The morning call., 1893-11-05

should be hanged" he said. quietly. as he
pocketed the papers and threw the empty
wallet into the fire. But ] am not gning
to rpip YOU. You have done me and my
friends very good turn. Quite apart
from gratitude we must see what we can
do for you, for if we can't make it to your
interest to keep quiet we should have to
quiet YOU forever; and, to tell the truth,
/ don't like more of that business than is
absolutely necessary. You had a narrow
escape last night. You came upon US like
ghost out of the fog just as the job was
done, and we were thinking of settling
your account. until we saw you hiding the
BODY of that scoundrel so neatly for US.
We kept watch on you. and we came for
it again after dark. and it's safely dis
posed of now"
81 don't want to hear any more about
it." gasped Matchwood. "It was my cursed
luck to find it, Let the Herald and the
Mayfair Gazette and all the rest of them
say the Comet has been hoaxed. I'll tell
old Walsingham, that confounded brute of
an editor, that | have h0aXed him. We
had quarrel last night, and it will re-
ieve me- l shall be chucked and never
get a job again in London" he added,
ruefully. "The onlv consolation is that
they will chuck Walsingham the same
day."
| 'It seems to work out very nicely" said
| Smith, putting at his cigarette. Now you
must excuse me. / have train to catch.
! AS your iourn alistic insight will suggest.
am leaving London, the business l came
| for being concluded But as l said. 1t is
my interest to provide for you. You agree
to let this affair be treated as a clumsy
hoax, and | promise you that you shall
have your passage to New York and ia rly
good work for you to take up when you
| arrive If you don't see your way to that
it may be very disagreeable for you. Ii
you agree aud feel tempted to break your
bargain, remember what happened to the
man you found in the park.
Matchwood shuddered. u will agree to
anything" he said. II should like to get
awav from London"
"Very we'll; here are five sovereigns-
gold tells no tales. You go back to your
office now and get the row over. Ii you
| disappeared without seeing your editor the
| police would think something had really
happened. You throw up your situation
tomorrow and go over to Antwerp. At
the Poste Restante you will find a letter
| with more money in it and ticket for
New York by one of the White Star line
| boats. And now, good-by. What a
| pleasant chat we have had! So glad to
have met you! You will hear from me at
| New York; there will be another letter
| for you at the Poste Restante there: | will
arrange matters and the North German
| steamer will get out there with the letter
before your ship can get across"
VII.
There was something like panic in the
| editorial Sancium of the Comet when
| Matchwood returned without any papers
or any new information. II have fooled
you long enough" he said to WalsiDgham.
That chap who came while ago was a
chum OF mine, and was in the game. You
said you wanted a sensation. Well. you
| have got it with vengeance. l am sick
of this hole of place and am sick of
! your coufounded paper. l am going to
| look for be job"
"You don't mean it's all a plant ?" said
| Walsingham, with look of abject dread.
IF it is you go to Bow street for obtain
| ing money under false prrtensas."
| MIR. WalSingham WAS soon after In search
of regular employment. Mr.. Matchwood
new enjoys the dignlfed position of ex-
change editor in New York newspaper
office, and among other English pa
pers he deals with the files of the
| Comet This often sets him thinking
of his dangerous adventure. He Won
ders what was the motive of the crime.
He sometimes inclines 10 think it was jeal-
ousy, and that the girl he saw at the hotel
was the LADY in the case" But, on the
whole, he is rather of opinion that the IN
derground politics of Europe had some
connection with the affair, that Gheorgieff
was trai or to his comrades, and that
possibly the girl was the means of Turing
| him to his doom, and betrayiDg him to the
messengers of secret vengeance.
In Fleet street they still tell how some
years ago cute reporter (he Is generally
| described as Yankee) met threat of dis
missal by neatly hosting the editor of the
| Comet with his own petard.-W. ID. En-
| DERBY in Black and White.