ing
gaily, and after a little, as the singers began a national anthem,
some of them joined in the chorus or refrain. It was amateurish
singing enough, until suddenly a new voice lifted itself among
them--a tenor voice--sweet, strong, high, and thoroughly cultured. I
turned to look closer, and saw that the singer was my friend, the
handsome guard. He was standing slightly aloof from the others, and
when he saw that his music was causing many heads to turn, he suddenly
ceased singing, and in spite of the remonstrances of his companions,
moved away from them, slowly at first, and then with more decision of
movement, until he was out of their sight in the crowd.

'He wants to avoid them,' I said to myself, 'and he seems to be
looking for someone.' And then I turned my attention to the brunette
once more.

At ten o'clock the music had ceased, and the people were scattered
upon the Plaza. The electric fountains had ceased to send up
multi-coloured spray, and some of the lights in the glittering chains
about the Grand Basin were fading out. On the streets and avenues
leading away from the Plaza there was still sufficient light, but the
Wooded Island, which as yet had not participated in the great
illuminations, was not brilliantly lighted. In fact, under the trees,
and among the winding shrub-bordered paths, there were many shadowed
nooks and gloomy recesses.

And yet it was towards the Wooded Island that the brunette and her
companion led me, wondering much, and keeping at a distance to avoid
the glances often sent back by the little adventuress.

I had just stepped off the path to avoid the gleam of light that fell
across it from the light just at the curve, when a quick step sounded
close by, and a tall figure passed me in haste, going the way the two
had taken--the form of the handsome guard.

I had followed them past the east front of the Electricity Building,
and between it and the canal, and then across the bridge opposite, and
midway between the north front of the Electricity and Mines
Buildings, across the little island of the Hunters' Camp, and across
the second bridge, and it was near this last spot that the guard had
passed me.

A few paces beyond me he seemed at a loss, and paused to look about
him; and as he did so, the two women, who had made a short-cut across
the forbidden grass, came out into the path directly between us, and
retraced their steps toward the bridge.

It was past ten o'clock now, and