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Show sA' ............. v ;j The Secret Adversary jj By AGATHA CHRISTIE S ' , S (Coprrinht Dodd. Med A Company) jj 5 VWWWWWWAW'V"W . l rp. TOMMY AND TUPPENCE f Lve, aJventura. flsMlnit. humor, tn attractive hero and heroins, a car.'1 l"rBrr workman for an auihor g'n these ana you hav ; aloay ooJ storv anJ 0(tn th kind "that keeps you up o' night to ""' finish It. Add a real mystery, clev- 5. eriy handled, and you get a real s thriller of a yarn. W ell, they tri !1 here. That's why "The Secret adversary" Is hard to luy down until the last puce Is read. In fact. " this story l "Kood measure, pressed down and shaken" because its got a World War tingle to It and a patriotic thrill. Xir Brown, the evil genius, of the story, rules a clever and dan- gerous hand. So cleverly does he remain In the background that not even his agents knowingly set eyes on him. So. in the next to the last chapter you are In for a surprise :- when you learn the Identity of Mr. Brown ar.d reallie that he's been walking about In plain eight all the tln-.e. Agatha Christie, the author. Is a young English woman who haa de-veloped de-veloped the writing of a mystery story to a nne art. She wrote 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles." - which was widely read on both 1; side of the Atlantic. Her new story Is International, too. and thus has thrills for ail English-speaking readers. ; PROLOGUE i: It was 2 p. m. on the afternoon of : : May 7. 1915. The Lusltanla had been struck by two torpedoes In succession and was sinking rapidly, while the i: rents were beins: launched with all - possible speed. The women and chll- - dren were being lined up awaiting their turn. Some still clung desper- - stely to husbands and fathers. One srirl stood alone, slightly apart from tlie rest. She was quite young, not - more than eighteen. She did not seem afraid, and her grave, steadfast eyes '-' looked straight ahead. "I beg your pardon." A man's voice beside her made her itart and turn. She had noticed the - speaker more than once amongst the - first-class passengers. There had - been a hint of mystery about him - tihich had appealed to her Imaglna- ' tlon. He spoke to no one. She noticed that he was greatly - egitated. There were beads of per- spiration on his brow. He was evl-dently evl-dently In a state of overmastering fear. And yet he did not strike her '' as the kind of man who would be afraid to meet death! "Yes?" Her grave eyes met his Inquiringly. In-quiringly. He stood looking at her with a kind '" of desperate Irresolution. I "It must be!" he muttered to him-self. him-self. "Yes It is the only way. Tve - got to trust someone and It must be - a woman." "Why?" l "Because of women and children Erst.'" He looked round and lowered low-ered his voice. 'Tin carrying papers vitally Important papers. They may " make all the difference to the Allies .. in the war. You understand? These .'. papers have got to be saved ! They've , more chance with you than with me. Will you take them?" The girl held out her hand. ' "Wait I must warn you. There may be risk if Tve been followed. I don't think I have, but one never knows. If so, there will be danger. Have you the nerve to go through " with it?" The girl smiled. "I'll go through with It all right. And Vm real proud to be chosen ! MTiat am I to do with them after- - ward?' "Watch the newspapers ! I'll advertise ad-vertise in the personal columns of the Times, beginning 'Shipmate.' At the end of three days if there's nothing well, you'll know that I'm down and out. Then take the packet to the American embassy, and deliver it into the ambassador's own hands. Is that clear?" "Quite clear." "Then be ready I'm going to say good-by." He took her hand in his. "Good-by. Good luck to you," he said in a louder tone. Her hand closed on the oilskin packet that had lain In his palm. The Lusitania settled with a more decided list to starboard. In answer to a quick command, the girl went forward to take her place in the boat. j CHAPTER I . The Young Adventurer, Ltd. V Tommy, old thing!" 1 "Tuppence, old bean !" A The two young people greeted each j other affectionately, and momentarily 1 blocked the Dover Street Tube exit In doing so. The adjective "old" was r misleading. Their united ages would 1 certainly not have totaled forty-five. i 'Not se?n you for simply centuries." J continued ihe young num. "Where j "e you off to? Come and chew a bun H jvlth me. We're getting a hit unpopu- Iar tiere blocking the gangway, as 1 " were. ..el's get out of It." , The gi.i assenting, they started walk- , Ire down Lover street toward Plcca- A dilly. "N"ow. then," said Tommy, "where a 'hall we go?" The very faint anxiety which un derlay his tone did not escape the i astute ears of Miss l'rmlenre Cowley, known to hor intimate friends for some mysterious reason as "Tuppence." "Tup-pence." She pounced nt once. "Tommy, you're stony !" "Not a bit of it," declared Tommy uneonvlnclngly. "'tolling n cash." "You always were a shocking liar," said Tuppence severely, "though you did once persuade Sister Cireenliunk that the doctor had ordered you beer as a tonic, but forgottvn to write it on the chart. Do you remember?" Tommy chuckled. "I should think 1 did! Wasn't the old cat in a rage when she found out? Not