Ashton-Kirk, Secret Agent

by John Thomas McIntyre

  CHAPTER XXIII

  WHAT VON STUNNENBERG THOUGHT

  For a moment the secret agent and the two Germans stood face to face;then the former said, smilingly:

  "I am sorry to be forced to go at such an early hour; but," and helifted his brows in such a way that might mean much or little, "thereare certain things which require my attention."

  Von Stunnenberg twisted one point of his white moustache, and his blueeyes glinted coldly.

  "It would grieve me to keep you from your affairs," said he in hisrumbling voice, "but there is a trifling matter which I should like todiscuss with you. It will require, perhaps, only a few moments. Thelength of time altogether depends upon yourself."

  "I shall be only too glad," said Ashton-Kirk, agreeably. He glanced athis watch and then added: "But since you say that the length of timedepends upon me, I will make it as short as possible. It is more thanlikely that my presence will be urgently needed quite a little distancefrom here in perhaps half an hour."

  There was a small room at one side, and the German ambassador enteredthis, followed by the others.

  "Will you sit down?" he asked with grave politeness.

  The secret agent did so. Hoffer also seated himself; his small head wasdrawn down upon his big shoulders, the heavy face worked spasmodically;the veins and cords of his tightly clinched hands stood out in highrelief.

  "It would be a waste of time for us to indulge in any preamble," spokeVon Stunnenberg, coldly. "I know why you came here to-night; and I knowthat you have been in some degree successful in your errand. And so, asthat ground is covered, there is no need to go over it again."

  Ashton-Kirk leaned back in his chair, and his white, even teeth shone ashe smiled.

  "I have always found it best to _examine_ my ground; leaping over it isseldom satisfactory," said he. "You say that you know why I came hereto-night. We will not discuss that if you are opposed to so doing," andagain the quick smile showed itself. "But as to your knowing I have beenin some degree successful, that is open to debate."

  Hoffer protruded his small head, slowly, much as a turtle might do.

  "Of course," said he, "we expected you to deny it. But your making astatement and our accepting it are two different matters."

  Ashton-Kirk nodded.

  "To be sure," said he, calmly.

  Hoffer was about to say something more; but his chief held up a hand.

  "A certain instrument was about to pass into my possession to-night,"said Von Stunnenberg to Ashton-Kirk. "You knew of this and came here toprevent our being entrusted with it if you could. You are an able man,Mr. Ashton-Kirk, but do not forget that we still have the faculty ofvision. Neither are we in the habit of allowing things to be taken frombeneath our noses."

  "You represent a friendly power," said Ashton-Kirk, coldly, "and ofcourse could have no desire in the matter of the instrument in questionother than to hand it with your compliments to this government."

  Von Stunnenberg nodded.

  "Of course," said Hoffer.

  "And it was so understood by others and myself," proceeded Ashton-Kirk."But there was a chance--I am perfectly frank, you see--that there mightbe a desire upon your part to make sure that the document in questionwas really what you supposed it. To venture to examine it would be amatter of delicacy," and the speaker's voice was suavity itself, "and soI concluded that it were a rather friendly thing to save you anymental wrench of that sort by anticipating you."

  "That," said Von Stunnenberg, and the smoothness of his voice was not awhit behind that of the other, "was most considerate of you. Accept mythanks. But," and his blue eyes were wide open in the fixity of the lookwhich he directed toward the secret agent, "we would much prefer toassume our own responsibilities."

  There was a short pause, then the ambassador leaned a trifle toward theother.

  "And so," he resumed, "I should take it as a further expression of yourgood-will if you would hand the paper to me immediately."

  Ashton-Kirk rose and looked at his watch once more.

  "MY TIME IS SHORT"]

  "My time is short," said he. "So if there is anything of importance, Ibeg that you mention it at once."

  Von Stunnenberg twisted his up-pointing moustache; his blue eyes werelike ice, his manner was grim and menacing.

  "There is nothing to be gained by this attitude," said he. "We are notchildren to be so deceived."

  "You are not children to be so deceived," Ashton-Kirk smiled as herepeated the ambassador's words. "Perhaps not; but Matsadi apparentlyfancied it not very difficult when he arranged his little scene a fewminutes ago."

