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Show I The Secret AdYersary I I T J I By AGATHA CHRISTIE T (Copyright Dodd, Mead & Company) 5 1 ' 1 I n "WHO IS MR. BROWN?" t I SYNOPSIS. Realizing that she ;. has a possible chance of being saved, as the Lusitania Is sinking, sink-ing, a stranger gives a young American girl a package which he asks her to deliver to the j' American ambassador in Eng- . land. She is saved. In London, former Lieut. "Tommy" Beres- ford and Miss Prudence Cowley ! "Tuppence" discharged army ' nurse, form an organization, I "The Toung Adventurers. Ltd." , They are both broke and conse- j quently ready for unorthodox .' methods. They write out an ad- I vertisement. Tuppence makes a business appointment with a man. Edward Whlttington. who offers her easy employment, but on giving giv-ing her name as "Jane Finn." which she had heard on the street, Whlttington disappears. In answer to an advertisement signed "Jane Finn" the two receive re-ceive notes from "Mr. Carter" and "Julius P. Hersheimmer " Carter, a high government official, offi-cial, speaks of a mysterious "Mr. Brown" as head of the BolsheviKi In England, and engages the pair to find Jane Finn, whom he Is seeking for important reasons of state. Next day the pair visits Hersheimmer, American millionaire. million-aire. He is looking for his cousin, cou-sin, Jane Finn, who had disappeared disap-peared after landing from the Lusitania's boats, and employs them to search for her. They discover dis-cover a Mra. Vandemeyer is a Lusitania survivor. Tuppence . recognizes Whittlngton in a caller on Mrs. Vandemeyer. Tommy trails him. Whlttington leaves for France. Hersheimmer follows him. Tommy trails Boris. Whit-tington's Whit-tington's companion, to a house In Soho. He overhears details of a Bolshevik and labor plot to overturn the government. Suc-' Suc-' cess apparently depends on find ing a secret treaty made between be-tween the allies during the war. Tommy Is caught listening, and knocked senseless. Sensing sinister sin-ister relations between Whittlng-ton Whittlng-ton and Mrs. Vandemeyer. Tuppence Tup-pence disguises herself and becomes be-comes a parlor maid. During a conversation between a visitor, "Boris," and Mrs. Vandemeyer, in which the name of Sir James Peel Edgerton. famous criminal lawyer, is mentioned. Tuppence hears talk of an "organization." Next day Edgerton visits Mrs. Vandemeyer. and on leaving advises ad-vises Tuppence to give up her position, but refuses to give a reason. On her "day off" Tuppence Tup-pence goes to see Hersheimmer, who has discovered nothing of importance In France. Tommy's continued absence worries Tuppence. Tup-pence. They visit Edgerton and tell him the whole story. He promises to assist her, making an engagement to visit her that evening at the Vandemeyer home. Returning to the place, Tuppence finds she has been discovered. Mrs. Vandemeyer tries to make her drink poison. CHAPTER VII Continued. 10 "Then I shan't drink it," said Tuppence Tup-pence firmly. "I'd much rather be shot. At any rate, that would make a row, and someone might hear It. But I won't be killed off quietly like a lamb." "Don't be a little fool I Do you really think I want a hue and cry for murder out after me? It's a sleeping draft, that's all. You'll wake up tomorrow to-morrow morning none the worse. I simply don't want the bother of tying you tip and gagging you. That's the alternative and you won't like It, I can tell you I I can be very rough if I choose. So drink this down like a good girl, and you'll be none the worse for it." In her heart of hearts Tuppence believed be-lieved her. The arguments she had adduced rang true. It was a simple and effective method of getting her out of the way for the time being. Nevertheless, Nev-ertheless, the girl did not take kindly to the Idea of being tamely put to sleep without as much as one bid for freedom. She felt that once Mrs. Vandemeyer Van-demeyer gave them the slip, the last hope of finding Tommy would be gone. Tuppence was quick In her mental processes. All these reflections passed through her mind In a flash, and she saw where a chance, a very problematical prob-lematical chance, lay, and she determined deter-mined to risk all In one supreme