At a reception given for the vacationing Prince Zarl of Zorania, secretly the emissary of Zorania set on negotiating a treaty with the United States, Geoffrey Wynne, apparently a society dandy, but in reality a secret service agent, meets the prince. During the reception, Wynne is summoned to Washington where he learns that the treaty has been stolen and is being held for $15,000,000 ransom. Discovering that one of the thieves is an Italian named Farnelli, Wynne enlists the aid of his fiancée, Irene Mitchell, in apprehending the thief. Irene meets the Italian who offers to accompany her to New York. En route, Wynne overtakes them, chloroforms Farnelli and rips off his disguise to reveal Prince Zarl. Zarl then admits that he has stolen the treaty in order to cover his gambling debts.—Pamela Short
The story opens with a reception in a Fifth Avenue home at which the guest of honor is Prince Zarl, of Zorania, apparently in America for pleasure, but really the emissary of Zorania in the making of a secret treaty with the United States. Another guest is Geoffrey Wynne, apparently a society fop, but in reality a Secret Service man. Also present is Irene Mitchell, a society girl and the betrothed of Wynne. During the reception, Wynne gets a summons to Washington. There he meets McMahon, Chief of the Secret Service, and the Secretary of State. He is told that the treaty negotiated by Prince Zarl and the Secretary has been stolen, and that a demand for $15,000,000 has been made by the thieves. Wynne is assigned to recover the treaty, and the blackmailers are notified that he has been appointed agent to transact negotiations. Next day he is taken to a house outside the city. There he is met by three masked men, one of whom wears an unusual ring on his finger. They state their terms to Wynne, and he asks that they be transmitted to his superiors. Arrived at the apartment, he learns from his valet, Riddle, whom he had instructed to follow the other car, that the house is rented by an Italian named Farnelli. He communicates with Miss Mitchell, who had expressed a desire for adventure, and offers her a chance to get some excitement. She. accepts, and Wynne tells her to go in her car to a point outside the house of Farnelli. There she is to pretend her car has broken down and seek Farnelli's assistance. She accepts the commission, and carries out his orders. While Farnelli's chauffeur is working on the machine, Farnelli entertains her in the house. He asks permission to accompany her to New York, and she, after calling up her "father" (Wynne), grants it. On the way in, Wynne overtakes them, gets into the car and chloroforms Farnelli. He takes him to his own lodgings, rips off his disguises, and discloses Prince Zarl. He tells Zarl that he identified him by his ring, and then forces him to restore the stolen treaty which he had obtained by giving the Secretary of State a dummy package after they had concluded their deal. He sought to obtain the $15,000,000 blackmail to cover his gambling debts.
