Show 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ecret adversary I 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 b 0 coca aro 90 0 continued from last issue SYNOPSIS realizing realising Rea lising zing th that it she has a possible 5 11 able chance of 0 being saved as the ru 1 Is a branger gives elves a roans american girl a package which he 8 elska ks her to delver deliver to the american ambassador in ID englard etal irid she Is saved sayad CHAPTER I 1 in london former tommy and miss prudence cowley discharged army nurse form an the young adventurers ltd Tur pence makes a business appointment with a man edward whittington who offers her easy employ employment men but on giving her name as jane finn 1 which she had heard on the street shows agitation and Is told to return next day CHAPTER IT II in the morning the girl finds office in answer to an advertisement signed jane jana finn the two receive nets from rom mr carter and julius P Hersh elminer carter to Is realia really a high government official lie ho aspea speak a or of a mysterious mr broun as head of the bolsheviks in england england and engages the th a pair to attempt to and nd jane finn whom he Is seeking tor for important reasons reason of CHAPTER III next day the pair visha Hers heimmer american millionaire living at the ritz hotel he la Is looking for big hi cousin jane finn who had disappeared atler after landing from rom the Lusita lusitanian nias erred boats at 1 I a and nd employs them to search for tier her T they hey discover a certain sirs mrs van demeyer Is a lusitania survivor seeking information from her recognizes whittington in a caller on mrs an demeyer tommy trails him CHAPTER IV whittington leaves for france whom tommy had summoned um monod follows him having lia ing heard the two mention mr drown brown tommy trails trail boris tons companion to a house in soho he secures adais olon lon and while in hiding overhears do details of a bolshevik and labor plot to overturn o erturk the government success apparently patently ly depends depend on undine a secret treaty maje between the allies during tho the war tommy Is caught listening and knocked senseless again the russians fingers drummed on the table to the point my cay friend I 1 was as given to understand that there was a certain document in existence idich assured success that Is so it if that document were placed before the leaders the result would be immediate they would publish it broadcast throughout england and declare for the revolution phout a moments hesitation the government would be broken finally and completely then what more do you want the document itself said the german bluntly ali ahl I 1 it Is not in your possession but you know where it Is no does anyone klikow where it Is one person perhaps and we are not sure of that even who Is that person A girl tommy held its ills breath A girl the russians voice rose contemptuously and you have not made her speak in russia we have ways of making a girl talk tills case iq if different said the german sullenly how different lie he paused a moment then went on where is the girl now tito tho girair yes she Is P but tommy heard no more A lo 10 4 but tommy heard no more A crashing blow descended on his head and all was darkness crosia blow descended on his head nui darkness CHAPTER V enters domestic service when tommy set forth on uie the trail of the two men it took all Tup pences self belt command to refrain from accorn panyong him however she contained herself as best she might consoled liy by the reflection that her reasoning had been justified by events the two men had undoubtedly come from the second floor flat and that ono one slender thread of the name rita had set the young adventurers once more upon up on the track of the abductors of jane finn the question was what to do next she retraced her stops steps to the entrance hall of the mansions it nas now tenanted ten anted by a small lift boy who was poll polishing shIng brass fittings and whistling the latest air with ft a good deal of vigor and a reasonable amount of accuracy ile he glanced round at Tup pences pencos entry there was a certain amount of the gamin element in the girl at all events she invariably got on well vell with small boys well william she remarked cheerfully in the best approved ties hos pital early earl morning style getting a good shine up the boy grinned responsively y albert miss he be corrected albert be it said she glanced mysteriously round the hall the effect was purposely a broad one in case albert should miss it she leaned tov toward ard the boy and dropped her i oleo 1 I want a word with you albert albert ceased operations on the fittings and opened his big mouth slightly look do you know what this Is with a dramatic gesture she flung back the left side of her coat aud and exposed a small enameled badge it was extremely unlikely that albert would have any knowledge of it indeed it would have been fatal for Tup pences plans since the badge in question was the device of it a local corps orl originated ignited by he e archdeacon tn in the early days of the war its presence in Tup pences coat was wag due to the fact that she had used it for pinning in some flowers a day or two before but had sharp eyes and had noted tho the corner of a three penny detective novel protruding