Motion Picture Story Magazine (Aug 1912-Jan 1913)

78 TEE MOTION PICTURE STORY MAGAZINE said solicitously, turning to her, ' ' and rest for a little while. ' ' "Thank you; I am fatigued," she agreed, and in descending from the car rested her weight, like a tired child's, on his arms for a moment. As she was poised in midair one word, swiftly whispered, reached her, alone. Perhaps it was Mikailberg, bending to pick up his stick, who had formed it almost on the tip of her ear. After a half-hour of tea and chat in Captain Porter's house, Mikailberg and Gnedich begged to be excused. It would hardly be proper for them to inspect the fort — they had rooms to engage and ferriage to arrange for. But the countess, she should stay, by all means — the car would call for her at six o'clock. "Well?" said Mikailberg, in the privacy of their rooms, that evening. "Everything is as you suspected: the mines have been planted, a keyboard, designating each explosive, installed in the fort, and a location chart has been worked out and drafted." "The chart! the chart! — where is it?" demanded the ambassador. "I displayed a great interest in everything," Anna explained, "with a woman's multitude of foolish questions. I wanted to see his pretty drawings so much. ..." "Well?" "I think they are to be found in a desk in his private quarters. ' ' ' ■ Good ! You have begun well. Tomorrow we play for high stakes." Mikailberg bowed a good-night to his accomplice, who withdrew to her room, but not to sleep. , She seated herself on a little balcony which gave out on the moon-streaked water, and reviewed the events of the day. Captain Porter — what a fine, manly fellow he was ! As trusting as a peasant to his priest — and undoubtedly in love with her ! She shivered slightly, tho the night was warm, and gazed far across the shining bay, as if in search of inspiration from across the waters. A long, low, powerful launch of a sea-going type darted, like a black arrow, across the bay, toward the Portsmouth side. She watched its flight listlessly, and tried, with stifled sobs, to permit the great calmness of the water to sink into her soul. It was arranged that on the next morning they were to bid good-by to Captain Porter, and ostensibly continue their trip. ' At ten o 'clock precisely the touring car slowed down in the fortress, and the enamored officer escorted his guests to his quarters. Under spur of a glance from Mikailberg, Anna begged for one more view of the lovely bay from the fort's observation, room. Captain Porter was delighted to humor her, and left his male guests in charge of his trusty negro valet. "Get him out of the way — arrange a long-distance telephone call," whispered Mikailberg to his attache. The valet conducted Gnedich to an adjoining room, where the fates ordained that he was to perspire freely and at length over the complicated directions of the Russian. Mikailberg fitted one key after another into the captain's desk. His efforts were rewarded. There, on a drafting-board, smudged and wrinkled, lay the precious chart of the mines. Working rapidly, in the course of a few minutes he overlaid it with tracing paper, and made an exact tracing of it. The desk was gently closed, and the entering telephoners found the ambassador lolling over the morning's paper. "Come, Gnedich," he said, "we must hurry back to the inn. The car will return," he instructed the valet, "and wait for madam's orders." In the course of an hour the passengerless car drew up again in front of the captain's house, and waited for instructions from Anna. For some unaccountable reason, that lady did not appear, to issue any. In the obserVation-room, built with narrow, slitted apertures, like a ship 's conning tower, she had spent the most vivid morning of her life with Cap