Part 9 (1/2)

”You are not going so soon, your excellency?” questioned Mrs.

Schweiring.

”I must,” was the reply. ”I have work to do at my office that will keep me until far into the night.”

”I'm sorry,” was the reply. ”Have you seen my husband?”

”Why, no.”

”I understood him to say that he had some business with you; perhaps I was mistaken, however.”

Twice now the general had attempted to move on, but Mrs. Schweiring had prevented it. He tried again, and she asked:

”What time have you, your excellency?”

General Rentzel glanced at his watch.

”Half-past eleven,” he said.

”Surely, it is not that late,” said Mrs. Schweiring. ”Why, we have only been here a short time.”

”Madame,” said General Rentzel at this juncture, ”I must ask you to excuse me. I must be going.”

There was no reply the other could make to this without laying herself open to suspicion. She stepped back, and the German secret service chief pa.s.sed on.

Behind him the woman and her daughter wrung their hands. They had been unsuccessful. In their minds they could see General Rentzel bursting in upon Hal and McKenzie in the middle of their work.

”What are we going to do?” cried the mother.

”They must be warned!' cried the daughter.

”But how?”

”I will warn them myself. It is a long ways to the general's quarters. He will be in no hurry. I can get there ahead of him.”

”But if you should be discovered?”

Gladys shrugged her shoulders and was gone before her mother could protest.

Outside she dashed up to the Schweiring automobile and cried to the chauffeur.

”To General Rentzel's quarters! Quick!”

The machine sprang forward with a lurch.

Two minutes later, Gladys, peering from the car, made out as they pa.s.sed what she took to be General, Rentzel's machine. She urged the chauffeur on even faster.

Half a block from the general's quarters, she ordered her driver to stop and then to take up position down a side street, where it was dark, and wait for her. These instructions were obeyed without question.