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Show r n The mystery of ex Silent Lowe By Chevalier WILLIAM LEQUEUX Author of "The Closed Book," etc. 'I'.yHkIii ''- SnmVl Sef Tiii.liihliiK l. CHAPTER I. His Britannic Majesty's Service. "There was a mysterious affair last night, signore." -Oh!" 1 exclaimed. "Anything that interests us?" "Yes, signore." replied the tall, thin Italian consular clerk, speaking with I strong accent. "An English steam jacht ran aground on the Meloria about ten miles out, and was discovered discov-ered by a fishing boat that brought the news to harbor. The admiral sent out two torpedo boats, which managed after a lot of difficulty to bring in the yacht safely, but the captain of the port has a suspicion that the crew-were crew-were trying to make away with the vessel." "To lose her, you mean?" Francesco nodded. "Sounds curious." I remarked. "Since the consul went away on leave things seem to have been humming two stabbing affrays, eight drunken seamen locked up, a mutiny on a tramp steamer, and now a yacht being cast away a fairly decent list! And vet some stay-at-home people complain com-plain that British consuls are only paid to be ornamental! They should spend a week here, at Leghorn, and they'd soon alter their opinion." "Yes, they would, signore," responded respond-ed the thin-lipped old fellow with a grin, as he tw isted his fierce gray mustache. mus-tache. Franceso Carducci was a well-known well-known character in Leghorn. An honest, good-hearted, easy-going fellow, fel-low, who for twenty years had occupied occu-pied the same position under half a dozen different consuls. My old friend, Frank Hutcheson, his Triiannic majesty's vice-consul at the port of Leghorn, was away on leave in Engiand. his duties being relegated to young Bertram Cavendish, the proconsul. pro-consul. The latter, however, had gone down w ith a bad touch of malaria, and I. the only other Englishman in Leghorn, Leg-horn, had been asked by the consul-g- i.cral in Florence to act as pro-cou-tul until Ilutcheson's return. H was mid-July, and the weather as blazing in the glaring sun-b'ar.ched sun-b'ar.ched Mediterranean town. If you k::oa Leghorn, you probably know the consulate, a large, handsome suite of huge, airy offices facing the cathedra!. cathe-dra!. The legend painted upon the d'or. "Office hours, 10 to 3," gives one the idea of an easy appointment, fcjt such is certainly not the case, for consul's life at a port of discharge nwst necessarily be a very active one. Carducci had left me to the correspondence corre-spondence for a half an hour or so, when he re-entered, saying: "There Is an English signore waiting wait-ing to see you." "Who is he?'" I don't know hlra. He will give no name, but wants to see the signore onsole." "AH right, show him in," I said lazily, lazi-ly, and a few moments later a tall, smartly-dressed, middle-aged English-nan English-nan entered, and bowing, inquired whether I was the British consul. When he had seated himself I ex-Plained ex-Plained my position, whereupon he wid: "I couldn't make much out of lour clerk. He speaks so brokenly. SIid I don't know a word of Italian. ut perhaps I ought to first introduce myself. My name is Philip Hornby," ad he handed me a card bearing the "arr,e with the addresses "Woodcroft Jk, Somerset Brook's." Then e added: "I am cruising on board T yacht, the Lola, and last night we ""fortunately went aground on the Meloria. Very fortunately for us a fishing-boat saw our plight and gave th alarm at port. The admiral sent "t two torpedo-boats and a tug, and ter about three hours they managed " Ket us off." And you are now in harbor?" Yes. But the reason I've called is 0 ask you to do me a favor and write "J a letter of thanks in Italian to the "hniral, and one to the captain of the ""-polite letters that I can copy send to them. You know the kind of thing." "Certainly," I replied, the more In-rested In-rested in him on account of the cu-ous cu-ous suspicion that the port authori-es authori-es seemed to entertain. He was evidently evi-dently a gentleman, and after I had (5en w'th him ten minutes I scouted e idea that he had endeavored to "t away the Lola. : J scribbled the drafts of two letters j Und UDateIy' 1 left my wlfe in Eng" tibl r 8he woul1 have been ,er" I tut fli!ghtened'" n remarked pres . y- "There was a nasty wind blow-r blow-r " night, and the fool of a cap tain seemed to add to our peril by every order he gave." I examined him critically as he sat facing me. Me was about forty-five, with a merry, round, good-natured face, red with the southern sun, blue eyes, and a short, fair beard. His speech was refined and cultivated, and as we chatted he gave me the impression im-pression that as an enthusiastic lover of the sea he had cruised the Mediterranean Mediter-ranean many times from Gibraltar up to Smyrna. lie had. however, never before put into Leghorn. After we had arranged that his captain cap-tain should come to me in the afternoon after-noon and make a