from alberts pocket and the immediate enlargement of his eyes told her that her tactics were good and that the fish would rise to the halt bait american detective forcel force 1 she hissed albert fell for it lordi lord I 1 he be murmured ecstatically nodded at him with the air of one who has established a thorough understanding standing know who im after she inquired genially albert round eyed demanded breathlessly one of the flats nodded and jerked a thumb up the stairs X no L 0 20 calls herself vand demeyer 1 I 1 list liar ha hot I 1 alberts hand stole to his pocket A crook he be queried eagerly A crook I 1 I 1 should say so ready rita they call her in the states ready heady rita repeated albert deliriously oh ob aint it just like the pictures tures annie always said as how she was a bad lot chos annie inquired idly ouse parlor mald ashes leaving today banys the time annies said to me stark mark my words albert I 1 wonder if the police was to come after her one of these days just like that but ashes a stunner to look at aint sheel she ashes some peach allowed carelessly finds it useful in her layout you bet nas has she been wearing any of the emeralds by the way emeralds rhems the green gr een stones aint they nodded what were after her for you know old man the oil kinge king it seems sort of familiar to me the sparklers spar klers belonged to him finest collection of emeralds in the world worth a million dollars I 1 lumac Lum Lurn mc mel came ecstatically from albert it sounds more like the pictures every minute smiled gratified at the success of her efforts torta el we exactly proved it yet but were after her and sho she produced a long drawn out wink 1 I guess she wont get awny away with the goods this time albert uttered another ejaculation indicative of delight menil you sonny not a word of 0 this said suddenly 1 I guess I 1 to have put you wise but in the states we know a real smart emart lad when wo 0 o see one this about the girl you say to la leaving annie anndel regular turn tum up they ad an idea w was as dawning in tup pences brain she thought a minute or two then tapped albert on the shoulder see here son roy my brains got et busy HOW would it be it you mentioned syn that you d 61 got a young cousin or a friend of yours had that might suit the place you got get mer me im there said albert instantly you leave it to me miss and ill fix the whole thing up op in two ticks some andl commented with a nod of approval you let mo me know and it if its 0 K ill be round tomorrow at eleven where am I 1 to let you know torl to ritz replied Tupp nce laconically name of 0 cowley albert eyed her enviously it must be a good job this tec business it sure Is drawled 4 espee especially lally when old man backs the bill but dont fret son if this goes well you shall come coma in on the ground floor with which promise she took leave of tier lier new ally and walk walked ed briskly a way away from south audley mansions well pleased with her borni mornings work she went straight back to the fhe ritz and wrote a few brief words to sir carter having dispatched this and tommy not having yet returned which did not surprise her sue she start ed oft off on a shopping expedition starting with a cheap clothing store and passing through one or two secondhand establishments she had finished the day at a well known bair hairdressers dressers now in the s seclusion of her bedroom she lie unwrapped that final purchase five minutes later she smiled contentedly at her reflection in the glass with tin an actress pencil she had slightly altered the line of her eyebrows find and that taken in conjunction with the new luxuriant growth of fair hair above so changed her appearance that she felt confident that even it if she came face to face with whittington he would not recognize her from hospital experience she knew only too well that a nurse out of uniform Is frequently unrecognized by her patients yes said aloud nodding at the pert reflection in the glass do she then resumed her normal appearance dinner was a solitary meal was rather surprised at ton tom a mys non return julius too was absent but that to the girls mind was more easily explained it was quite on the cards that julius P r hersheld mer had left for constantinople at a moments notice it if he fancied that a clue to his cousins disappearance was to be found there the morning brought a note from mr carter dear miss you have made a splendid start and I 1 congratulate you I 1 feel though that I 1 should like to point out to you once more the risks you are running especially if you pursue the course you indicate tarse people are absolutely desperate and incapable of elther either mercy or pity I 1 feel that you probably underestimate the danger and therefore warn you again that I 1 can promise you no protection you have bave given us valuable information and if you choose to withdraw now no one could blame you at any rate think the matter over well before you decide if in spite of my warnings you yon make up your mind to go through with it you will find everything arranged you have lived for t two wo years with miss dufferin Duner ln tn the parsonage Ll anelly and mrs mm Vander Van demeyer can apply to her for a reference iffy I 1 be permitted a word or two of advice I 1 suggest that you should represent yourself to be what you yon