effort. ef-fort. Accordingly, she lurched suddenly off the bed and fell on her knees before be-fore Mrs. Vandemeyer, clutching her skirts frantically. "I don't believe It," she moaned. "It's poison I know It's poison. Oh, don't make me drink It" her voice rose to a shriek "don't make me drink It !" Mrs. Vandemeyer, glass in hand, looked down with a curling lip at this sudden collapse. "Get up, you little idiot I Don't go on driveling there. How you ever had the nerve to play your part as you did I can't think." She stamped her foot. "Get up, I say." But Tuppence continued to cling and oh, Interjecting her sobs with Incoherent Inco-herent appeals for mercy. Every minute min-ute gained was to the good. Moreover, More-over, as she grovelled, she moved Imperceptibly Im-perceptibly nearer to her objective. Mrs. Vandemeyer gave a sharp Impatient Im-patient exclamation, and Jerked the girl to her knees. "Drink It at once!" Imperiously she pressed the glass to the girl's lips. Tuppence cave one last despairing "You swear It won't hurt me?" she temporized. "Yes, yes," said the other Impatiently. Impatient-ly. "I swear it." Tuppence raised a trembling left hand to the glass. "Very well." Her mouth opened meekly. Mrs. Vandemeyer gave a sigh of relief, re-lief, off her guard for the moment. Then, quick as a flash, Tuppence jerked the glass upward as hard as she could. The fluid in it splashed into Mrs. Vandemeyer's face, and during her momentary gasp, Tuppence's right hand shot out and grasped the revolver re-volver where It lay on the edge of the washstand. The next moment she had sprung back a pace, and the revolver pointed straight at Mrs. Vandemeyer's heart, with no unsteadiness in the hand that held it. In the moment of victory, Tuppence betrayed a somewhat unsportsmanlike triumph. "Now who's on top and who's underneath?" under-neath?" she crowed. The other's face was convulsed with rage. For a minute Tuppence thought she was going to spring upon her, which would have placed the girl in an unpleasant dilemma, since she meant to draw the line at actually letting let-ting off the revolver, nowever, with an effort Mrs. Vandemeyer controlled herself, and at last a slow evil smile crept over her face. "Not a fool, then, after all ! You did that well, girl. But you shall pay for it oh, yes, you shall pay for it ! I have a long memory !" "I'm surprised you should have been gulled so easily," said Tuppence scornfully. scorn-fully. "Did you really think I was the kind of girl to roll about on the floor and whine for mercy?" "You may some day!" said the other significantly. The cold malignity of her manner sent an unpleasant chill down Tuppence's Tup-pence's spine, but she was not going to give In to It. "Supposing we sit down," she said pleasantly. "Our present attitude Is a little melodramatic. Now. let's talk." "What about?" said Mrs. Vandemeyer Vande-meyer sullenly. Tuppence eyed her thoughtfully for a minute. She was remembering several sev-eral things. Boris' words, "I believe you would sell us I" and her answer, "The price would have to be enor- "I Don't Believe It," She Moaned; "It's Poison." mous," given lightly, It was true, yet might not there be a stubborn substratum sub-stratum of truth in it? Long ago, had not Whittlugton asked: "Who's been blabbing? Rita?" Would Rita Vandemeyer Van-demeyer prove to be the weak spot in the armor of Mr. Brown? Keeping her eyes fixed steadily on the other's face, Tuppence replied quietly: "Money " Mrs. Vandemeyer started. Clearly, the reply was unexpected. "What do you mean?" "I'll tell you. You said just now that you had a long memory. A long memory isn't half as useful as a long purse! Revenge is very unsatisfactory. unsatisfac-tory. Every one always says so. But money well, there's nothing unsatisfactory unsatis-factory about money, is there?" "Do you think," said Mrs. Vandemeyer Vande-meyer scornfully, "that I am the kind of woman to sell my friends?" "Yes," said Tuppence promptly. "If the price was big enough. I should suggest a hundred thousand pounds." Her economical spirit did not permit per-mit her to mention the whole million dollars suggested by Julius. A flush crept over Mrs Vandemeyer's Vandemey-er's face. "What did you say?" she asked, her fingers playing nervously