n in
Washington a while he begins to have people pointed out to him who are
either known or believed to be in the employ of foreign governments for
the purpose of getting information that our national authorities would
much rather conceal."

"That must be true," agreed Benson. "And I suppose there are some very
clever men engaged in that peculiar line of business."

"Some of the smartest of them are not men, but women," continued Mr.
Graham. "Men, perhaps, direct them, but the women spies, when they are
young and good-looking, can usually coax a lot of information."

"Oho! I'd like to get a look, some time, at one of these clever women
spies," declared Jack, much interested.

"That's just what I'm coming to," pursued the Washington correspondent.
"I hope you won't be offended, Benson, but I understand you have
already paid some attention to one of the brightest women in this line."

"Mlle. Nadiboff?" cried Jack, guessing instantly what the other sought
to convey.

"Yes," nodded Graham. "Though I believe, when I first saw her, eight
years ago, she was using some other name than Nadiboff."

"Eight years ago," smiled Jack, "she must have been about thirteen years
old. Do they employ, spies at such a tender age?"

"Eight years ago," retorted Graham, "this young woman was, I should say,
about twenty-one years old. I am aware that she looks hardly older
to-day. When I saw you with her ten minutes ago it was the first hint
I had that she was in Florida."

"So she's a spy?" muttered Jack Benson, speaking more to himself. "Then
I can understand why she seemed so anxious to interest me. I was not
wrong about that."

"No," laughed Graham. "Beyond a doubt the young woman is very anxious
to please you, and to keep your interest. You happen to command a type
of submarine torpedo boat in which all the world is at present much
interested. By the way, I wonder if Mlle. Nadiboff, as you call her,
works under the directions of the same chief? He was a man--"

Here the Washington correspondent gave a description that caused Jack
Benson to exclaim:

"Why, that's M. Lemaire, to a dot!"

"I guess there's no doubt about it, then," laughed Mr. Graham. "You've
fallen into the hands of a pair of the boldest, wickedest and cleverest
of foreign spies."

"I thank you heartily for informing me about them," breathed Jack Benson,
his eyes gleaming as he thought of the pair. "But there's one thing
that puzzles me. Mlle.