ar are e a former V A IX U who has chosen domestic service an u a profession i there are many such at the present time that explains away any incongruities of voice or manner which otherwise might awaken suspicion whichever way you decide good luck to you your sincere friend MR AIR CARTER Tup pences spirits rose mercurially mr carters warnings passed unheeded the young lady had bad far too loo much confidence in herself to pay any heed to them there was suit no word or message from tommy but the morning post brought a somewhat gome what dirty postcard with the words its 0 K scrawled upon it at ten thirty surveyed with pride a slightly battered tin trunk containing her new possessions it was artistically corded corded she drove to paddington and left the box in the cloak room she then repaired with a handbag to the fastnesses fast nesses of the ladles ladies waiting room ten minutes later a metamorphosed walked demurely out of the station aud and entered a bus it was a few minutes past eleven when again entered the hall of south audley mansions albert was on the lookout attending to his duties in a somewhat desultory fashion ile he did not immediately recognize when he did his admiration mi ration was unbounded blest if id have known youl you I 1 that rig auth top tal hole glad you like it albert replied modestly by the way am I 1 your cousin or am I 1 not your voice too cried the delighted boy its as english as anything I 1 no I 1 said as a friend of mine knew a young gal annie best pleased ashes stopped on till fill today to oblige slie she said gald but really its so as to put you against the place are you going up now bliss step inside the lift no 20 did you say and ho he winked ked quelled him with a stern glance and stepped inside As she rang the bell of no 20 she was conscious of alberts eyes slowly descending beneath tho the level of th the floor A smart young woman opened the ive come about the place said its a rotten place said the young woman without hesitation regular old cat always interfering accused me of tampering with her letters me I 1 the flap was halt half undone anyway ashes a wrong un what she Is soll clothes but no class cook knows something about her but she wont tell scared to death of tier her and suspicious I 1 I 1 can tell you but what more annie could I 1 tell ell Tupp jence was nevi never r destined to learn for at that moment a clear voice with n peculiarly steely ring to it called annie A mile I 1 the smart young woman jum jumped ped as if she had been shot yes mala who are you talking to its a young wb woman an about the situation maam show tier in then at once yes maam was ushered int into 0 a room on the right of the long passage A woman was standing by the fireplace ua A woman was standing by the fireplace she was no longer in her first youth ond and the beauty she undeniably possessed was hardened and coarsened in her youth she must have been dazzling I 1 her pale gold hair owing a slight assistance to art was colled low on her neck her eyes of a piercing electric blue seemed to possess a faculty of boring into the very soul of the person she was looking at iier her exquisite figure was enhanced by a wonderful gown of indigo chan char neuse meuse and yet despite her swaying grace and the almost ethereal beauty of tier face you felt instinctively the presence of something hard and menacing a kind of metallic strength that found expression in the tones of her voice and in that gimlet like quality of tier her eyes for the first time felt afraid she had not feared whittington but this woman was different As if fascinated she watched the long cruel line of the red curving epou mouth and again she felt that sensation of panic pass over her iier her usual self confidence deserted her vaguely she felt that deceiving this woman would be very different to dec deceiving ehing whittington ting ton here indeed she might expect no mercy I 1 mrs Van demeyer motioned to a chair you ton can sit down how did you yon hear bear I 1 wanted a house parlor maid through a friend who knows the lift boy here he thought the place might suit me again that basill basilisk sk glance seemed to pierce her through you speak like an educated girl glibly enough ran through tier her imaginary career on oft the lines suggested by mr carter I 1 it t seemed to her as she did so th that t thi the tension of mrs Vander cyers at attitude relaxed 1 I see she remarked at length Is there anyone I 1 can write to for a reference 1 1 I lived last with mith a miss dufferin the parsonage Ll anelly I 1 was with her two years and then aou ou thought you would get more money by coming to london I 1 suppose well it matter to me I 1 will ill give you whatever you want you can come la in at once yes maam today if you like my box Is at paddington go and fetch it in a taxi then its an easy place I 1 am out a good deal by the way your name prudence cooper maam very well prudence go away and fetch your box thank you maam withdrew the adventure had begun but she felt less elated than she had done earlier in the morning it crossed her mind that if the unknown jane linn had fallen into the hands of mrs Vander Van demeyer it was likely to have gone hard with her CHAPTER VI enter sir james peel edgerton betrayed no awkwardness in tier her 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