formal report of the accident, we went out together across the white sunny piazza to N'asi's. "W e shall be here quite a week. I suppose," he said as we were taking our vermouth. "We're on our way clown to t he Greek island, as my friend Chnter wants to see them. The engineer en-gineer says there's something strained that we must get mended. But, by the way." he added, "why don't you dine with us on board tonight? Do. We can give you a few English things that may be a change to you." This invitation 1 gladly accepted for two reasons. C)ne was because the suspicions of the captain of the port had aroused my curiosity, and the other oth-er was because I had. honestly speaking, speak-ing, taken a great fancy to Hornby. The captain of the Lola, a short, thickset Scotsman from Dundee, with a barely healed cicatrice across his left cheek, called at the consulate at two o'clock and made his report, which appeared to me to he a very lame one. He struck me as being unworthy his certificate, for he was evidently entirely en-tirely out of his bearings when the accident ac-cident occurred. The owner and his friend ('hater were in their berths asleep, when suddenly he discovered that the vessel was making no headway. head-way. They had, in fact, run upon the dangerous shoal without being aware of it. A strong sea was running with a stiff breeze, and although his seamanship sea-manship was poor, he was capable enough to recognize at once that they were in a very perilous position. "Very fortunate it wasn't more serious, seri-ous, sir," he added, after telling me his story, which I wrote at his dictation dicta-tion for the ultimate benefit of the board of trade. "Didn't you send up signals of distress?" dis-tress?" I inquired. "No, sir never thought of it." "And yet you knew that you might be lost?" I remarked with recurring suspicion. The canny Scot, whose name was Mackintosh, hesitated a few moments, then answered: "Well, sir, you see the fishing-boat had sighted us, and we saw her turning back to port to fetch help." "How long have you been in Mr. Hornby's service?" I inquired. "Six months, sir," was the man's reply. "Before he engaged me, I was with the Wilsons of Hull, running up the Baltic. I've held my master's certificate cer-tificate these fifteen years, 6ir. I was with the Bibbys before the Wilsons, Wil-sons, and before that with the General Gen-eral Steam. 1 did eight years in the Mediterranean with them, when I was chief mate." "And you've never been into Leghorn Leg-horn before?" "Never, sir." I dismissed the captain with a distinct dis-tinct impression that he had not told me the whole truth. Was It possible that an attempt had actually been made to cast away the yacht, and that it had been frustrated by the master of the felucca, who had sighted the vessel aground? How, I wondered, had the captain received that very ugly wound across the cheek? I was half-inclined to inquire of him. That evening when the fiery sun was sinking in its crimson glory I took a cab along the old sea-road to the port where, within the inner harbor. har-bor. I found the Ixila, one of the most magnificent private vessels I had ever seen. Her dimensions surprised me. She was painted dead white, with shining brass everywhere. At the stern hung limply the British flag, at the masthead the ensign of the Royal Yacht squadron. On stepping on deck Hornby came forward to greet me, and took me along to the stern where, lying in a long wicker deck-chair beneath the awning was a tall, dark-eyed, clean-i clean-i shaven man of about forty. His keen face gave one the impression that he was a barrister. "My friend. Hylton Chater Mr. Gordon Gregg," he said, introducing us, and the clean-shaven man ei- claimed, smiliiig pleasantly: "Glad 'to make your acquaintance, Mr." Gregg. You are not a stranger 'by any means to Hornby or myself. ' Indeed, -we've got a couple of your books oh 'board. But I had no idea you lived out' here.'' "At Ardenza," I said. "Three miles along the sea-shore. Tomorrow 1 hope you'll both come and dine with me." "Delighted, I'm sure," declared Hornby, Horn-by, and then we began chatting about the peril of the previous night, Hornby Horn-by telling me how he had copied the two letters of thanks in Italian and sent them to their respective addresses. ad-dresses. "Well, you certainly did the right thing to thank the admiral," I said. "It's very unusual for him to send out I torpedo-boats to help a vessel in dis- tress. That is generally left to the harbor tug." "Y'es, I feel that it was most kind of him. That's why I took all the trouble to write. I don't understand a word of Italian, neither does Chater." Cha-ter." "But you have Italians on board?" I remarked. "The two sailors who rowed me out are Genoese, from their accent." Hornby and Chater exchanged glances glances of distinct uneasiness, uneasi-ness, I thought. Then the owner of the Lola said: "Y'es, they are useful for making arrangements ar-rangements and buying things in Italian Ital-ian ports. We have