| Show a 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 f film aptt A 1 0 0 0 0 0 ecret 1 L C M V sil cea y 0 0 0 0 capp I 1 0 W 0 2 M E 0 ag 4 COMPANY VA Y 0 0 ann ano cli arming an ana als na 18 bilto a spider in a more more inore concealed and more moio lang ercus t ti I 1 humans thon than the to tho the oy fly elti elt i ak secret foe plotting for loot for pott and even for tho the de destruction st ruction of natio s an n t e III ence as RH as it Is alv clew r and eni clent A brilliant mind the ol of a natural loader leader a statesman tur turi by deliberate choice to criminal activities anil and the of social good tle the individual who possesses those these per r ers and dark purposes Is doubly dans ous oua from the fact that tant his identity canerot ti t traced ilo ile controls criminals and of various ports forts he me ps their plans but never openly ills or Is cohesive and powerful in the extrie me but ho one in that has the faintest idea of who ho he Is or ever knowingly has hail looked upon I 1 his 1 Is ae hi lans and his orders come from s source lie Is immune to bples because no one ever sees him ills hla hand recognized in many things cannot bo be pal eals gil or ven traced tarn tb heads of b abts is organization A M and ther KS many in number and interi rational national tn in thair operations op orations find it necca ary to ant for a conference there la is a that he Is ono of them but they do net know which one when a member brcak a 0 ma als 5 or becomes p v traitor vengeance it swift and anil and always from rm pa unexpected source once cince or twice iwic a hla his crent think they have ston sen him 0 on thase ui MISI tons ot of vengeance bu so co like a gardow PH r i h he and so quickly did he 0 that tt to no one could describe him 0 0 myverl u n Is ho he that the floum hla his corporeal existence oI stence they regard him as a spirit of darkness a phantom of diabolical cleverness and intent the hem us u erle cne of 0 the most moist fascinating studies of a griper criminal ever re benned nned and hao haa done it without too much accent upon the 60 waard or morbid the oto aitor abound qa a jp EH st ann ano wight incidents stir tho the blood in a a thoroughly way there la Is a delightful love two of them hern in fact and other nant phased that aro arc very satisfactory th the identity of tho tha arch conspirator IB ia revealed but up to that time it ift ton toa puzzle which makos a alno exer exercise clao far tho the wits it was 2 p m on the afternoon of anny 7 1015 the LusIta illa had been struck by two tio torpedoes in succession and was sinking rapidly while the boats were mere being launched with ill all possible speed the women an and children were apie beang lined up awaiting their turn some still citing desper neely to hu shands and fathers one girl tarl stood ilone alone slightly apart from the rest she was ns quite young not more than eighteen she lid did not seem afraid and her grave steadfast eyed looked straight ahead 1 I beg your sour pardon A mans voice aco beside her made her start and turn she had noticed tho the speaker more than once amongst the farst class there had been a hint of mystery about him which imd had appealed to her imagination ile he spoke to no one she noticed that he vas greatly agitated thero were beads of per on his brow ile iio was evidently in a state of overmastering ley carAnd A tet et ho he did not strike lier her as the lona or ninn nian ano would bo 10 afraid to meet death I 1 year iler her grave ey ayoe met his inquiringly quirin gly ile he stood looking at her with a 0 kind of desperate irresolution it roust must bel he muttered to himself yos yes it Is the only way ive pot got to trust someone and it must bo be it bondin won rtin why chyr 7 Ilo lle causo cause of women and children first 1 11 lie ile looked round and lowered hit his voice im carrying papers vitally important papers they may make nil all the difference to the allies in the war you understand these papers have got to bo be saved I 1 more chance with you than with me will yon take them thear the sir girl held out lier her hand walt I 1 must worn warn you there may bo be risk lf it rye ive beon been followed I 1 dont think I 1 have but ono one never knows if so there will bo be danger have you the nerve to go through with it tile the girl smiled til ill go through with it all and ini im real proud to be chosen 1 what am I 1 to do w with ith them after dardr bardl watch the newspapers newspaper st 1 ill advertise in the personal columns of the times beginning shipmate at the end of three days if theres nothing well know that im down anti and out then take the packet to the merican american embassy and deliver it into the ambassadors own hands la Is that clear cleair quite clear then bo be ready rm im going to say goodby good by ile he took her hand in his goodby good by good luck to you ho he said bald in a louder tone her hand closed on the oilskin packet that had bad lain in his palm the settled with a more deckler deckled list to starboard in answer to a quick command the girl went forward to take her place in the boat CHAPTER I 1 the young adventurers ltd tommy old thing 1 Thip pence old bean I 1 the two young people greeted each other affectionately and momentarily blocked the dover street tube