Page:Ruth of the U.S.A. (IA ruthofusa00balm).pdf/45

 as an enemy spy with a stolen passport. The man might be a German agent sent there to aid her or give her further orders or information, if the Germans still were satisfied that they had put the passport into proper hands; if they were not—that is, if they had learned that the beggar had made a mistake—then the man might be a German who had come to lure her away to recover the passport and punish her.

The man's card, with his name—Mr. Hubert Lennon, engraved in the middle—told nothing more about him.

"I will be in my room," Ruth said to the clerk, when she glanced up from the card. "If Mr. Lennon returns or anyone else calls, telephone me."

She moved toward the elevator as quickly as possible; but the room-clerk's eyes already were attracted toward a number of men entering from the street.

"He's not gone, Miss Gail! Here he is now!" the clerk called.

Ruth pretended not to hear; but no elevator happened to be waiting into which she could escape.

"Here's the gentleman for you!" a bellboy announced to Ruth so that she had to turn and face then and there the gentleman who had been waiting for her.