Show I The Japanese anew the C Solutions S Uti of I Radford rd Shone Narratives clot cial j Police by as 0 Officers to C CA Dealings e rs of g the with Provin Provincial the Agent A gent II 01 on s 0 n e Eminent Edited Ea Expert by err H HEADON Mr lilt E ADON Radford HILL Shone Though the public knew nothing about it we at Scotland Yard suffered a good deal of anxiety during the earlier phases of the great struggle In Inthe Inthe inthe the east from the presence In England of agents of the Japanese and Russian governments engaged In buying con contraband contraband contraband of war These gentlemen had hada a way with each oth other other er when their interests clashed which sometimes ended In a paragraph in the paper with the stereotyped heading Body Found In the Thames Therefore the extraordinary story which reached us on a beautiful morn mornIng mornIng morning Ing In early summer had on the face of It nothing that was improbable and the course taken by the authorities was undoubtedly the correct one under cir circumstances circumstances circumstances of peculiar difficulty When In answer to an urgent summons sum summons summons mons I presented myself in the room of the chief commissioner I found with him a gentleman name was very veo familiar to me as that of ot an invest gator of social mysteries which when solved are destined to tickle the thears ears ars of the public His reputation was perhaps unique in that respect Inas Inasmuch Inasmuch inasmuch much as It almost invariably escaped the fierce crucible of the law courts On entering the room after saluting my mt chief I glanced at Mr Radford Shone In some s me curiosity He possessed at any rate that first qualification for fora a detective you could not tell at sight whether he was a wise man or a fool His large eyes e es ruminative as those of ofa ofa ofa a cow in a clover field might have be betokened betokened betokened contemplative observation or orBO orso orso so BO baffling were they they might have veiled chronic stupidity One thing about him there was no mistaking his frock coat and gloves and glossy hat came from Bond street Inspector Michaels the chief be began began began gan this gentleman Mr Radford Shone has been acting on behalf of the Russian government In watching Jap Japanese Japanese Japanese anese contraband operations In this country Of course Mr position posItion position tion Is 15 that of a private Individual to collect Information He has no locus stand standi and so Pardon me Mr Shone Interrupted with great dignity I have no power to arrest or I should sho not nt be here but my relations with the Russian government govern government government ment are not only official but ex extremely extremely confidential The chief bowed In his most delight delightful ful manner Then said he with a smile in Russia you would undoubtedly enjoy the position which Is denied to you here and possibly on that score would be entitled to our sympathy But as asI asI asI I was saying Michaels Mr Shone has reached an impasse In his work which h halls calls alls In the first place pl ce for Inquiry on our part and it may be later on for action atlon Be good goad enough Mr lIr Shone to repeat for the Inspectors benefit the Information which you ou have Just given me meNow Now I 1 know our worthy chiefs little ways and aid to listen to a wordy repetition tion was not one of them when he hel could have given glen Mr Radford yarn and his own instructions as well wellin wellin in hi half the time I 1 made a shrewd guess that Sir Walter wanted to com compare compare compare J pare our visitors second statement with the notes he had made of the first At any rate he kept glancing at atthe atthe atthe the hieroglyphic covered sheet before him while Shone disburdened himself It appeared that one a Russian agent had unearthed the fact that the Japanese were having a boat at the of a yacht acht builder on the Itchen a mile or two above abOe Southampton Water In Inthe Inthe Inthe the exercise of his duties ski had kept a close watch on the yard and being apprehensive of his person personal al safety safet had enlisted the services of Radford Shone to protect him from the Japanese who were known to be lurk lurkIng lurkIng lurking Ing in the neighborhood The narrator had reached this point when the chief raised his hand handI I 1 can see ee Michaels he said that you ou are wondering at the necessity of nil all this fuss Why dont we step inand in inand and embargo the submarine as contra contraband contraband contraband band of war The answer Is that the boat does not become contraband till tillit tillit it is handed over to the purchaser to be shipped to its destination I nodded and Shone proceeded to re relate relate relate late how he had discovered that shura the Japanese agent who was employing the English builder had become be bG become come so irritated by attentions that he be had planned to mur murder murder murder der his Russian rival that very night Shone had got his information from the foreman of the yard a young oung man named flamed Tremayne Trema ne Who was waS also the designer of the vessel Tremayne having gained the confidence confidence confidence dence of had learned full particulars of the Japanese project which was the simple one of stabbing after dark and throwing his body Into