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Show Secret Adversary j bAgafhaChristie j JULIUS SLEUTHS SYNOPSIS. HOitUilns; that 8ht has ft possible otmnve (if belli; saveil. as th Luatlnnla lt Blnk-im:. Blnk-im:. ft struiiKor (tlv' younic Aim-rU'ftn Klrl ft puckusro which h,. iiska her to deliver to the Arw'i-un anibussador In Kntf-laml. Kntf-laml. She s saved. In London, termor I. lent. Tommy" lteres-for1 lteres-for1 and Miss rnulvnee Cowley "Tuppence" discharged army nurse, form an organisation. The youns Adventurers. Ltd." They are hoth broke and conse-guently conse-guently ready for unorthodox methods. They write out an advertisement. ad-vertisement. Tuppence makes ft business appointment with a man. KJw.ird W'htltlnKton. who offers I her easy employment, but on s"lv- I ine her name an "June Finn." I whu'h she had heard on the I street. Vhlltlnton disappears. I In answer to an advertisement I sicned "Jane Finn" the two re- I ceive notes from "Mr. Carter" and I "J ti litis P. Hershelmmer." Carter. I a high government official, speaks I of a mysterious "Mr. Brown" as I head of the Iolshevlkl In Ens- I lend, and enpaites the pair to rind I Jane Finn, whom he la seeklnpr I f.r Important reasons of state. I Next day the pair visits Hers- I helntmer. American millionaire. I He is looking for his cousin. Jane I F.nn. who had disappeared after I landing from the Lusltanla's I boats, and employs them to I ! search for her. They discover a I Mrs. Vandemeyer Is a L.usltnnia I s-irvivor. Tuppence recopntjes I Whlttington In a caller on Mrs. I Vimlemeyer. Tommy trails him. I t"h:ttin?ton leaves for France. I Hershelmmer follows him. Tom- I my trails Boris. Whttttnpton's I companion, to a house In Soho. I He ovtrhears details of a Lol- I shevik and labor plot to overturn I tae povernment. Success appar- I ettly depends on finding a secret I treaty made between the allies I during the war. Tommy Is caught I listen'.nsr. and knocked senseless. I I Sensing sinister relations between I Whittinsrton and Mrs. Vandemey- I er. Tuppence disguises herself I I and becomes a parlor maid. Dur-I Dur-I ing a conversation between a vls- I itor. "Boris." and Mrs. Vande- I never. In which the name of Sir I James Peel Edgerton. famous I criminal lawyer, is mentioned. Tuppence hears talk of an "or- I ganizaiion." Next day Edgerton I visits Mrs. Vandemeyer. and on j leaving advises Tuppence to give I 'ip her position, but refuses to I -ive a reason. CHAPTER VII I Julius Tells a Story. I Pressed, appropriately, Tuppence I iiii.v sallied forth for her "afternoon I out." Albert was In temporary abey-I abey-I ance. but Tuppence went herself to I the stationer's to make quite sure that I Cftiiir; had come for her. Satisfied I id this point, she made her way to I t!: P.itz. On inquiry she learnt that Tommy had not yet returned. It was I the answer she had expected, but It I v.i.s another nail In the coffin of her Hes. She inquired for Julius IIer3-lieimmer. IIer3-lieimmer. The reply she get was to I the effect that he had returned about I half an hour ago, but had gone out I Immediately. I Tuppence's spirits revived. It would te something to see Julius. Perhaps I te crmid devise some plan for finding I "at what had become of Tommy. She wrote her note to Mr. Carter' in Jn-I Jn-I "us' sitting-room, and was Just ad-I ad-I frwslng the envelope when the door burst open. ""hut the h 1 " began Julius, bnt '""ked himself abruptly. "I beg your Hi-don. Miss Tuppenc-e. Those fools wnvn at the office would have It that 'tresforrt wasn't here any longer atln't been here since Wednesday. Is I "'at so?" Tuppence nodded. "You don't know Miere he is?" she asked faintly. . "I? How should I know 7 I haven't l one darned word from him, I expect your wire's at the office impelled." I "J'nt "here Is her "j don't know. I hoped you might." f vVent nad one darned word "n nim since we parted at the de-Mt de-Mt on Wednesday." hat depot?" "Waterloo. Your London and western road." ."sterloo?" frowned Tuppence. , y, yes. Didn't he tell your Tim ven,t "een him either," replied W',tM lmr)!ltlent'y- "Go on about tiiPrev' Wllat were yu doln8 Phnne "Tf, a call. Over the 1 l,,, lme t0 get a move on' n;, Sal(1 he was trailing two I "I'HihV Ml3 TuPpence, her eyes ,r "I see. Go on." Mnr1Uurrle( a,on r'Kht nwny. Ber- I piy ' ,e b,e one was mine, the i ei Tommy ohoved a mt' my hand and told me to got aboiirtl the ctws. lit? wits going to slt'tith th other crook." Julius paused. "I thought for mini yoti'tl know all this." "Julius," snltl Tupponco firmly, sit down In that armchair and loll mo the whole story with as few fancy turns of speech as possible." "Well," begun Julius, "I got Into one of your dear old-fitsliltmeil first-class first-class ltrltish compartments. The train was Just off. I did a bit of prospecting prospect-ing along the corridor to the next coach. Whlttington was there right enough. When 1 saw the skunk, with his big sleek fat fa.