Show TS 1 C A M C CHT I 1 PY JB pl A T th the e nosery of a love elc el C avalier allm II 11 r G C AM AUTHOR J ni mr blom moy BOOK illustrations ikc CD D R rhodesa H ar rw jrr co W SYNOPSIS 7 gordon arv grrce Is called upon in I 1 leghorn g ho by bomby the yacht lolas iola 9 own owner er and nd dining dicing aboard with him and hla his friend hylton chater accidentally sees 9 torn photograph hoto graph ot of a young girl that ight me consuls naula co sate safe la Is robbed tho the bouve pouve find that hornby la IS a fraud and the lolas name a false one gregg vis via its ta capt jack durnford of the tha marines board hla his vessel durnford knows but TH not reveal tho the mystery 0 of f the iola I ola it il concerns a woman in london bregg la Is trapped nearly to to his death by it former fonner servant olinto visiting in Lum tries gregg meets muriel Leith court hornby appears appear s and muriel introduces him im as martin her fathers friend groer arks g finds that she to la engaged to gregg 9 aca es a copy of the torn photograph on the lola and finds find s hat at the young girl la is muriels curlers friend Wood disappears gregg discovers dla overa the he body of a murdered dared woman in itan ilan h wood the tha body disappears and in its place is la found th hody body of olinto gregg talks to the police but conceals on ceals hla his own knowledg fj of the woman muriel murl calls secretly on bregg and tells tella him that ha is a certain that a woman a as s well as a it a man has been murdered they search rannoch hannoch wood together and find the body of the woman gregg recognizes her as armida olinto S wife gregg tells tho the police but lhnn they so go to the wood III ho body has haa disappeared L CHAPTER VII continued that night after calling upon the detective mackenzie I 1 took the sleeping car express to euston the restaurant which hutcheson Hut cheBon had indicated was I 1 found situated about halfway up westbourne eastbourne Wast bourne grove nearly opposite site White leYs it was waa soon after nine when I 1 entered the long lone shop with its rows of marble topped tables and greasy lounges of red plush an unhealthy looking lad was sweeping out the place with wet sawdust and a big dark bearded flabby faced man in shirt sleeves stood behind the small counter polishing some forks 1 I wish to see signor signer ferrari Ferr arl I 1 said addressing him there Is no ferrari Ferr arl lie he Is dead re bonded the man in broken english my name la Is I 1 bought the place from madame 1 I have come to inquire after a waiter you have in youe service an italian named Sarif iril nl ile he was my servant for some years and I 1 naturally take an interest in him santini nl he be repeated OK off you mean olento lie he Is not here yet lie he comes at ten this reply surprised me I 1 had expected the restaurant keeper to express regret at his disappearance yet he be spoke as though he had been beef at work as usual on the previous day you find olinto a good servant I 1 suppose I 1 said for want of something else to say excellent the italians are the best waiters in the world I 1 am russian but I 1 dare not employ a russian waitt waiter these english would not come to my shop if I 1 did how long has olinto been with you I 1 inquired about a year perhaps a little more I 1 trust him implicitly and I 1 leave him in charge when I 1 go away for holidays lie he does not get along very well with the cook who Is milanese these italians from different provinces always quarrel be added laughing if you live in italy you know that no doubt I 1 laughed in chorus find and then glancing at my watch said ill wait for him if he will be here at ten id much like to see him again the russian was by no means non paused but merely remarked ile he Is late sometimes but not often ile he lives on the other side of london over at camberwell Cam berwell suddenly a side door opened and the rook cook put his head it in to speak with his master in french ile he was a typical italian about forty with dark mustaches turned upwards and an easygoing careless manner seeing me however and believing me to ta be a customer he turned and closed the door it quickly lickly in that instant f noticed the nigh high broadness of his shoulders and his back struck me us as strangely lar far to that of the man in brown whom we had seen disappearing in rannoch wood the suspicion held me breath breathless leaR presently went outside carrying with him two boards upon which the menu of the he luncheon this day was written in crawly and proceeded to finx flix them to the shop front this was my m opportunity and quick as thought I 1 moved towards where the unhealthy youth was at work nork and whispered 4 ill give you half a sovereign if answer my questions truthfully now tell me was the cook tile the man ive just seen been liere here yesterday emilio yes ves sir air was he here the hp day before no sir iles hes been away ill for four days dayh and your master I 1 had bad no time to put any further question for the russian kisslan entered reentered re at that moment and the youth auth busted busied himself rubbing the front of the counter in pretense that I 1 had not spoken to him indeed I 1 had some difficulty in slipping the promised coin into his hand at a moment when his roaster master was not