mr. Grimm rose.

"And meanwhile, in case of accident, I shall look to Count di Rosini for
adjustment," he added pointedly. "Good morning."

One hour and ten minutes later he received this note, unsigned:

"Closed carriage will stop for you at southeast corner of Pennsylvania
Avenue and Fourteenth Street to-night at one."

He was there; the carriage was on time; and my lady of mystery was
inside. He stepped in and they swung out into Pennsylvania Avenue,
noiselessly over the asphalt.

"Should the gold be placed in your hands now, within the hour," she
queried solicitously, "would it be necessary for you to know who was
the--the thief?"

"It would," Mr. Grimm responded without hesitation.

"Even if it destroyed a reputation?" she pleaded.

"The Secret Service rarely destroys a reputation, Miss Thorne, although
it holds itself in readiness to do so. I dare say in this case there
would be no arrest or prosecution, because of--of reasons which appear
to be good."

"There wouldn't?" and there was a note of eagerness in her voice. "The
identity of the guilty person would never appear?"

"It would become a matter of record in our office, but beyond that I
think not--at least in this one instance."

Miss Thorne sat silent for a block or more.

"You'll admit, Mr. Grimm, that you have forced me into a most remarkable
position. You seemed convinced of my guilt, and, if you'll pardon me,
without reason; then you made it compulsory upon me to establish my
innocence. The only way for me to do that was to find the guilty one. I
have done it, and I'm sorry, because it's a little tragedy."

Mr. Grimm waited.

"It's a girl high in diplomatic society. Her father's position is an
honorable rather than a lucrative one; he has no fortune. This girl
moves in a certain set d