that she was a had sort really, old Mother Greenbank! G ood old hospital ilemohtied like "everything else, I suppose?" Tuppence sighed. "Yes. Lou too?" Tommy nodded. "Two months ago." "Gratuity V hinted Tuppence. "Spent" "Oh, Tommy!" "No, old thing, not in riotous dissipation. dis-sipation. No such luck I The cost of living ordinary plain or garden living liv-ing nowadays is, I assure you, If you do not know " "My dear child," Interrupted Tuppence, Tup-pence, "there is nothing I do not know about the cost of living. Here we are at Lyons', and we will each of us pay for our own. That's that !" And Tuppence led the way upstairs. The place was full, and they wandered wan-dered about looking for a table, catching catch-ing odds and ends of conversation as they did so. "Funny scraps one does overhear," murmured Tommy. "I passed two Johnnies in the street today talking about someone called Jane Finn. Did you ever hear such a name?" But at that moment two elderly ladies rose and collected parcels, anil Tuppence deftly ensconced herself in one of the vacant seats. Tommy ordered tea and buns. Tuppence Tup-pence ordered tea and buttered toast. "And mind the tea comes In separate sepa-rate teapots," she added severely. Tommy sat down opposite her. His bared head revealed a shock of exquisitely exqui-sitely slicked-back red hair. His face was pleasantly ugly nondescript, yet unmistakably the face of a gentleman and a sportsman. His brown suit was well cut, but perilously near the end of its tether. They were an essentially modern-looking modern-looking couple as they sat there. Tuppence Tup-pence had no claim to beauty, but there was character and charm in the elfin lines of her little face, with Its determined chin and large, wide-apart gray eyes that looked mistily out from under straight, black brows. She wore a small bright green toque over her black bobbed hair, 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 Tuppence, rousing herself from a fit of meditation, medita-tion, poured It out. "Now, then," said Tommy, taking a large bite of bun, "let's get up-to-date. Remember, I haven't seen you since that time in hospital In 1916." "Very well." Tuppence helped herself her-self liberally to buttered toast. "Abridged biography of Miss Pn-dence Pn-dence Cowley, fifth daughter of Archdeacon Arch-deacon Cowley of Little Missendell, Suffolk. Miss Cowley left the delights de-lights and drudgeries) of her home life early in the war and came up to London, Lon-don, where she entered an officers' hospital. First month : Washed up six hundred and forty-eight plates every day. Second month: Promoted to drying aforesaid plates. Third month : Promoted to peeling potatoes. Fourth month : Promoted to cutting bread and butter. Fifth month: Promoted Pro-moted one floor up to duties of ward-maid ward-maid with mop and pail. Sixth month: Promoted to waiting at table. Seventh Sev-enth month : Pleasing appearance and nice manners so striking that am promoted pro-moted to waiting on the Sisters ! Eighth month: Slight check in career. Sister Bond ate Sister Westhnven's egg ! Grand row ! Wardmald clearly to blame! Inattention in such Important Impor-tant matters cannot be too highly censured. cen-sured. Mop and pail again ! How are the mighty fallen ! Ninth month : Promoted Pro-moted to sweeping out wards, where I found a friend of my childhood in Lieutenant Thomas Beresford (bow. Tommy!), whom I had not seen for five long years. The meeting was affecting! af-fecting! Tenth month: Eeproved by matron for visiting the pictures in company with one of the patients, namely: the aforementioned Lieutenant Lieuten-ant Thomas Beresford. Eleventh and twelfth months: Parlormaid duties resumed re-sumed with entire success. At the end of the year left hospital In a blaze of glory. After that, the talented Miss Cowley drove successively a trade delivery" de-livery" van. a motor-lorry and a general." gen-eral." The last was the pleasantest. I've forgotten his name now 1 next entered a government nfllce. We had several very enjoyable tea parties. I had Intended to become a land girl, a postwoman. and a bus conductress by way of rounding off my career but the armistice intervened! I clung to the office with the true tin. pet touch for many long months, but, alas, I was combed out at lasf. Sine then I've been looking for a Job. Now, then your turn." "There's not so much promotion In mine," said Tommy regretfully, "and a great deal less vnrlety. I went out to France again, as you know. Then they sent me to Mesopotamia, and I got wounded for the second time, and went Into hospital out there. Then I got stuck iu Egypt till the armistice happened, kicked my heels there some time longer, and finally got demobbed. And, for ten long, weary months I've been Job hunting! There nren't any Jobs! And, If there were, they wouldn't give 'em to me. What good am I? What do I know about business? busi-ness? Nothing." Tuppence nodded gloomily. "What about the colonies?" she suggested. sug-gested. Tommy shook his head. "I shouldn't like the colonies and I'm perfectly certain they wouldn't like me!" "lilch relations?" "I've got an old uncle who's more or less rolling, but he's no good." "Why not?" "Wanted to adopt me once. I refused." re-fused." "I think I remember hearing about It," said Tuppence