with a brooch on her breast. In that moment Tuppence knew tliat the fish was hooked. "A hundred thousand pounds," re: peated Tuppence. The light died out of Mrs. Vandemeyer's Vande-meyer's eyes. She leaned back in her chair. "Bah ! she said. "You haven't got it." "No." admitted Tuppence, "I haven't hut I know some one who has." "Must be a millionaire," remarked Mrs. Vandemeyer unbelievingly. "As a matter of fact, he is. He's an American. He'll pay you that without a murmur. You can take it from me that it's a perfectly genuine proposition." proposi-tion." Mrs. Vandemeyer sat up again. "I'm inclined to believe you," she said slowly. "What does he want to know, this friend of yours?" Tuppence went through a momentary momen-tary struggle, but It was Julius' money, and his interests must come first. "He wants to know where Jane Finn Is," she said boldly. Mrs. Vandemeyer showed no surprise. sur-prise. "I'm not sure where she Is at the present moment," she replied. "But you could find out?" "Oh, yes," returned Mrs. Vandemeyer Vandemey-er carelessly. "There would be no difficulty dif-ficulty about that." "Then" Tuppence's voice shook a little "there's a boy, a friend of mine. I'm afraid something's happened to him, through your pal Boris." "What's his name?" "Tommy Beresford." "Never heard of him. But I'll ask Boris. He'll tell me anything he knows." "Thank you. There's one thing more." "Well ?" Tuppence leaned forward and lowered low-ered her voice. "Who is Mr. Brown T' Her quick eyes saw the sudden paling of the beautiful face. With an effort Mrs. Vandemeyer pulled herself together and tried to resume her former for-mer manner. But the attempt was a mere parody. She shrugged her shoulders. "You can't have learnt much about us if you don't know that nobody knows who Mr. Brown is. . . ." "You do," said Tuppence quietly. Again the color deserted the other's face. "What makes you think that?" "I don't know," said the girl truthfully. truth-fully. "But I'm sure." Mrs. Vandemeyer stared In front of her for a long time. "Yes," she said hoarsely, at last, "I know. I was beautiful, you see very beautiful " "You are still," said Tuppence with admiration. Mrs. Vandemeyer shook her head. "Not beautiful enough," she said in a soft dangerous voice. "Not beautiful enough ! And sometimes, lately, I've been afraid. . . . It's dangerous to know too much !" She leaned forward across the table. "Swear that my name shan't be brought Into It that no one shall ever know." "I swear It. And, once he's caught, you'll be out of danger." ' A terrified look swept across Mrs. Vandemeyer's face. "Shall I? Shall I ever be?" She clutched Tuppence's arm. "You're sure about the money?" "Quite sure." "When shall I have it? There must be no delay." "This friend of mine will be here presently. He may have to send cables, or something like that. But there won't be any delay he's a terrific hustler." A resolute look settled on Mrs. Vandemeyer's Van-demeyer's face. "I'll do it. It's a great sum of money, and besides" she gave a curi ous smile "it Is not wise to throw over a woman like me!" For a moment or two, she remained smiling, and lightly tapping her fingers fin-gers on the table. Suddenly she started, start-ed, and her face blanched. "What was that?" "I heard nothing." Mrs. Vandemeyer gazed round her fearfully. "If there should be some one listening. listen-ing. I tell you I'm frightened. You don't know him I" "Think of the hundred thousand pounds," said Tuppence soothingly. Mrs. Vandemeyer passed her tongue over her dried lips. "lou don't know him," she reiterated hoarsely. "He's ah!" With a shriek of terror she sprang to her feet. Her outstretched hand pointed over Tuppence's head. Then she swayed to the ground in a dead faint. Tuppence looked round to see what had startled her. In the doorway were Sir James Peel Edgerton and Julius Hersheimmer. CHAPTER VIII The Vigil. Sir James brushed past Julius and hurriedly bent over the fallen woman. "Heart." he said sharply. "Seeing ns so suddenly must have given her a shock. Brandy and quickly, or she'll slip through our fingers." Julius hurried to the washstand. "Not there," said Tuppence over her shoulder. "In the tantalus In the dining room. Second door down the passage." Between