a Spaniard, a 'Greek, and a Syrian, all of whom act as interpreters in different places." "And make a handsome thing in the way of secret commissions, I suppose?" I laughed. "Of course. But to cruise in comfort com-fort one must pay and be pleasant," declared Hornby. "Did you have any trouble with the customs here?" I inquired. "They didn't visit us," he said with a smile, and at the same time he rubbed his thumb and finger together, the action of feeling paper money. !' This increased my surprise, for I happened to know that the Leghorn customs officers were not at all given to the acceptance of bribes. They were too well watched by their su- It Was an 'Armory, Crammed .With Rifles .and. Ammunition. periors. If the yacht had really escaped es-caped a search? then it was a most unusual un-usual thing. Besides, what motive could Hornby have iri eluding the customs cus-toms visit? They would, of course, seal up his wines and liquors, but even if they did, they would leave him out sufficient for the consumption of himself him-self and his friends. 1 ' No. Philip Hornby had some strong motive in paying a heavy bribe to avoid the visit of the dogana. If he really had paid, he must have paid very heavily; of that I 'was convinced. ''Was it possible that some mystery was hidden on board that splendidly appointed craft? Presently the gong sounded, and we went below into the elegantly fitted saloon, where was spread a table that sparkled with cut' glass and shone with silver. Everywhere it was apparent ap-parent that none . but an extremely wealthy man could afford such a magnificent mag-nificent craft. , , .'.'.. Hornby took the neau of the table, and we ate one of the choicest and best cooked dinners it has ever been my lot to taste. Chater and I drank wine of a brand which only a millionaire million-aire could keep in his cellar, while our host, apparently a most abstemious man, took -only a glass of iced Cin-ciano Cin-ciano water. From his" remarks T discerned' iliat, contrary to my first impression,. Hyli ton Chater was an experienced J'achts. man. He owned a-eraft called the , Alicia, and was a member of the Cork' j Yacht club. , He lived ,in . London,, he) Hold me, but gave" me no " in'l'orni'a'tioij as to his profession. It might be the Jaw, as 1 had surmised. .'''- : I "you've seen-our . ass of a .captain t.Mr. Gregg?" .he remarked presently: ' "What do you think of him?" . " j "Well," I said' rather hesitatingly; '"to tell the truth,' I 'don't think' very much of his seamanship iior .will the! board of trade when his report reached them." : ' ' 1 J- ' ' i J ' "Ah!" exclaimed Hornby, ,'T wasi 4 fool to engage him. From the.-very, first I mistrusted him, only my wifei somehow took a, fancy to, tl)e fellowj and, as you know,' if you want peace you must always please the women; In this case, however, her choice ah most cost me the vessel, and perhaps our lives into the bargain." j "The captain seems to have had a nasty cut across the ' cheek," I remarked, re-marked, whereupon my ' two companions compan-ions again exchanged quick, apprehensive appre-hensive glances. , "He fell down the other day," explained ex-plained Chater, with a rather sickly smile, T thought. "His face caught the edge of an iron stair in the en-. gine room and caused a nasty gash." I smiled within myself, for I knew too well that the ugly wound in the captain's cap-tain's face had never been inflicted by falling on the edge of a. stair. But I remained silent, being Content that they should endeavor to mislead me. After dessert had been served we rose, and in the summer twilight, w hen all the ports were opened, Hornby took me over the vessel. As he was conducting con-ducting me from his own cabin to the boudoir we passed a door that had been blown open by the wind, and which he hastened to close, not, however, how-ever, before I had time to glance within'. with-in'. To my Surprise I discovered that it was an armory crammed with rifles, revolvers and ammunition. 1 . It Jiad not i been intended - that I should see that interior, and the reason rea-son why the customs officers had been bribed was .now apparent. I passed on without remark, making believe that I had not discerned anything any-thing unusual, and we entered the boudoir, Chater having gone back to the saloon to obtain cigars. ' The ; dainty little chamber bore everywhere the trace of having been arranged by a -woman's hand, although no lady passenger was on board. , Just as we had entered, and I was admiring the dainty nest of luxury, Chater shouted to his host asking for the keys of the cigar cupboard, and Hornby turned back along the gangway' gang-way' to 'hand them to his friend, leaving leav-ing me alone for a few moments. ' T Stood glancing around, and as I did so my eyes fell upon a quantity of photographs, framed' and unframed, that were scattered about evidently portraits of Hornby's friends. Upon a small side table, however, stood a heavy oxidized silver frame, but empty, while lying on the floor beneath be-neath a couch was the photograph it had contained, which had apparently been taken hastily out, torn first in half and then in half again, and cast away. Curiosity prompted me to stoop, pick up the four pieces and place them together, when 1 found them to form the cabinet portrait of a sweet-looking and extremely pretty English girl of eighteen or nineteen, with a bright, smiling expression, and wearing a fresh morning blouse of white pique. 