It was after one o'clock when the Carstairs' motor crept out of the ferry-house at 130th Street, and whirled up the hill toward the Drive. A rough-looking individual who loitered unmolested in the lee of the ferry-house, peered intently at the number of the car as it passed, and jotted it down in a little book. He noted in the same way the license numbers of other automobiles. When he was relieved hours afterward, he had in his little book the number of every car that came in from Jersey between half past eleven at night and seven o'clock in the morning. It was not his duty to stop or question the occupants of these cars. He was merely exercising the function of the mysterious Secret Eyes of the United States Government. Mr. and Mrs. Carstairs were admitted to their Park Avenue apartment by a tall, beautiful girl, who threw open the door the instant the elevator stopped at the floor. “Thank goodness!” she cried, a vibrant note of relief in her voice “We were so dreadfully--” “What are you doing up, Louise?” cried Mrs. Carstairs quickly. Her husband frowned, as with annoyance. “Where is Hodges?” he demanded. He stood stock-still for a moment before following his wife into the foyer. “He went out some time ago to get an 'extra.' The boys were in the street calling new ones. He asked if he might go out. How--how terrible it is, Uncle Dawy. And it was so near the Club, I--I--oh, I was dreadfully worried. The papers say the shells fell miles away--Why, I couldn't go to bed, Aunt Frieda. We have been trying for hours to get the Club on the telephone.” She was assisting Mrs. Carstairs in removing her rich chinchilla coat. Carstairs studied the girl's white face with considerable anxiety as he threw off his own fur coat. The worried frown deepened. “Could you hear the explosions over here, Louise?” he asked. “Hear them? Why, Uncle dear, we all thought the city was being bombarded by warships in the river, it sounded so near and so terrible. Alfie and I ran to the windows. It was just after eleven, I think. He called up Central at once, but the girl was so frightened she could hardly speak. She didn't know what had happened, but she was sure the Germans were destroying the city. She said another girl had seen the Zeppelins. Alfie went out at once. Oh, dear, I am so glad you are home. I was so anxious--” “My dear child, you should be in bed,” began her uncle, taking her hand in his. He laid his other hand against her cheek, and was relieved to find it cool. “You say Alfred went out--at eleven?” “A few minutes after eleven. He waited until all the noise had ceased. I assured him I was not the least bit nervous. He had been working so hard all evening in your study over those stupid physics.” “And he hasn't returned? Confound him, he shouldn't have gone off and left you all alone here for two solid hours--”