did
concern Alvarez Legira. Would that interest you?”
“Perhaps,” replied Zelva, in a noncommittal tone. “All things that pertain to South America may be of
interest to me.”
“Suppose,” continued Desmond, “that I told you that Alvarez Legira now possessed a considerable sum
of money, paid to him here in New York—in other words, that the transaction had been completed?”
“That would be nothing to me.”
“Would you treat the matter in confidence, if I gave you details, so that you could advise me what to
do?”
“I should be pleased to do so,” acknowledged Zelva, with a bow. “That, Mr. Desmond, is something
that I am always willing to do—keep a confidence.”
“All right,” declared Desmond, abruptly. “I'm going to lay the cards flat on the table. I'm playing a hunch,
Mr. Zelva—a hunch that you know more than you have said. Here's the whole story.
“I have been in the pay of Alvarez Legira. Paid by him, you understand? Paid to help him pull a stunt that
he is going to get away with unless I stop him.”
“Indeed!” exclaimed Zelva, in a tone of surprise.
“There's plenty of money in it,” continued Desmond. “Plenty—for Legira. The eleven thousand he paid
me for helping him must be chicken-feed or he wouldn't have handed it over so quickly.
“Legira is phony. He's getting away with plenty. Why should he? I don't know how much there is in
it—but I'm willing to get off with a third. That's how big I think it is!”
ZELVA did not reply. His eyes were half closed. There was a peculiar expression on his face which
encouraged Desmond to proceed.
“One third!” said the traitor, emphatically. “One third, for telling how the money can be had. I'm in a
position to talk. I know two facts and I can state the first without giving away the second. The statement
of the first will prove the value of the second.”
“Facts are interesting,” observed Zelva, quietly.
“Good!” declared Desmond. “Here's one for you, then. Alvarez Legira paid me to find a man who would
serve as his double. I found the man. He took Legira's place more than three days ago. He has been
posing as Legira since. He is posing as Legira now.
“Meanwhile, Alvarez Legira has been free—free to collect what he is after and to prepare for a perfect
getaway. What do you think of that, Mr. Zelva?”
Zelva's eyes were wide open. Even with his lids half closed, he had been watching Desmond closely.
Now, he knew without doubt, that the traitor's statement was a true one.
No man would have come here with such a fantastic story unless it were the truth. In Desmond, Zelva
had first suspected an investigator from Legira. Now, he saw a traitor.
“You say that Legira—”
Zelva paused. His scheming mind detected a possible plot on the part of Legira to divert suspicion from
the consular residence. But Desmond, eager because of Zelva's response, was interrupting with further
news.
“Legira has the money,” he announced. “I helped him to get it. I helped him take it away. I know where it
is and what he is going to do with it. That brings me to the second important fact, Mr. Zelva. I can tell
where Alvarez Legira is. I shall do it—for one third of what there is in it.”
“There are people,” said Zelva, “who might use such information. I think” —his tone was
