s a grim reality," he replied. "You see, when the Spanish
officials were turned out of Washington, they'd the impertinence to take
the title of my book as their password."

"Well, then," she said, "they did what they'd no right to do."

"I suppose that would be a question of international copyright," he
replied. "But 'The Purple Kangaroo' has proved itself a most troublesome
animal, and as I thought you wouldn't care for quarters down the bay
till the war was over, I took the liberty of running off with you."

"I'm very much obliged to you, I'm sure; but what next?"

"We're all to rendezvous at Yonkers."

"And then?"

"Well, unless the situation improves, I'm afraid it'll become a question
of seeking a refuge in another country."

"If you think," she cried, "that I'm going to spend the rest of my
existence in the forests of Yucatan or on the plains of Patagonia,
you're mightily mistaken!"

"Oh," he said, laughing, "it isn't as bad as all that. Ours is only a
political crime, and Canada will afford a safe harbour from the
extradition laws."

"But the war won't be finished in a day," she contended, her eyes
beginning to fill with tears.

"Won't you trust me?" asked Cecil, taking both her hands. "Won't you let
me prove my repentance by guarding your welfare? Won't you--"

Indeed there is no knowing to what he might have committed himself in
the face of such beauty and sorrow had not Spotts broken in with a cry
of:

"It's all up now! We're done for, and no mistake!" And he pointed to the
figure of a short, fat, red-faced man, very much out of breath, who was
bustling down the road, waving his hands at them and shouting "Hi!"

"You'd better go and warn the tramp," said Banborough; and the actor
plunged into the woods.

A moment later the stranger came up to them, and panted out:

"I arrest you both, in the name of the law!"

Neither said anything, but Banborough took one of Miss Arminster's tiny
gloved hands in his own and gave it a little squeeze just by way of
reassuring her.

"Well," said the new arrival, as soon as he had recovered his breath,
"what have you got to say for yourselves?"

"I don't know that we've anything to say," replied Cecil sheepishly.

"I should think not!" said the other. "Here, take off that coat!" And he
stripped the official garment from the Englishman's shoulders. "The cap,
too!"

Banborough handed it to him, saying as he did so:

"You're a police official, I suppose?"