e added:

"Sorry, sir."

"I'm so glad you came, Ted. How I hoped you would!" his mother said.

O'Reilly turned doubtfully, as the other man beckoned him away.

"Time lost," said Schmidt. "Let them go. No harm done. I pumped the
boy on the way; he had no secret, apparently. He is but a child."

"I was scared by that girl," replied O'Reilly musingly. "My, she's a
Tartar. All right, then, I'm tired and I'm going home. Good-night."

"Good-night, my friend--see you tomorrow." Schmidt watched him go.

"Say, sis, I did have to meet a Mr. Strong." Ted spoke in a low
voice.

"I know it, Ted, but that man was not he. When we get away somewhere
I'll tell you something about it."

"Let's go home. I'm crazy to be back here and it certainly feels
fine."

CHAPTER IV

TED MEETS STRONG

There were many eager questions on the way home. The mother listened
with great pride to Ted's account, even though he had told many of the
same things in his letters.

Ted painted a great picture of his new home and it made Mrs. Marsh
very happy for his sake, even though she wished a little longingly
that both Helen and she could be a part of this wonderful and happy
life.

Helen must have been thinking the same thing, for she spoke out:

"I wish mother and I could go out there. If there were only something
I could do there. My work here is interesting, but I would gladly give
it up for such an opportunity."

"It's all right, sis," replied Ted. "It won't be long before you will
both be out there. I wouldn't want to stay myself if I did not feel
sure of that." They had reached their "L" station by now and home was
only a matter of a few moments.

"I guess you are tired, Ted. But I think I had better tell you what
Mr. Strong wants you to do." Then Helen told him of her going down to
see Mr. Strong, how the latter had reason to believe that there was to
be a meeting of the Germans the very next night. He wanted to see Ted,
who was to go to a certain number on Adams Street at eight the next
morning. She gave him the number of the room. Ted was to wait until
such time as Strong came. He might be late, for often there was
difficulty in getting there unobserved. He would mention the word Dean
and Helen for identification, should it be necessary.

Ted went to bed and slept the sleep of the just and the weary.

That next morning the newspapers printed in large headlines the
ultimatum that Austria had put up to Servia. They specul