looking while I 1 stood there a rather thin re dressed ajan man entered unit onil himself upon one or of the plush lounges at the tha farther end removed his bowler bawler hat bat and ordered from the proprietor a chop and a pot pat of tea then taking a newspaper from hla his pocket resettled he settled himself to read apparently patently ly oblivious to his bis surroundings and yet as I 1 watched I 1 saw that over tho the top of his paper ho bo was carefully taking in the general appearance of at the place and his eyes were keenly following the russians nus slana movements so deep was hla his interest in the place and so keen those dark eyes of his that the truth suddenly dawned upon me mackenzie had telegraphed to scotland yard and the customer sitting there was waa a detective who had come to investigate I 1 had bad advanced to the counter to chat again with the properio proprio tor when a quick stop step behind me caused me to turn before me stood the slim figure of a man in a straw hat and rather seedy black jacket dlo dio 14 signer he cried I 1 staggered as though I 1 had received a blow olinto santini in the flesh smiling and well stood there before me CHAPTER vill VIII lifes counter chalm no word of mine can express my absolute find and abject amazement when I 1 faced thu the nian man whom I 1 had seen lying cold and dead upon that gray stone slab in the mortuary of dumfries my aly eye caught the customer who on the entry of olinto had bad dropped his paper and sat eat staring at him in wonderment the detective had bad evidently been furnished with a photograph of the dead man and now like myself discovered him alive and living ining signor signer cried the man whose appearance was so absolutely bewildering how flow did you find me here I 1 admit that I 1 deceived you when I 1 told you I 1 worked at the ml all lano he went on rapidly in italian but it was under tinder coin compulsion pit islon my actions that night were not my own but those of others yes I 1 understand I 1 said bald but come out into the street I 1 dont wish to speak before these people your knows knowe italian no doubt and turning with a smile to the pole I 1 apologized for taking away his servant for a few minutes and when we were outside olinto walking by my side in wonderment I 1 asked suddenly tell me have you ever been lit in scotland pt at dumfries never signor in my life why answer me another question I 1 said quickly you married arnilda at the italian consulate where is she now where Is she this morning ile he turned aale i ale and I 1 saw a complete change in ills hla countenance ah signore alg nore he responded 1 I 1 only wish I 1 could tell 1 I 1 cast no reflection whatever upon you olinto I 1 have ii ave merely inquired after your wife and you do not civo me a direct reply we had walked to the royal lloyal oak and stood talking on the curb outside 1 I 1 give QU on no reply because I 1 cant he said in italian armida my poor armida has haa left home why did you tell me such a tale of distress regarding her As I 1 have already explained sig alg nore I 1 was not then master of my own actions I 1 was as ruled by others but I 1 saved our life at risk of my own some day when it is safe I 1 will reveal to you everything let I act us allow the past to remain I 1 said where Is your wife now lie he hesitated a moment looking straight into my face the rhe truth Is signor signer that my wife has mysteriously disappeared last saturday at eleven 0 c lock she was talking over the gardon garden wall all with a neighbor and was then dressed to go out she apparently went out but from that moment no one has seen or heard of her it was on the tip of my tongue to toil tell him the ghastly truth yet so strange was the circumstance that hla his own double eben en to the mole upon his face fac should be lying dead and burled buried in scotland that I 1 hesitated to relate what I 1 knew she spoke english I 1 sup suppose vose she could make mahe herself understood very a well ell he said eald with a sigh and I 1 saw a heavy thoughtful look upon his hie brow that he was waa really devoted to her I 1 knew with the italian of station in life love Is all tt it la Is either pitted love or genuine irle hatred the tuscan character is one of two extremes I 1 glanced across the road and saw alint the who had ordered chis hla chop and coffee had stopped to light lite ills pipe and was watching us but why you told the police 1 I prefer to make inquiries tor for my belt and in what have your inquiries resulted sul ted nothing absolm ely tio nothing thing tie he raid gravely you do not etuy plot I 1 recollect that night in lambath you told tile nia you had bad enemies enor oloa ahl abl so ao I 1 leavo signora and so BO have ho he exclaimed hoarsely yes yea my poor way may have boon eni entrapped rapped by them and if entrap entrapped pod what then they would kill hor her with its as littie compunction us as they would a fly lie ho said eald ahl you do not know the callousness of those people I 1 only lio hope e and pray that she way may have bave escaped and Is in hiding somewhere and will arrive unexpectedly and give we me a startling surprise she delights in startling mo me he added with a laugh then you think she must have been been called away from home by some ur arg g ent message I 1 