the river Shone ended his turgid recital and from flom the approving nod which Sir Wal WaI Walter WaIter Walter ter gave at his notes I concluded that there had been no glaring flaw in the second version What we have to do Is to prevent the attempt Michaels the chief said turning to me Any trouble of the kind would lead to all aU sorts of Inter International International international national complications and I want you to run down to Southampton with Mr Shone and give him the benefit of of official tidal backing You will have to be guided by what you find on the spot and by the enlightenment on minor details which Mr Shone will give you on the Journey down From what he ho hinted there Is a woman in the case That T hat ought to matters I 1 Isaid Isaid said noting the twinkle in the chiefs eye Is the lady a Japanese or a Russian She Is neither Shone put In pomp pompously pompouslY pompously She is an English girl the daughter of Abraham Goulding the owner of the yacht acht building yard Ta has been making up to her though young Tremayne has had hM hopes In that quarter You will find that It ItI Itis I Is a very pretty little case of jealousy and revenge Inspector Michaels if it you Will Mil ill be guided by my data 1 The chief signed that the interview was over but as I reached the door in inthe inthe inthe the wake of our Informant he beckoned me back I was at his side in an In Instant instant stant Shone was already alread outside Theres some funny game on Mi Michaels Michaels Sir Walter whispered Whether er that fellow Is a player or a pawn In It will be for you to discover Do your best as you always do but there a nods as good as a wink to you In the train Shone furnished me with the data of which he had spoken Young Tremayne had Informed him that would be working late that night in the construction yard ard the th submarine being nearly ne completed As AsIn AsIn Asin In duty bound would be prowling about spying on him and the Japanese had hinted that he should once for all put an end to the Russians espionage by murdering him Rather confiding of Mr to compromise himself to his rival was wa waIt it not I 1 asked as Shone seemed to wait walt for my applause From the opposite corner of the com compartment compartment compartment he looked me over with un undisguised undisguised undisguised disguised pity My dear sir he rejoined you have not worked with me before or you would never have put that question revealed nothing to Tre Tremayne Tremayne Tremayne mayne I Radford Shone got the bare facts from him and inferred the rest from my knowledge that has been stalking with a knife It was w wad then easy for a man of my calibre to scrape acquaintance with the Japanese himself and to gain his confidence In the character of a sym sympathizer S sympathizer n I had the particulars of his intentions at first hand To myself accustomed to regard the Japs as masterpieces of cleverness and reticence Mr conduct seemed to say the least of it peculiar To divulge a murderous project such as ashe ashe ashe he entertained was in direct contradiction contradiction contradiction tion to the national characteristics I remembered however that Radford Shone had won a great reputation for subtlety and I could only conclude that he carried too many guns for the wily wn Oriental As the train neared Southampton I could she se that Shone was as growing fidgety about the course I should pur pursue pursue pursue sue and to pay him out for the su u perlor tone he had adopted toward me meI I deferred his enlightenment to the last moment It was only when we were leaving the station that I sketched my program You and I must part company here Mr Radford Shone I 1 said as we stood on the curb It would be bad policy for these cunning foreigners to see your genius in the th company of my official position I 1 shall run down to the neighborhood of yard and have a look around You can meet me say at Taylors hotel at Northam at 6 to conclude final arrange arrangements ments Shone regarded me with a doubtful stare but my tribute to his genius carried the day You wont get talk talkIng talkIng talking Ing to if you come across him he said with affected carelessness I wish him to tobe tobe tobe be made aware of the danger daner from which I 1 am saving him till tUl afterward It might make him nervous and pre prevent prevent prevent vent your capture of Make your mind easy I replied If I talk to anyone an one it will be to Tre Tremayne Tremayne mayne mane and his faithless girl just to establish a footing you know for be being beIng being ing on the spot pot tonight But Ill In post you fully when we meet at the hotel Seeing that he was reluctant to leave me I took the drastic course of shaking him oft off by jumping on an electric el car which quickly whirled d me to the yacht builders quarter A dive down a side street brought me to the river front where I soon came to a pair Dalr of close wooden gates set In a high wall sur surmounted surmounted surmounted mounted by the Inscription Abraham Goulding Yacht Builder and Ship Chandler Alongside the gates flush with the street was vas a private dwelling house with the same name on the front door showing that the proprietor re resided resided resided sided on the scene of his labors It was obviously impossible to gain access to the yard from