exit in doing so the adjective old was misleading their united ages would certainly not have totaled forty five not seen you for simply centuries continued the young man where are you off to come and chew a him bun with me were getting a bit unpopular u here blocking the gangway r ns as it were lets I ets gut get out of it the girl assenting they started walking walka down dover street toward a dally now then said tommy where shall we go the very faint anxiety which underlay his tone did not escape the astuto astute ears cars of miss prudence cowley known to her intimate friends for some mysterious reason as tup 1 pence she pounced at once tommy youre stony I 1 not a bit of it declared tommy U un convincingly unconvincingly rolling in cash you tou always were a shocking lia liar Z 1 I 1 said severely though you did once persuade sister greenbank that the doctor had ordered you beer as a tonic but forgotten to write it on the chart do you remember tommy chuckled 17 1 I should think 1 I did I 1 the old cat in a rage when the che found out not that she was a bad sort really old mother greenbank 1 good old hospital de mobbed like everything else I 1 suppose sighed yes lou toor too tommy nodded two months ago gratuity hinted spent oh tommy tom my I 1 no old thing not in riotous dissipation si no such luckl lucki the cost of living ordinary plain or garden living nowadays Is I 1 assure you if you do not know 1 my dear child interrupted there Is nothing I 1 do not know about the cost of living here we are at lyons and wo we will each of us pay for our own that I 1 and led the way upstairs the place was full and they wandered about looking for a table catching odds and ends of conversation as t they ey did so punny kunny scraps one does overhear murmured Toni tommy tay 1 I passed two johnnies johnnier in the street today talking about someone called jane anne finn did you ever hear such a naruo name hut but at that moment two elderly ladles ladies rose and collected parcels and deftly ensconced herself in one of the vacant seats tommy ordered tea and buns ordered ten tea and buttered toast and mind the ten tea comes in separate teapots she added severely tommy sat down opposite her ills ilia bared head revealed a shock of exquisitely blickem back red rd hair ills hla face was pleasantly ugly nondescript yet unmistakably tho the face of a gentleman and a sportsman ills brown suit was well cut but perilously near the end of its tether they were nn an essentially modern looking couple as ar they sat there had no claim to beauty but there was character and charm in the elfin lines of her little face with it its determined chin and large wide apart apar gray eyes that looked mistily out from under straight black brows browa she wore a small bright green toque over her black bobbed holar and her extremely short and rather shabby skirt revealed a pair of uncommonly dainty ankles her appearance presented a valiant attempt at smartness the tea came at last and rousing herself from a fit of meditation poured it out now then said tommy takfur a n largo large bite or of bun wo got idt up to date data remember I 1 seen you since that time in ili hospital in 1010 11 very well helped herself liberally to buttered toast abridged biography of miss prudence cowley fifth daughter of archdeacon cowley of little Mis sondell suffolk miss cowley loft left the delights and drudgeries drudge ries rles of nor her homo home lift early in tho the and camo came up to loudon london chero sho she entered nn an olli cers hospital first month washed up six hundred and forty eight plates day second month promoted to drying aforesaid plates third month promoted to pooling potatoes potato ar fourth 0 arth month promoted to cutting b broad reft d and butter fifth month promoted one floor up to duties of with mor mop and pall pail sixth month promoted to waiting at table sov nth nith month Plo pleasing asing appearance and ove P mannoni so ao striking that am promoted to waiting on tho the Slat erst eighth month slight check in career sister kond bond ate sister West havens egg I 1 grand row rowl I 1 clearly to blame 1 inattention in such important matters cannot bo be too highly censured mop wad pall wain I 1 how are the mighty fallen I 1 ninth in month orith promoted to sweeping out wards where I 1 found a friend of my childhood in lieutenant thomas beresford bow Tom tommy inyl 1 whom I 1 had not seen fur for no five long years the ne ince ting was affecting fec I 1 tenth month reproved by matron for visiting the pictures res in company with one of the patients namely the aforementioned lieutenant thomas Ile resford eleventh and twelfth months duties resumed with entire success at the end of tho the year left hospital in a blaze of glory after that the talented miss cowley drove successively a tride trade 10 delivery van a motor lorry and n u general the last was the pleasant est ive forgotten his name now I 1 next entered a government office wo we had and several very enjoyable tea parties pai bics tics I 1 had intended to become a land girl a post and n but bua conductress by yay way of rounding ot off my career but the armistice intervened Intervene dl 1 I 1 clung to the oance with tho the true limpet touch for many long months but alas I 1 was combed out at last since then