-e, anil thought of poor little Jane in his clutches. I felt real nind that I hadn't got a gun with me. I'd have tickled hlm up some. "Wo got to llourneniouth all right. Whlttington took a cab and gave the name of an hotel. I did likewise, and we drove up within three minutes of each other. He hired a room, and I hired one too. So far It was all plain sailing. Well, he Just sat around In the hotel lounge, reading the papers and so on. till It was time for dinner. "I began to think that there was nothing doing, that he'd Just come on the trip for his health, but I remembered remem-bered that he hadn't changed for dinner, din-ner, though it was by way of being n slap-np hotel, so it seemed likely enough thnt he'd be going out on his real business afterward. "Sure enough, about nine o'clock, so he dlil. Took a car ncross the town mighty pretty place by the way, I guess I'll take Jane there for a spell when I find her and then paid It off and struck off along those pine-woods on the top of the cliff. I was there, too. you understand. We walked, maybe, for half an hour. There's n lot of villas all the way along, but by degrees they sevmed to get more and more thinned out. and In the end we got to one that seemed the last of the bunch. "It was a pretty black night, and the carriage drive up to the house was dark ns pitch. I could hear hlm ahead, though I couldn't see him. I turned a curve and I was Just In time to see him ring the bell and get admitted ad-mitted to the house. I Just stopped where I was. "Whlttington didn't come out again, and by and by I got kind of restive, and began to mouch around. All the ground floor windows were shuttered tight, but upstnlrs, on the first floor (it was a two-storied house) I noticed a window with a light burning and the curtains not drawn. "Now, Just opposite to that window, win-dow, there was a tree growing. It was about thirty foot away from the house, maybe, and I sort of got It Into my head that, if I climbed up that tree, I'd very likely be able to see Into that room. So I started up. "It wasn't so easy by a long chalk ! The rain had made the boughs mighty slippery, and It was all I could do to keep a foothold, but bit by bit I managed it, until at last there I was level with the window. "But then I was disappointed. I could only see sideways Into the room. Just as I wns going to give it up, and climb down ignomlnlously, someone Inside moved and threw his shadow on my little bit of wall and, by gum, It was Whlttington I "After that, my blood was up. I'd Just got to get a look Into thnt room. It was up to me to figure out how. I noticed that there was a long brnnch running out from the tree in the right direction. If I could only swarm about hnlf-way along It, the proposition proposi-tion would be solved. Very cautiously, Inch by inch, I crawled nlong. At Inst 'I got safely to where I wanted to be. "There was a table with a lamp on it in the middle of the room, and sitting sit-ting at thnt table, facing toward me, was Whlttington right enough. He was talking to a woman dressed as a hospital nurse. She was sitting with her back to me, so I couldn't see her face. I couldn't catch a word of what they said. Whlttington seemed to be doing all the talking, and the nurse Just listened. He seemed very emphatic em-phatic once or twice he bent with his fist on the table. "Presently, he seemed to get to the end of what he was saying. He got up, and so did she. He looked towards the window and asked somethingI some-thingI guess it was whether it was raining. Anyway, she came right across and looked out. Just then the moon came out from behind the clouds. I was scared the woman would catch sight of me, for I was full in the moonlight. I tried to move back a bit. The Jerk I gave was too much for that rotten old branch. With an almighty crash, down it came, and Julius P. Hershelmmer Hers-helmmer with it r "Oh, Julius," breathed Tuppence, "how exciting! Go on." "Well, ItirlJlj for me, I pitched down Into a good soft hod of earth hilt it put me out of action for the lime, sure nioiiph. The next thing I knew, I tviiH lying In bed wlth'u hospital hos-pital nurse (not Whll I lugton'H one) on one side of ine, and a llllle black-boarded black-boarded man with gold glasses, anil medical man wi ll I. -a all ov er hlm, on the other, lit nibbed his hands together, to-gether, ami raised ids eyebrows iih I Mlared at hlm. 