that side of the river without ringing the bell either of the yard s residence and after a moments consideration c I chose the former My summons was answered by a youth with a pen behind his ear earIs earIs earIs Is Mr in the yard ard I inquired in pursuance of the definite line I 1 had laid down The question was met by blank amazement on the part of the clerk I dont think so he stammered be pretty bad for him if he is and the governor catches him Are you a apal apal apal pal of his No I only wanted a word with him himon himon himon on a matter of business I replied Well then oud better go to his business address the youth snapped and would have slammed tile the gate In my face had not a young man In his shirt sleeves very grimy and hot pushed him aside What is it Alf AU demanded the newcomer shortly The gent has called for Mr Ir Taki TaM shura giggled the lad I told him this was the wrong shop for Japs and that hed best clear out That was right it Mr lIr Tremayne So this young oung man with the sooty face and hands was the primary primary primary mary source of Mr Radford d Information I cast a shrewd glance at him and In so doing encountered a re return return return turn glance in which there was also shrewdness but I fancied a trace of apprehension as well wellCome wellCome wellCome Come inside sir he said Per Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps haps I can ba be of service to you Shut and bolt the gate Alf and see that we weare weare weare are not disturbed Mr Tremayne Trema ne led the way to an office to the left It was but a step or two that we had to traverse but in those few seconds I got a comprehensive glimpse of the yard I saw workshops all around the inclosing walls except where on the right of the gateway Mr house showed a brave ar array array array ray of window boxes ablaze with ger geraniums geraniums geraniums and lobelia At the far end the only side ran the tidal Udal river with the construction shed dip dipping dippIng dipping ping from the bank into the sluggish stream The foreman pointed to the only chair in the office and perched him himself himself self on the clerks high stool I rather liked the young mans face the normal expression of which I judged was frankness Itself though just now he struck me as harassed by an unexpected ed emergency Am I right in believing that you are area a friend of Mr lIr Radford Shone he hee asked rather nervously Hardly that I replied I never saw him before today I am Detec Detective Detective Detective tive Inspector Michaels of Scotland Yard and my object is to prevent a arow arow arow row between a Jap and a Russian who are interested In a submarine boat which Is being built here for the Jap Japanese Japanese anese e government Mr lr Shone Informed us The of a smile flickered over Tremaynes perturbed face And you he said being a trained official and not not a brilliant expert have already spotted that Shone has not been telling you the truth the whole truth andall and all the rest relt of It ft eh It did not need a genius to argue arsue t J q F 1 r rr s r 2 r t l t t tY Y 3 s 1 ri wt i i acv h fifi fx ty Y 1 x NL try a 1 r U f fx C x a I I t ta a L Lt Li j i 1 r t y 1 II t r cZ iii i r I i f II IIi l I l i S t 1 S t i s III 1 A I ti r r rr rf r f iI r rA rr A a F 9 J r i J L 7 r J r r Jc fj j jh I II r t r J r 1 1 f V 4 i Ait ii rf r r Jr v JJ K r rrt 0 r r ib J Y fry y r r Y i is r J rt rr i r l lp s I r p of f i rt r J 0 o 7 f r r 4 I r or c co t 7 o A 4 F r po 9 r 7 4 a y 7 r a J r to v 1 J t f a r r 7 rt J s Ji r r Y i t w r rr for f i J Ji 1 l 4 e 4 r r f JF r r rv i c ff 1 f tOt r rF P t I or Z lo I r r r P i ir r v F t j iW 1 z t S 1 p pl al alj r j l 41 11 j r 2 i i L J p Mr l lr r 1 ws o f J f fP E f fj l f 0 r k t J I f P I i r G o j i it j t L J f 6 iS oIt V X vV r tI f Af rj or i t o 1 W 4 lC f r I r rii J fX f i 1 t ii L k t JI 7 t JP J if 4 J f fL L from your clerks reception of my in inquiry inquiry inquiry for Mr that the boat is not being built for the Japanese I l lAh replied Ah I thought that Shone would not have told you that the boat is being built for the Russians said Tre Tremayne Tremayne Tremayne mayne evidently weighing his words He has been hanging about here for fora a week and I do not reckon r ckon him as one oneto oneto oneto to follow the straight mth Before I could him the office door was flung open and In bounced a handsome girl in a high state of excitement t tOh Oh Fred its too annoying for any anything anything anything thing she cried not seeing me That old wretch IB Is having tea with ith father tather and Mr came along the street and made a face at him through the parlor window Schou Is In such a fright that he swears he wont leave the house to tonight tonight tonight night and he has sent for Radford Shone to come and watch the sub submarine submarIne submarine marine Tremayne had been making unavailing unavailing unavailing ing signals to her but not till the end of her breathless recital did she notice my presence It caused her great con consternation consternation consternation Who Is la this Fred she demanded In an whisper It Is a detective from Scotland Yard Y rd Bella Shone has been to the police po police police lice was the young oung foremans reply accompanied by a significant glance Oh dear the girl murmured and there |