I could only stare at him with my mouth open and he hurried on.
“You see, when she disappeared I had been out of the army for some time and I was looking around for a job. I have independent means and I was taking my time, but when I heard about Margaret I hurried down to Washington and began pulling wires. You see I was in the Intelligence Department in the Service. And finally I got the Chief to take me on. I knew that you were doing all you could to find her outside, and I thought I’d try to find her that way, for I knew that the Department was up in the air about the number of girls that had disappeared.
“I did not say anything about it to you then, because I could not bear to talk about her and I saw no need. But later, when I realized the danger you were in, I got the Chief to agree to offer to take you on. The rest you know.” He hesitated. “But I wanted you to know, because——”
I held out my hand to him. “It’s up to her of course, but I don’t know any one I’d rather have for a brother-in-law,” I told him.
The grip Moore gave my hand caused me to open and shut it two or three times to see whether anything was broken. But a moment later he turned to me with a wry grin.
“Old man,” he said, “I’ve got some other news for you that may explain the fact that the Chief did not laugh much to-night when we were discussing the Emperor’s chances. It’s mean news too.”
I stared at him. “Mean news?”
He nodded. “You remember that night in the little stone house, just before it was blown up? I was just behind you when that fellow jumped into the blazing cylinder, do you remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” I told him.
“Well, you fellows turned away. But I didn’t. And I saw something that you didn’t—something that I have told to nobody except the Chief as yet. But I think—and he thinks—that you are entitled to know it too. And I have his permission to tell you. The man who jumped into the cylinder turned an agonized face in my direction for a moment just before he disappeared. And, Clayton, it was not the Emperor!”