'Ah!' be said. 'So our young friend Is coming round ngnln. Capital. Capital. I think that'll do for the present, sister,' and the nurse left the room In a sort of brisk, well-I well-I rained way. lint I caught her handing hand-ing nit' out a look of deep curiosity as she passed through the door. "That look of hers gave me an Idea. 'Now, then, doc,1 I said, anil tried to sit up In bed, but my right foot guo me a nasty twinge as I did so. 'A slight sprain,' explained the doctor. 'Nothing serious. You'll be about in a couple of days.' " "I Holloed you walked lame," Interpolated Inter-polated Tuppence. Julius nodded, and continued. "'How did It happen 7' I asked again, lie replied dryly. 'You fell, with a considerable portion of one of my trees, Into one of my newly planted plant-ed (lower-beds. ' "I liked the man. He seemed to have a sense of humor. I felt sure that lie, at least, was plumb straight. 'Sui-e, doc,' I salt!, 'I'm sorry about the tree, and I guess the new bulbs will bo on imp. lint perhaps you'd like to know what I was doing In your garden?' 'I think the facts do call for explanation,' he replied. 'Well, to begin with. I wasn't after the spoons.' "He smiled. 'My first theory. Hut I soon altered my mind, liy the way. you are an American, are you not?' I told hlm my name. 'Anil you?' 'I am Doctor Hall, and this, as you doubtless know, is my private hospital.' hos-pital.' "I made up my mint! In a flash. 'Why, doctor,' I salt!, 'I guess I feel an almighty fool, but I owe It to you to let you know that It wasn't the "With an Almighty Crash, Down It Came, and Julius P. Hersheimmer With It." Bill Sikes business I wns up to.' Then I went on nnd mumbled out something about a girl. I trotted out the stern guardian business, nnd a nervous breaktlown, nnd finally explained that I had fancied I recognized her among the patients at the home, hence my nocturnal adventures. "I guess It was Just the kind of a story he wns expecting. 'Quite a romance,' ro-mance,' he said genially, when I'd finished. 'Now, Doc,' I went on, 'will you be frank with me? Have you had here at any time a young girl called Jane Finn?' He repeated the name thoughtfully. 'Jane Finn?' he said. 'No.' "I was chagrined, and I guess I showed It. 'You are sure?' 'Quite sure, Mr. Hershelmmer. It Is an uncommon un-common name, and I should not have been likely to forget It.' "Well, that was flat. It laid me out for a space. I'd kind of hoped my search was at an end. 'That's that,' I said at last, tfs'ow, there's another matter. When I was hugging that darned branch I thought I recognized rec-ognized an old friend of mine talking to one of your nurses.' I purposely didn't mention any name because, of course, Whlttington might be enlllng himself something juite different down here, but the doctor answered at once. 'Mr. Whlttington perhaps?' 'That's the fellow,' I replied. 'What's he doing down here? Don't tell me his nerves are out of orderT "Doctor Hall laughed. 'No. He came down to see one of my nurses, Nurse Edith, who is a niece of his.' 'Why, fancy that!' I exclaimed. 'Is he still here?' 'No, he went back to town almost immediately.' 'What a pity!' I ejaculated. 'But perhaps I could Bpeak to his niece Nurse Edith, did you say her name was?' "But the doctor shook his head. 'I'm afraid that, too, is impossible. Nurse Edith left with a patient tonight to-night also.' 'I seem to be real unlucky,' un-lucky,' I remarked. 'Have you Mr. Whlttlngton's address in town? I guess I'd like to look him up when I get back.' 'I don't know his nddress. I can write to Nurse Edith for It If you like.' I thanked him. 'Don't say who It is wnnts it. I'd like to give him a little surprise.' "That was about all I could do for the moment. Of course, If the girl was really Whlttlngton's niece, she might be too cute to fall Into the trap, but it was worth trying. My ; foot soon got all right. I said goofl- by to the little doctor chap, nuked, hlm to send ine word If be beard from Nurse Edith, and came right away hack to town. Say, Miss Tuppence, you're looking nilghly pale?" "It's Tommy," said TiipM'tiee. "What can have happct'cd to him?" "Illicit up; I guess he's all right really. Why shouldn't he be? Sen here, It was a foreign-looking guy he went off after. Maybe they've gone abroad to Poland, or something like that ?" Tuppence shook her bead. "I've seen that man, Hurls something, since. He dined Willi Mrs. Vuntlemeyer last night." "Mrs. Wbr "I forgot. Of course you don't know nil that." "I'm listening," said Julius, and gave vent to bis fuvorite expression. 