  Von Stunnenberg cast a quick look at Hoffer. The latter's small headturned slowly upon the secret agent.

  "Matsadi _did_ arrange the scene," said he, and there was admiration inhis voice. "No stage manager could have done better. He had not watchedthe English girl more than a moment when he saw--as did you and I," witha conclusive wave of the hand, "that the papers desired were in the bagat her side. At sight of the Italian woman he grasped his opportunityfor creating a momentary ruffle; in the midst of this, at a signal, hisconfederate allowed the revolver to explode, so transforming the slightconfusion into a panic. During this his agent was to abstract thedocument."

  Ashton-Kirk nodded, after the manner of one workman exchangingexperiences with another.

  "That was not all that I saw," went on Hoffer. "I saw Matsadi's agentmaking his way toward Miss Corbin to play his part, before the dischargeof the revolver. Also," and the big jaws tightened, "I saw you doingyour best to anticipate him."

  Ashton-Kirk laughed, and there was an odd expression in his singulareyes.

  "Was there nothing more that you noticed?" he asked.

  "It was sufficient," put in Von Stunnenberg, grimly, "that he saw youreach the girl's side before the Japanese. And, if anything more wereneeded, an instant after you got within reaching distance, Miss Corbindiscovered that the papers were gone."

  "And that Okiu was baffled," said Hoffer, "one had only to give him aglance to discover. The rage in his face showed that you had beatenthem--that you had taken the prize out of their own trap."

  Ashton-Kirk laughed once more.

  "My dear sir," said he, "you credit me with a dexterity which I do notpossess. It is true that I did----" he paused and then turned to Hoffer."Aside from Okiu, did you see any one else--of Matsadi's?"

  "No."

  "Upon the fact that I reached Miss Corbin's side before Okiu you baseyour belief that I must have secured the paper." Ashton-Kirk placed hisfinger tips together with great nicety, and then looked placidly atHoffer. "Have you encountered Matsadi before this?"

  "I have," answered the German.

  "In that you have the advantage of me. But from what I have heard ofhim, he is a man who plans with considerable effect. Is it likely," andhe bent toward the other slightly, "that he would stop at one man in thecrowd?"

  The thick jowls of Holler bulged, and a dull red crept into his face.

  "You mean----" he got this far and then stopped. "You think," hecontinued, after a moment, "that there were more than Okiu?"

  "_I know it_," said Ashton-Kirk. "I counted at least three. Matsadi isnot restricted to the use of his own countrymen. The man who dropped therevolver, for example, was an American."

  At that moment Fuller, his face wearing an anxious expression, lookedinto the room. Seeing Ashton-Kirk he hurried to him.

  "This," said he, holding out a message, "was just handed in. I told theman that I would look you up."

  Ashton-Kirk took the envelope, murmured an apology and tore it open.There were but a few lines, and he read them at a glance; then he handedthe paper to Von Stunnenberg and arose.

  "It seems," said he, "that everything is about ready for me, and Ireally must go."

  "Saw Matsadi come out just now," read the German ambassador. "Two men who had preceded him signaled from across the street. He joined them and all three hurried to the Japanese Embassy. Have
building surrounded and am awaiting you.

  "CULBERSON."

  Von Stunnenberg lifted a crimson face as he finished the message.

  "The rats!" he cried. "They have beaten me!" He handed the paper back tothe secret agent; as he did so his countenance cleared somewhat, and hesmiled grimly. "And also," he added with some appreciation, "they havebeaten you."

  "Not quite," replied Ashton-Kirk, coolly, as he buttoned up his longcoat. "I have still a card to play."

  "You would not dare----" Hoffer paused as though the act the other hadin mind were too daring to even put into words. "Not in a foreignembassy," he added, fearfully.

  But the secret agent smiled.

  "If the search for what I desire leads me to a foreign embassy, whynot?" asked he. "What I ventured in the German surely I shall nothesitate to repeat in the Japanese. And now, gentlemen, I must saygood-night."

  And with this he left the room and hurried down the hall, Fullerfollowing close behind him.