suggested by the manner in which sho aho left th things 1 as it seemed as though she w went cat away hurriedly there were five sovereigns in a drawer that we had saved for the rent and she aho took them with her I 1 paused hesitating whether to tell him the terrible truth I 1 recollected that the body had disappeared therefore what proof had I 1 of my allegation tl tharshie that she had been murdered tell me olinto I 1 said as aa we moved forward again in the direction of paddington station have you any knowledge of a man named let belth th court lie started suddenly and looked at me 1 11 I h have ave heard of him he answered very lamely and of his daughter daught or muriel Mur lel 4 and also of her hut but I 1 am not acquainted quain ted with them nor to tell the truth to do I 1 wish to be why because they are enemies of mine bitter enemies his declaration was strange for it threw some game light upon the tragedy in rannoch wood and of your wife also 1 I do not know that he respond pd my enemies are my cifes also I 1 suppose you have not mot told mo me the secret of that dastardly attempt upon me when we last met I 1 said in a low voice why not tell me the truth I 1 surely ought to know who my enemies really are so BO as to bs be warned against any future plot you shall know some day signore I 1 dare not tell you now you said that before I 1 exclaimed with dissatisfaction if you are olinto santini in the flesh smiling and welt well stood there befort before me faithful fAlth ful to me you ought ut it least to tell me the reason they wished to kill m me e in secret because they fear you ou was his answer why should they fear me hut but lie he shri ged tits shoulders and made a gesture with tits his hands indicative of utter ignorance 1 I ask you one question answer yes fia or no Is the foe man inan my enemy tile the young italian paused and the then 11 answered tie he Is not your friend I 1 am quite well aware of that I 1 have known hlin him years when we first met inet he was as poor suddenly became rich eh bought a fine house in the country lives at tho the carlton when he and his wife and daughter are in london although I 1 believe they now have a house somewhere in the west end and he often makes long cruises in his bis stearn steam yacht and how did lie he make his money again olinto elevated tits his shoulders without replying lie he walked with me as far as the end of bishops road endeavoring with all the italians exquisite diplomacy to obtain from me what I 1 knew concerning the dut but I 1 told him nothing nor did I 1 reca re ca that I 1 had only that morning returned train from scotland then at last we parted and lie he retraced his steps to the little restaurant in westbourne grovo grove while I 1 entered a hansom and drove to the well known photographers in new bond street whose name had been upon the torn photograph of the young girl in the white pique blouse and her hair fastened with a bow of ribbon tho the picture that I 1 had bad found on board the lola on that memorable night in the mediterranean and a of which I 1 had bad seen in Muri cozy cocy little room up at rannoch llau I 1 recollected that she oho had bad told me the iho name of the original was elms heath and that she had bad been a school follow fallow of hors hora at chichester therefore I 1 inquired of tho the photographers lady clerk ft whether bother elle ehe could supply rue me with a print of tho the negative for fora it considerable time she searched in her bor books for tho the uumo and at last discovered it then she eho said 1 I regret air that we cant a print for the customer purchased tile tho negative nt at tile the time ah im very er sorry borr tor for that I 1 said to what address did you ou send bond it tho the customer who ordered it was apparently a foreigner she ehe said at tho the same time turning round the ledger 8 so a that I 1 could read and I 1 saw that the entry was waa Il heath leath illies aluia three dozen aud and negative address baron xavier oberg vos ne prospect 48 ot itt petersburg russia who was this daron baron oberg tho the name was german undoubtedly yet ho he lived in the russian capital from london to st petersburg IA a far cry yet et I 1 resolved if it were necessary I 1 would travel there and investigate at tle tile german embassy in the carlton house terrace I 1 found tny my friend captain bleb erding the second secretary of whom I 1 inquired whether the name of daron baron oberg was known but having referred to a number of german books in his excellences library he returned and told me that tho the name did not appear in the lists lista of tile tho ge german aman nobility lie he may be russian polish most moat probably added the captain ilia his opinion was waa that it was not a german name for thero there was a little place called oberg he said on the railway between glodz and lowicz next day I 1 ran down to chichester and alter after some difficulty found the Cli cheverton everton college for ladles a big old fashioned house about half a mile out of tho the town of tho the drayton draylon road the seminary was evidently a first class one for when I 1 entered I 1 noticed how well everything was kept I 1 to the principal an elderly lady of somewhat severe aspect I 1 said 1 I regret madam to trouble you but I 1 am ain |