knew this visitor in Senator Releston's office.
'Vic Marquette!' exclaimed Harry. 'You are here -'
'In behalf of the Secret Service,' returned Marquette, as Harry paused. 'For the same
purpose that brings you, Vincent. Matters concerning the disappearance of Commander
Joseph Dadren.'
'You men have met before?' inquired Releston, in a tone of surprise.
'Yes,' returned Vic, dryly. 'On several occasions. Particularly at a place called Death Island,
where Vincent was the confidential secretary of Professor Arthur Whitburn.'
'Ah! Commander Dadren's friend.'
'So I understand. Am I correct, Vincent, in assuming that you met Dadren through
Whitburn?'
'Yes,' nodded Harry, in reply to Vic Marquette's question. 'Professor Whitburn
recommended me to Commander Dadren. I was at Cedar Cove, serving as the
commander's secretary. I spoke to him yesterday morning, just before he took off on his
flight to Washington.'
'He gave you a message for me?' inquired Releston, anxiously.
'More than that,' replied Harry. 'He entrusted to me the plans for his new submarine. I have
them here, in this briefcase.'
Senator Releston had seated himself behind the desk. He came to his feet when he heard
Harry's statement. He reached for the envelope that Harry withdrew from the briefcase.
Eagerly, he ripped it open and drew forth pages of well-inked diagrams.
'Here they are, Marquette!' exclaimed the senator, as he went through the heavy pages.
'Apparently Dadren was too wise to risk them in an airplane flight. He must have scented
danger. Dadren is a clever man.'
SPREADING the plans upon the desk, the senator opened a small envelope that had come
with them. He read the message that he found within. His face clouded for the moment.
Harry, Vic and Stollart watched Releston's change of expression.
'An odd situation,' stated the senator, as he began to gather up the sheets of plans. 'It
would have been best if Commander Dadren had entrusted all of his diagrams to Vincent.
We would then hold them in their entirety.'
'Some of the plans are missing?' inquired Marquette.
'According to the note,' replied the senator, 'these plans are incomplete. We must,
however, give credit to Commander Dadren for his cleverness. This diagram, for instance'-
he examined a sheet and passed it to Vic—'is lacking in certain important details.'
'Why?' questioned the Secret Service operative.
'Because,' returned Releston, referring to the note, 'part of the plan was done on
transparent paper. Commander Dadren made only this single set; but unless the transparent
sheets are placed upon the others, the plans are useless.
'Commander Dadren tells me, in his message, that he is bringing the necessary tracings.
Until we have them, we have nothing. At the same time, if the commander has fallen into evil
hands, his enemies are thwarted.
'They have captured plans that look like duplicates. Actually, they have only gained the
missing portions of the diagrams. It is a stalemate, gentlemen. What the consequences may
be is something that I can not venture to predict.'
'I can,' put in Vic Marquette. 'This will work out well, senator. I came here because I
suspected that Commander Dadren had been taken prisoner by unscrupulous enemies. I
have been wondering whether or not he was still alive. Now I know he is.'
'Because of these incomplete plans?'
'Yes. They won't harm Dadren until they get these plans to go along with the others.
Probably they're puzzled, wondering whether Dadren's tracings are fake or genuine. He's
probably smart enough to keep them guessing. Meantime, senator, we can turn these plans
over to the Navy Department.'
'No,' replied Releston, shaking his head. 'Commander Dadren states that he does not want
that done until he adds the tracings. Read the note for yourself, Marquette.'
Vic looked annoyed when he faced the firm-visaged senator.
Releston smiled. Rising, he went to a corner of the office and drew back a curtain to reveal
the steel door of a vault.
'This is my strong-room,' he announced. 'A bank in my home city was installing a larger
vault. I purchased the old door and had it brought here. The closet into which it opens is
metal-lined and protected with alarms.
'No one knows the combination but myself. I change it frequently and I allow no one in here
while I am opening the vault. You may rest assured, Marquette, that Commander Dadren's
plans will be quite safe while they are here.'
'You are sure that no one can enter -'
'My subordinates can all be trusted. Stollart here, is thoroughly reliable. My
servants—Smedley and Williston—are quite trustworthy. Stollart'- Releston turned to the
secretary—'conduct Mr. Marquette and Mr. Vincent to another room while I put away the
plans.'
THE secretary led the way out into the little hall. Instead of taking Harry and Vic into the
waiting room, he continued onward and ushered them into a living room. Vic looked about
and noted a bolted door.
'Where does that lead?' he questioned. 'Out into the main hall on the floor?'
'Yes,' replied Stollart. 'This room is an extension of the senator's suite.'
'Then any one could enter by that door.'
'Hardly. It is always kept bolted.'
While Vic Marquette paced about, Harry Vincent sat down in a chair by the window. Stollart
stood at the side door of the room.
Then came a call from the senator's office. Releston had put away the plans. He was
summoning the other men back.
'Go into the office, Stollart,' suggested Vic. 'Tell Senator Releston that I am talking with
Vincent. We will join him later.'
Stollart hesitated.
'Orders from my superior,' added Vic. 'I am questioning Vincent about conditions at Cedar
Cove. Tell the senator he will have my full report.'
Stollart departed. Marquette closed the door to the inner hall. He came over by the window
and spoke to Harry in a low tone.
'VINCENT,' said Vic, frankly, 'this is not the first time our paths have crossed. I mentioned
Death Island to the senator; I could have added other incidents. In fact, our last meeting was
here in Washington, at the time of the embassy murders.' (Note: See Vol. VIII, No. 3, 'The
Embassy Murders.')
Harry nodded.
'You are an agent of The Shadow,' continued Vic, quietly. 'He has aided me in the past. I
know that he must have arranged for you to be at Cedar Cove. On that account, I do not
intend to cross-examine you.
'It was The Shadow who brought me here to-day. I received a telephone call last night. I
recognized the voice of The Shadow. He gave me an important tip; to communicate with
Senator Releston regarding the disappearance of Commander Dadren.