ive been looking tor for a job now then your turn theres not so much promotion in mine said tommy regretfully and a great deal less variety I 1 went out to franco france again as you know then they sent me to mesopotamia and I 1 got wounded for the second time and went into hospital out there then I 1 got stuck in egypt till the armistice happened kicked my heels there some time longer and finally got and for ten long weary months month ive been job hun hunting 1 there arent any jabsi jobal and if there wore were they give em cm to roo me what good am I 1 what do I 1 know about business Not nothing lillig nodded gim gloomily mily what about the colonies sho she suggested tommy shook its his head 1 I like the colonies and d im perfectly certain they like alko roe me I 1 rich relations relation sr ive kot got an old undo uncle chos more or less rolling but hes no good wily why nota not wanted to adopt me once I 1 refused 1 I think I 1 remember hearing about it said slowly you refused because of your mother tommy flushed yes it would have been it a bit rough on her As you know I 1 was till nil sho she had old boy hated her wanted to get me away from her just a bit of spite your mothers dead she said eald Tup penco gently tommy nodded Tup pences pencos large gray ayos eys looked misty youre a good sort tommy I 1 always knew it said tommy hastily well my position im just about desperate so am il II ive hung out as long as I 1 could ive touted round ive answered advertisements ivo ive tried every mortal blessed thing ive screwed and saved and pinc pinched hedl I 1 but its no good I 1 shall havo have to go homel dont you want tor to of course I 1 dont wont want to I 1 the good of being sentimental 7 you see there are seven 0 us ua home its awful 1 all housework and mothers meetings meeting sl 1 I 1 dont want to go back but ob tommy what else la Is there to dor do tommy shook his heart head badty there mis a silence allence and then burst out money money money moneal 1 I 1 think about money mom morning ing noon and night I 1 I 1 dare say its mercenary of mo me bat there it lal same hero here agreed tommy with feeling there was a pause of course resumed marriage Is my best chance I 1 made up tip my mind to marry money when I 1 was quite young any thinking girt would I 1 1 im not sentimental you know she paused come now you yon cant say im sentimental she n added sharply certainly not agreed tommy hastily no one would ever think of sentiment to in connection with you not very polite replied but I 1 dare say you mean I 1 it t all right IN W there it im ready and willi but I 1 never meet any rich ment the boys I 1 know are about na as hart ban ip dp as I 1 am no marriage Is fraught with Iter to make money I 1 weve that and failed tom it A I 1 fk I 1 trading under tho the name of thu th young adventurers ltd Is that your idea my reminded her weve tried oil all thu tho orthodox ways yes yea but suppose we try tho the unorthodox tommy lets bo be adventurers adventurer si f certainly replied tommy cheerfully how do we begin tiro the difficulty it if we could make ourselves ourse hes known people might hire us to commit crimes tor for them look here tommy shall we really shall we form a business partnership trading under the name of the young adventurers ltd lid Is that the idea ita till nil very well to tn laugh but I 1 feel there might bo be something in it how do you iou propose to get in touch with your our would be employers employer sr advert advertisement ls ement replied T ponce promptly have you got a lit bit of paper and a pencil tommy handed over a rather shabby green notebook and began writing busily shall wo begin young officer twice wounded in the war certainly not oh very well my dear boy dut but I 1 can assure you that that sort of thing might touch the heart of an elderly spinster and bho might adopt you and anal then there would be no need for you to be a young adventurer nt nil 1 I 1 dont want to bo be adopted 1 I forgot you had ti a prejudice it now listen hows this two young adventurers for alre willing to do anything go anywhere pay must be good we might as aa well moke make that clear from uio tho start thou we might add no reasonable offer refu refused qed ilke hats flats and furniture how would that strike you it if you read it tommy was holding the paper thoughtfully ilia his face burned a deeper red we really try ihrl it lie said nt at imbt shall wo we just for tho fun of tho the thing tommy youre a sport 1 I 1 knew you would bo bel I 1 lets drink to success 1 she poured some cold dregs drega of ten tea into the two cups heres to our joint venture and may it pro prosper sperl 1 the young adventurers ltd I 1 responded tommy they put down the cups and laughed rather uncertainly rose 1 I must return to my palatial suite nt at the hoste hostel 11 11 1 1 berli a li sf it Is time I 1 strolled round to the ritz agreed tommy with a grin where shall we meet and when ben twelve tomorrow 1 dilly tube station the two young people went olt oft in opposite Tup pences ices hostel was situated in what was charitably called southern belgravia for res ren sons bona of economy she did not take a bus she was halfway half way across st james park when a n mans mana voice b behind her roade made herB tart faten f 1 1 kt tk conti continued froni |
