AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SPY
At the door of the church, Thornton met a retired rear admiral and his
wife, whose daughter he knew. So he paused and was affably solicitous
whether they found the glorious August weather conducive to their
general well-being. Armitage bowed and drew to one side, just as the
Wellington party passed out into the churchyard and walked down the
path to their motor panting at the curb.
The Prince helped Mrs. Wellington and her daughter into the tonneau
with easy grace and then motioned the two boys to precede him. He was
not at all bad looking, Armitage decided. Tall and rather wasp-waisted
he was, nevertheless well set up, and his tailor easily might have left
a pound or so of padding out of the blue jacket and still have avoided
the impression that the Prince was narrow-backed. His manner certainly
bore every impress of courtly breeding and the insolence of rank was by
no means lacking, as Armitage learned the next instant, when a man
whose back was strangely familiar, suddenly appeared at Koltsoff's side
and, with hat in hand, essayed to address him.
Armitage, watching eagerly, saw the Russian's form stiffen, saw his
eyes, as cold and steady as steel discs, fix themselves unseeingly over
the man's head, who bowed awkwardly and turning hurriedly with a
flushed face, stumbled against a horse post.
A low exclamation leaped from Armitage's lips. He hesitated just an
instant and then fairly ran out of the doorway and down the path to the
street. He caught up with the fellow before he had gone a hundred
feet. Looking back to see that the Wellington car had gone, he touched
him on the arm.
"Look here, Yeasky," he said, as the man wheeled in nervous haste, "who
was that chap you spoke to at that motor car?"
Yeasky hesitated a moment and then looked the officer full in the eyes.
"I do not know," he said; "I thought it was Commander Harris. I was
going to ask him about those coils which have not come yet. When I
found I mistook, I was ashamed."
Armitage returned the electrician's gaze for a second. He was at a
loss. There was a slight resemblance between Harris and the Prince, to
be sure. Then, suddenly, as he recalled the incident at the Grand
Central Station and his fears of the previous evening, a wave of anger
swept over him and he thrust his face belligerently toward the workman,
the muscles of his right shoulder calling nervously for action.
"Yeasky," he said, "you are lying. Who do you think you are up
against,--a child?" He shook his finger in the man's face. "Now
quick; tell me what business you had with that man." Yeasky drew
himself up with an air of offended dignity not altogether compatible
with his putative station in life. Armitage noticed it and pressed on.
"Do you hear?" he said in a low tense voice. He was already past
saving; he had never been a diplomat. "Hurry up, speak, or I 'll knock
your Polack head off."
Before the man could reply, Thornton, who had hurried up, interposed.
"What's the matter, Jack? Did this gentleman have the misfortune to
demand all of the sidewalk?"
Armitage replied over his shoulder.
"You go along, Joe, and leave this to me. I saw this man trying to
talk to that Russian Prince--and he's employed on confidential work in
the shops."
"I know, Jack," said Thornton soothingly, placing his hand on
Armitage's shoulder. "But it is n't policy to get into a street fight
about it, you know, old chap."
"It wouldn't be a fight," began Armitage sneeringly. He turned
suddenly toward Yeasky. "I have been pestered and worried for a week
now. I know I was shadowed in New York. Now that I 've a clue I am
not going to let go of it."
"Of course not," said Thornton, "but you don't want to go off half
cocked. Remember you were up all last night. Just heave to a second.
Has anything happened at the shops?"
"No," said Armitage, cooling a bit, "not that I know of. But this
fellow's doing inside work here on the torpedo and I saw him talking to
that Russian."
"Talking?"
"I mean he tried to. He says he thought the man was Harris, and he
wanted to ask him about some coils. That was too fishy for me."
"Did the Prince talk to him?"
"No; snubbed, ignored him."
"Oh," smiled Thornton. "Well, I say, Jack, honestly I think you might
be wrong. Harris does suggest that Prince chap; I thought so in
church. Of course you can decide about this fellow's future in the
shops, as you think best. But you really can't do anything here."
"I suppose you are right," said Armitage reluctantly. He nodded toward
the man.
"Yeasky, if you are straight, meet me at the storekeeper's office at
three o'clock this afternoon. I hope by that hour to be in a position
to apologize to you. In the meantime," his good nature, as with all
persons of warm temperament, speedily returning, "if I have wronged
you, I am sorry."
"You have wronged me," replied Yeasky. "But I understand your
feelings. I shall certainly meet you at three o'clock."
"Three, sharp." And Armitage, with Thornton's arm drawn through his,
walked down the street.
Yeasky stood watching them for a second and then clapping his hand to
his pocket a smile spread slowly over his face. He followed the two
stalwart officers for a few steps and paused irresolutely. Then,
without further hesitancy, he walked rapidly to Spring Street and
thence to the Hotel Aquidneck, where he entered the telephone booth.
When he emerged he paid toll on five charges.
This done he went into the writing-room and called for a small piece of
wrapping paper and twine. When it came he took from his pocket a
bulky, heavy object, done up in a newspaper. Without removing this,
he wrapped it neatly in the manila paper, bound it securely, and
addressed it in printed letters. He sat for a moment looking
thoughtfully at the package. Then he drew a sheet of note paper toward
him, cut off the hotel heading and dipped his pen in the ink.
He began:
Vassili Andreyvitch, I am sending you by messenger as you instructed
over the telephone, the vital part. There is nothing more to do and I
leave Newport this hour, for excellent reasons. I was seen trying to
address you this morning, so watch out.
Yeasky read this last sentence again and then the thought that he would
be confirmed as a bungler in his superior's mind occurred to him. He
inked out the sentence, muttering that Koltsoff must take care of
himself, as he had had to do, and then resumed his writing.
When you get this I shall be in parts unknown. I begin to fear I am
suspect. You can reach me care of Garlock, Boston, to-night, and
Blavatsky, Halifax, on Wednesday. On that day I go via the Dominion
Line to England and thence to the secret police office in St.
Petersburg. Forgive, I pray, this haste, but I have done all there is
to be done. I accept your congratulations--and now having no desire to
pose as the centre of a diplomatic situation, I go--Au Revoir.
He called a messenger, despatched the package and the letter, and
within half an hour was in a trolley car bound for Fall River.