aid Harleston. "It would have been better
possibly had you told him this morning."

"I thought you would return the letter to me," she replied.

"I likely should, had I seen you before I turned it over to the State
Department. Now that it has passed out of my hands, it is a matter for
the Secretary to decide."

"But he will be advised by you!" she exclaimed.

"Advised, yes,--dominated, no. The only chance of the letter being
returned to you, is that it does not affect this government."

"Diplomacy then is willing to stoop to any crime or to profit by any
wrong?" she mocked.

"I am afraid I must admit the accusation. Everything is fair in love
and war, you know--and diplomacy is only a species of war."

"Have I no redress for the outrage upon me, nor for the loss of the
letter by reason of that outrage?"

"I'm afraid you'll find the wheels of justice very slow-moving--when
they have to do with affairs diplomatic."

"But the letter, sir?"

"You must remember, Mrs. Clephane, that I found the letter in an
abandoned cab."

"And now that you know to whom it belongs," she flashed, "you will not
return it?"

"Because I can't! Which brings us back to where we started--and to
dinner."

"I will not dine with you!"

"Then let me dine with you!"

"No!"

"Fix it any way you wish, only so that we dine together," he persisted.
"I've the cosiest little table reserved for us, and--"

"Mr. Harleston," the page was calling. "Mr. Harles--"

Harleston turned, and the boy saw him.

"Telephone, sir," said he, giving Harleston the call slip.

"Will you excuse me a moment, Mrs. Clephane?" Harleston asked, and
hurried out--conscious all the while that Madeline Spencer and her
companion were watching him.

"This is Police Headquarters, Mr. Harleston," came the voice over the
wire. "Major Ranleigh wants to know if you will meet him at his office
at ten o'clock tonight. The Major was called out suddenly or he would
have telephoned you, himself!"

"I'll be on hand," Harleston replied, hung up the receiver, and hurried
back.

As he entered the red-room, he shot a covert glance toward the place
where Mrs. Spencer and her companion had been sitting.

They were gone!

"Yes! Yes!" said he under his breath, and turned toward the corner where
he had left Mrs. Clephane.

Mrs. Clephane was gone.

IX

DECOYED

Harleston faced about and surveyed the entire room. Then not content
with surveying, he deliberately w