Who Goes There!

"I am!" she said, flushing.

"No, you are not!" he retorted sternly. "What you were too fastidious to do for yourself last night – take the papers when you thought I was asleep – you had done for you this morning by a steward!"

"I did not!"

"Why do you deny it? What do you mean? Don't you know that while I was busy in the writing-room a steward upset my ink, scattered my papers, stole the envelope containing the papers I took from you, and left me a sealed envelope full of tissue paper?"

"It isn't true!"

"It is true."

"How do you know?"

"Your stewardess told me over the telephone a few moments ago. Karen, you are untruthful!"

She caught her breath; the tears flushed in her eyes:

"I am not untruthful! It does look like it but I am not! I did not know that the deck steward had robbed you. He came to my door and gave me the papers, saying that he had picked them up in the corridor outside our – my – door! I did not engage anybody to steal them – if it is stealing to recover – my own – property – "

"That deck steward is a spy, but I don't understand how he could have known that I had taken the papers from you."

"I don't know either," she said excitedly. "But everybody knew everything on board that ship. It was a nest of spies."

His grim features relaxed. "I'm sorry I charged you with untruth, Karen. I never shall again. But – what was I to think?"

"When I tell you a thing —that is what you are to think," she said crisply.

"Yes… I realize that now. I am sorry. May I ask your forgiveness?"

"Yes – please."

"Then – I do ask it."

"Accorded."

"May I ask a little more?" he continued.

"What?"

"May I ask you to tell me what you did with those papers after the deck steward gave them to you?"

"I shall not tell you."

"Then I am afraid that I shall have to tell you how you disposed of those papers. You first went to the stewardess and borrowed a needle and thread and then asked permission to sit in her room and do a little necessary sewing – "

The girl blushed hotly: "The contemptible creature!" she exclaimed.

"A little sewing," repeated Guild, coolly. "And," he continued, "you sewed those papers to your clothing. The stewardess saw you do it."

"Very well! Suppose I did."

"You have them on you now."

"And then?"

"Why it was a silly thing to do, Karen."

"Silly? Why?"

"Because," he said calmly, "I must have them, and it makes it more awkward for us both than if you had merely put them back into your satchel."

"You – you intend – to – " Her amazement checked her, then flashed out into wrath.

"Do you know," she said, "that you are becoming impudent?"

"Karen," he retorted very quietly, "a man of my sort isn't impudent. But, possibly, he might be insolent– if he chooses. And perhaps I shall choose."

Checked, her lips still quivering, the girl, despite her anger, understood what he meant – knew that she was confronting a man of her own caste, where insolence indeed might happen, but nothing more plebeian.

"I – spoke to you as though you were an American," she said slowly. "I forgot – "

"I am answering you as an American!" he interrupted drily. "Make no mistake about that country; it breeds plenty of men who have every right to answer you as I do!"

She bit her lip; her eyes filled and she averted her face. Presently the cab stopped.

"We're at the station," he said briefly.

Whether Guild had paid for the entire compartment or whether it happened so she did not inquire, but they had the place to themselves, so far.

Guild paid no further attention to her except to lay a couple of Tauchnitz novels beside her on the seat. After that he opened a newspaper which he had brought away with him from the Consulate, and began to read it without troubling to ask her permission.

As the paper hid his perfectly expressionless face she ventured to glance at it from time to time. It was the New York Herald and on the sheet turned toward her she was perfectly able to read something that interested her and sent faint shivers creeping over her as she ended it:

PASSPORT REFORM STIRS AMERICANS ABROAD AND DEALS HARD BLOW TO SPIES

CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES RECOGNIZE NECESSITY FOR NEW ORDER, BUT DEMAND TO KNOW WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ISSUANCE OF FRAUDULENT PAPERS

[Special Cable to the Herald]

    Herald Bureau,
    No. 130 Fleet Street,
    London, Tuesday.

The United States Government's sweeping new order requiring every American travelling in Europe to go through a cross-examination before an American diplomatic or consular officer came as a bolt from the blue today. It caused widespread comment, though it is recognized that the measure is necessary to checkmate German spies impersonating American travellers.

There is no criticism of this drastic order, which it is recognized is probably issued to comply with Sir Edward Grey's communication concerning German secret agents posing as American citizens. But many Americans want to know who is responsible for the apparent wholesale issuance of fraudulent American passports to Germans. The result is that now an American passport is not worth the paper it is written on unless backed up by a photograph of the bearer, a description of where he is going, what he is going for, how long he is going to stay and so forth.

American embassies in European capitals today are circulating broadcast warnings to all Americans to consult the nearest diplomatic or consular officer before undertaking any voyage.