'About the expression of the pictured face " was something w hich' I cannot describe a curious look in the eyes which was at'the same time both attractive at-tractive and mysterious. In that brief moment; 'the. girl's features werein-delibly.impressed werein-delibly.impressed u,pon,:my memory. .r. ..I looked , at j-the back, of the, torn photograph,. anL saw tthat it had been taken by. a well-known and, fashionable: firm in New Bdnd street. . , Next second, however, . .hearing Hornby's returning footsteps, I flung the fragments1 hastily beneath the couch where I had discovered them. Why, I wondered, had the picture been destroyed and by whom? Afterwards on deck 1 purposely led the conversation to Hornby's family, and learned :from him that he had no children, i '.,. I ..- : to -- '..;?.. -. "You'll get the repairs to your engines en-gines done at Qrjando. S, ,1 .suppose.?-", I remarked, naming the great ship-build: ing firm of Leghorn. , , , "Yes. I have' already given the order. or-der. They are contracted to be finished fin-ished hy next Thursday, and then we shall he off to Zkhte and Chio." ' For what' Teas6n, 1 wondered, recollecting recol-lecting that 'formidable- armory oh board. Already r had seen quite sufficient suf-ficient to convince me that the Lola, although outwardly .a pleasure yacht, was built of steel, armored in its most vulnerable parts, and capable of resisting, re-sisting, a. very sharp fire, It was past midnight when, having bade the strange pair adieu, I was put ashore by the two sailors who had rowed me out and drove home along the sea-front, puzzled and perplexed. Next morning,.pn .my .arrival at the consulate, old Francesco, who had. entered en-tered tonly ':ul moment before met !me Svith blanched face, gasping: '. j "There have"' tveen ' thieves here ini the nijjht' kifcnoriplj Tbc signore console's con-sole's safe has been opened!" . "The 4 safe !"''. I "'cried', dashing inta JIutchesoii's' 'private' room, ' and flndr iing to my dismay jetig safe,-where$ in" flfeseals',"cipK fidential documents were kept, standing stand-ing open, aiid theicontents in disorder, as though a hasty search had been made among them.. ., . j . Was it possible,. that the, thieves had been after tlie admiralty 'and foreign office cipher's, ..copies :o., j;which the chancelleries of certain European po.wej-s,,yerq enfle.ayqring tft obtain?, Smiled within myself when" I realize how, nhitter)y,,v4isappoiiited. the,, l?uij-gla-rs' mil st? have" beerf, "for af Tiritisii consul when, he goes on .leave to EngJ-land EngJ-land always' takes his x-iphers with him, and deposits them at the foreign Office for safekeeping. Hutchesoj 1'ifiNp IP ; wAsJI fHrrv-J' In hi?' "fL-' :;;,Hi'l!lis:M ''The Safe!" I Cried, Dashing Into Hutcheson's Private Office. ;.;..' I had, of course, taken his, according to the regulations. -. - Curiously enough, however, the door of the consulate and the safe had been; opened with the keys which my friend had left in my charge. Indeed, the; small bunch still remained in the safe; door. : In an instant the recollection flashed across my mind that I had felt the keys in my pocket while at dinner on board the Lola. Had I lost them on my homeward drive, or had my pocket been picked? , While we were engaged in putting the scattered papers in order the door bell rang, and the clerk went to attend at-tend to the caller. In a few moments he returned, saying: say-ing: "The English yacht left suddenly sud-denly last night, signore, and the captain cap-tain of the pdrt has sent to inquire whether you know to w hat port she i bound." "Left!" I gasped in amazement. "Why, I thought her engines were disabled!" A quarter of ah hour later 1 was sitting sit-ting in the private office of the shrewd, gray-haired! functionary hc?iBal3 eeixt this messenger "tor me-' f -!. ':'T' "Do you know,; iignore tcqmmenda-; tore," v. he said, "so'me xnystery stir; rounds that yesseW- She ds not tht Lola, V for yesterday J we- . telegraphed to Lloyd's; in LondonY and this morn ing I received a reply" that no sucli yacht appears on their-register, ah that the name is uukn'ow;u. The police have also telegraphed to your English police inquiring about the owner,-Signore Hornby, with a like result. There is no such place as Woodcroft Park;, in Somerset, and no member of Brook's club of the name of Hornby." I sat . staring at the" offlciaU too.; amazed to utter'i a"'' wbf d, - Certainly-they Certainly-they had not ; allowed tthe.. grass t grow beneath- tit eir feet,l ,-.-.t'i--..: '' y i (TOBE 'CONTINttlJD.-X ..."i f |