INSIDE THE LINES
By
EARL DERR BIGGERS
AND
ROBERT WELLES RITCHIE
Founded on Earl Derr Biggers'
Play of the Same Name
INDIANAPOLIS
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
COPYRIGHT 1915
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY
PRESS OF
BRAUNWORTH & CO.
BOOKBINDERS AND PRINTERS
BROOKLYN. N. Y.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I Jane Gerson, Buyer
II From the Wilhelmstrasse
III Billy Capper at Play
IV 32 Queen's Terrace
V A Ferret
VI A Fugitive
VII The Hotel Splendide
VIII Chaff of War
IX Room D
s X A Visit to a Lady
XI A Spy in the Signal Tower
XII Her Country's Example
XIII Enter, a Cigarette
XIV The Captain Comes to Tea
XV The Third Degree
XVI The Pendulum of Fate
XVII Three-Thirty A. M.
XVIII The Trap Is Sprung
XIX At the Quay
INSIDE THE LINES
CHAPTER I
JANE GERSON, BUYER
"I had two trunks—two, you ninny! Two!Ou est l'autre?"
The grinning customs guard lifted hisshoulders to his ears and spread out his palms."Mais, mamselle——"
"Don't you 'mais' me, sir! I had two trunks—deuxtroncs—when I got aboard that wabblyold boat at Dover this morning, and I'm notgoing to budge from this wharf until I findthe other one. Where did you learn yourFrench, anyway? Can't you understand whenI speak your language?"
The girl plumped herself down on top ofthe unhasped trunk and folded her armstruculently. With a quizzical smile, the customsguard looked down into her brown eyes,smoldering dangerously now, and began all overagain his speech of explanation.
"Wagon-lit?" She caught a familiar word."Mais oui; that's where I want to go—aboardyour wagon-lit, for Paris. Voilà!"—the girlcarefully gave the word three syllables—"monticket pour Paree!" She opened herpatent-leather reticule, rummaged furiously therein,brought out a handkerchief, a tiny mirror, apacket of rice papers, and at last a folded andpunched ticket. This she displayed with atriumphant flourish.
"Voilà! Il dit 'Miss Jane Gerson'; that'sme—moi-meme, I mean. And il dit 'deux troncs';now you can't go behin