'Tut me wise." Tuppence thereupon related the events of the last two days. Julius' astonishment and admiration were unbounded. "Itully for you! Knncy you a menial. me-nial. It Just tickles me to death I" Then he added seriously: "lint say, now, I don't like It, Miss Tuppence, I sure don't. Those crooks we're up against would ns soon croak a girl as , a man any tiny." "(ih, bother me!" said Tuppence Impatiently. "Let's think about what can have happened to Tommy. I've written to Mr. Carter about It," she added, and told him ttie gist of her letter. Julius nodded gravely. "I guess that's good as far as It goes. But it's for us to get busy and do something. I guess we'd better get on the trnck of Boris. You say he's been to your place. Is he likely to come agalnr "He might. I really don't know." "I see. Well, I guess I'd better buy a car, a slap-tip one, dress as a chauffeur ant hang about outside. S'hen If Boris comes, you could make some klntl of signal, and I'd trail llm. How's that!" "Splendid, but he mightn't come tor weeks. "We'll have to chance that. I'm glad you like the plan." He rose. "Where are you going?" "To buy the car, of course," replied Julias, surprised. I'll be round In it In half an hour." Tuppence got up. "You're awfully good. Julius. But I can't help feeling that It's rather a forlorn hope. I'm really pinning my faith to Mr. Carter. By the way, I forgot to tell you of a queer thing ttiat happened this morning." And she narrated her encounter with Sir James Peel Edgerton. Julius was Interested. "What did the guy mean, do yon think V he asked. "I don't quite know," said Tuppence Tup-pence meditatively. "But I thinft thnt. In an ambiguous, legal, without prejudlceish lawyer's way, he was trying to warn me." "Why should he? See here, we don't want any lawyers mixed up in this. That guy couldn't help us any." "Well, I believe he could," reiterated reiter-ated 'Tuppence obstinately. "Don't you think It, So long. I'll be back In half an hour." Thirty-five minutes had elapsed when Julius returned. lie took Tuppence Tup-pence by the arm, and walked her to the window. "There she Is. "Oh 1" snltl Tuppence with a note of reverence in her voice, as she gazed down at the enormous car. Friday and Saturday passed uneventfully. un-eventfully. Tuppence had received a brief answer to her appeal from Mr. Carter. In It he pointed out that the Young Adventurers had undertaken the work at their own"rlsk, nnd had been fully warned of the dangers. If anything had happened to Tommy he regretted It deeply, but he could do nothing. This wns cold comfort. It seemed to the girl that, for the first time, she realized the sinister character of the mission they hnd undertaken so light-heartedly. light-heartedly. It had begun like a page of romance. Now, shorn of Its glamor. It seemed to be turning to grim reality. real-ity. Tommy that was all that mattered. mat-tered. Many times in the day Tuppence Tup-pence blinked the tears out of her eyes resolutely. "Little fool," she would apostrophize herself, "don't snivel. Of course you're fond of him. You've known him all your life. But there's no need to be sentimental about it." In the meantime, nothing more was seen of Boris. He did not come to the flat, and Julius and the car waited wait-ed In vain. Tuppence gave herself over to new meditations. Whilst admitting ad-mitting the truth of Julius' objection, objec-tion, she had nevertheless not entirely entire-ly relinquished the idea of appealing to Sir James Teei Edgerton. Indeed, she had gone so far as to look up his address in the Red Book. Had he meant to warn her that day? If so, why? Tuppence decided, with her usual shake of the shoulders, It was worth trying, and try It she would. Sunday was her afternoon out. She would meet Julius, persuade him to her point of view, and they would beard the lion In his den. When the day arrived Julius needed n considerable amount of persuading, but ' Tuppence held firm. "It can do no harm," was what she always came back to. In the end Julius gave In, and they proceeded in the car to Carlton House terrace. "It's no place for a young and inexperienced girl." (TO BE CONTINUED.) |