slowly. "Y'ou refused re-fused because of your mother " Tommy flushed. "Yes, it would have been a bit rough on her. As you know, I was all she had. Old boy hated her wanted to ge: me away from her. Just a bit of spite." "Your mother's dead, Isn't she?" said Tuppence gently. Tommy nodded. Tuppence's large gray eyes looked misty. "Y"ou're a good sort. Tommy. I always al-ways knew It." "Hot!" said Tommy hastily. "Well, that's n.y position. I'm just about desperate." des-perate." "So am I! I've hung out as long as I could. I've touted round. I've answered advertisements. I've tried 511l9 i raaing unaer ine mam or i no Young Adventurers, Ltd.; Is That Your Idea, Tuppence?" every mortal blessed thing. Tve screwed and saved and pinched ! But it's no good. I shall have to go home !" "Don't yon want to?" "Of course I don't want to! What's the good of being sentimental? -You see, there are seven of us at home. It's awful ! All housework and mothers' moth-ers' meetings! I don't want to go back, but oh, Tommy, what else Is there to do?" Tommy shook his head sadly. There was a silence, and then Tuppence burst out : "Money, money, money ! I think about money morning, noon and night! I dare say it's mercenary of me, but there it is !" "Same heie," agreed Tommy with feeling. There was a pause. "Of course," resumed Tuppence, "marriage is my best chance. I made up my mind to marry money when I was quite young. Any thinking girl would! I'm not sentimental, you know." She paused. "Come now, vou can't say I'm sentimental," she added sharply. "Certainly not," agreed Tommy hastily. has-tily. "No one would ever think of sentiment in connection with you." "That's not very polite," replied Tuppence. "But I dare say you mean it all right. Well, there it Is! I'm ready and willing but I never meet any rich men ! All the boys I know are about as hard up as I am. No marriage is fraught with difficulties. Remains to make money !' "We've tried that, and failed," Tommy Tom-my reminded her. "We've tried all the orthodox ways, yes. But suppose we try the unorthodox. unortho-dox. Tommy, let's be adventurers !" "Certainly," replied Tommy cheerfully. cheer-fully. "How do we begin 7' "That's the difficulty. If we could make ourselves known, people might hlra us to commit crimes for them. Look here, Tommy, shall we really? Shall we form a business partnership?" partner-ship?" "Trading under the name of the Young Adventurers, Ltd.? Is that the idea, Tuppence?" "It's ail very well to laugh, but I feel there might be something In it." "How do you propose to get In touch with your would-be employers?" "Advertisement," replied Tuppence promptly. "Have you got a bit of paper and a pencil?" Tommy handed over a rather shabby green notebook, and Tuppence began writing busily. "Shall we begin: 'Young officer, twice wounded In the war ' " "Certainly not." "Oh, very well, my dear boy. But I can assure you that that sort of thing might touch the heart of an elderly spinster, and she might adopt you, and then there would be no need for you to be a young adventurer at all." "I don't want to be adopted." "I forgot you had a prejudice against It. Now listen how's this? 'Two young adventurers for hire. Willing to do anything, go anywher. Pay must be good.' (We might as well make that clear from the start.) Then we might add: 'No reasonabla offer refused' like flats and furniture. furni-ture. How would that strike you 11 you read It?" Tommy was holding the papei thoughtfully. His face burned a deeper red. "Shall we really try It?" he said at last. "Shall we, Tuppence? Just fur the fun of the thing?" "Tommy, you're a sport ! I knew you would be! Let's drink to success." suc-cess." She poured some cold dregs of tea into the two cups. "Here's to our joint venture, and may it prosper!" "The Y'oung Adventurers, Ltd. I" responded re-sponded Tommy. They put down the cups and laughed rather uncertainly. Tuppence rose. "I must return to my palatial suite at the hostel." "Perhaps It Is time I strolled round to the Eitz," agreed Tommy with a grin. "Where shall we meet? And when?" "Twelve o'clock tomorrow. Piccadilly Picca-dilly Tube station." The two young people went off In opposite directions. Tuppence's hostel was situated In what was charitably called Southern Belgravia. For reasons rea-sons of economy she did not take a bus. She was half-way across St. James park, when a man's voice behind her made her start. "Excuse me," It said. "But may I speak to you for a moment?" Tuppence turned sharply, but tlie words hovering on the tip of her tongue remained unspoken, for the man's appearance and manner did not bear out her first and most natural assumption. She hesitated. As if he read her thoughts, the man said quickly : "I can assure you I mean no disrespect." dis-respect." Tuppence looked him up and down. He was a big man. clean shaven, with a heavy jowl. His eyes were small and cunning, and shifted their glance under her direct gaze. "Well, what is it?" she asked. The man took a card from his pocket and handed it to her with a bow. Tuppence took it and scrutinized it carefully. It bore the Inscription, "Mr. Edward Whittington." Below the name were the words "Esthonia Glassware Glass-ware company," and the address of a city office. "How much do you know? And how much do you want?" (TO BE CONTINUED.) |