them Sir James and Tuppence Tup-pence lifted Mrs. Vandemeyer and carried car-ried her to the bed. Ibe lewyer fingered fin-gered her Dulse. i "Touch and go," he mattered. "I wish that young fellow would hurry up with the brandy." At that moment Julius re-entered the room, carrying a glass half full of the spirit which he handed to Sir James. While Tuppence lifted her head the lawyer tried to force a little of the spirit between her closed lips. Finally the woman opened her eyes feebly. Tuppence held the glass to her lips. "Drink this." Mrs. Vandemeyer complied. The brandy brought the color back to her white cheeks, and reviyed her in a marvelous fashion. She tried to sit up then fell hack with a groan, her hand to her side. "It's my heart," she whispered. "I mustn't talk." She lay back with closed eyes. Sir James kept his finger on her wrist a minute longer, then withdrew it with a nod. "She'll do now." All three moved away, and stood together to-gether talking in low voices. One and all were conscious of a certain feeling feel-ing of anticlimax. Clearly any scheme for cross-questioning the lady was out of the question for the moment. For the time being they were baffled, and could do nothing. Tuppence related how Mrs. Vandemeyer Vande-meyer had declared herself willing to disclose the identity of Mr. Brown, and how she had consented to discover and reveal to them the whereabouts of Jane Finn. "Well," said Tuppence, with an attempt at-tempt at cheerfulness, "we must wait, that's all. But I don't think we ought to leave the flat." "What about leaving that bright boy of yours on guard?" "Albert? And suppose she came round again and hooked It. Albert couldn't stop her. She seemed very frightened of 'Mr. Brown.' Said even walls had ears." "Miss Tuppence is right," said Sir James quietly. "We must not leave the flat if only for Mrs. Vandemeyer's Vandemey-er's sake." Julius stared at him. "You think he'd get after her? Between Be-tween now and tomorrow morning. How could he know, even?" I "We have a very formidable adversary, adver-sary, I believe, if we exercise all due care, that there is a very good chance of his being delivered into our hands. But we must neglect no precaution, We have an important witness, but she must be safeguarded. I would suggest that Miss Tuppence should go to bed, and that you and I, Mr. Hersheimmer, Hers-heimmer, should share the vigil. Tuppence was about to protest, but happening to glance at the bed she saw Mrs. Vandemeyer, her eyes half-open, with such an expression of mingled fear and malevolence on her face that it quite froze the words on her lips. For a moment she wondered whether the faint and the heart attack had been a gigantic sham, but remembering remem-bering the deadly pallor she could hardly credit the supposition. As she looked the expression disappeared as by magic, and Mrs. Vandemeyer lay Inert and motionless as before. For a moment the girl fancied she must have dreamt It. But she determined nevertheless never-theless to be on the alert. She hesitated a moment by the bed. The intensity of the expression she had surprised had impressed her powerfully. pow-erfully. Mrs. Vandemeyer lifted her lids. She seemed to be struggling to speak. Tuppence bent over her. "Don't leave " she seemed unable to proceed, murmuring something that sounded like "sleepy." Tuppence bent lower stilL It was only a breath. "Mr. Brown " The voice stopped. But the half-closed eyes seemed still to send an agonized message. Moved by a sudden impulse, the girl said quickly: "I shan't leave the flat. I shall sit up all night." A flash of relief showed before the litis descended once more. Apparently Apparent-ly Mrs. Vandemeyer slept. But her words had awakened a new uneasiness uneasi-ness in Tuppence. What had she meant by that low murmur, "Mr. Brown?" Tuenee caught herself nervously looking over her shoulder. The big wardrobe toCWHi up In a sinister sin-ister fashion before her tyes. Plenty of room for a man to hlds In that. . . . Half-ashamed of herself, Tuppence Tup-pence pulled it open and looked Inside. No one of course ! She stooped down and looked under the bed. There was no other possible hiding place. "I know Mr. Brown'a somewhere some-where In the flat." (TO BE CONTINUED.) |