"Not if you could know how madly I love you, how I adore you, how you fashinate—"
"Fascinate, you mean, don't you?"
"Yesh—yes—of course. What did I say?"
"Oh, nothing—oh, Mr. Von Lertz, please!"
For Von Lertz had striven to take her in his arms and was pressing his lips toward hers. As she half struggled with him the German smiled in apology and dropped his arms.
"I just wanted one teeny-weeny little kiss," he announced. "I thought—well, I just thought——"
"I'm not in a habit of being kissed," answered Dixie Mason, pouting. Von Lertz straightened.
"Goo' little girl!" he praised her. "Goo' little girl! I am now more fashinated than ever! Good night!"
"Good day," echoed Dixie Mason, glancing at the light of dawn without. Then as Heinric von Lertz strode forth, she turned quickly to one side. Hurriedly she opened a little memorandum book that she had extracted from the pocket of the German plotter while she had struggled with him to prevent the kiss that he had sought to implant on her lips. Quickly she scanned the pages, finally to start forward, an involuntary cry breaking from her lips. She glanced hastily down the street toward where Von Lertz's machine was fading in the distance, then ran toward a taxi stand at the corner.
"Follow that machine that just left here!" she ordered, as she hurried into the car. Then, taking out her secret service commission and passing it before the eyes of the chauffeur, she admonished: