The Washington herald., 1908-04-04
CHAPTER xxx.
The CITY Of Unrest.

The ominous words of Lorena ever re-
CURED to him Apparently the girl knew
far more than she had told him. and her
declaration that confirmation of Adams
charges would be found beyond that white
enameled door in Park Lane gripped his
senses. He could think of nothing else.
She had left him IN the Rue de Rivoli
outside the Gardens. refusing her address
or any further account OF herself. She
had warned him-that was. she said. all
sufficient
He blamed himself a thousand times for
not having followed her; for not having
sought some further information concern
ing the peril of old Sam Statham.
Yet the afternoon following. just as he
was about to drive from the Grand Hotel
to the Care du Nord. to return to London.
one Of the clerks from Old Broad street
had arrived. bearing letter from the
head of the firm, giving him instructions
TO proceed 10 Servia at once and transact
certain business with the government re-
garding certain copper concessions in the
district OF Kaopanik. The deal meant the
introduction Of a considerable amount of
British capital into Servia. and had sup
ward. Indeed, all were In favor, save the
opposition in the skuptehina, or Parlia-
ment, set Of unruly peasants who op
posed every measure the Pashitch govern
ment put forward.
The business brooked no delay. There
fore Charlie, that same night. entered tae
Orient express that train Of dusty wag-
ons-lit which runs three times a week be-
tween Paris and Constantinople, and
three days later arrived in Belgrade. the
Servian capital.
He was 40 stranger in that rather pleas
ant town, perched high up at the junction
OF the Saye with the broad Danube.
The passport officer at Semlin Station
recognized him, and gave him a wise at
once, and on alighting at Belgrade the
little ferret-eyed man idling outside the
station did not follow him, for he knew
him by sight and was well aware that
the Grand Hotel was his destination.
There are more spies in Belgrade than
in any other city in Europe. SO much
foreign intrigue is ever in progress that
the Servian authorities are compelled TO
support a whole army OF secret agents
TO watch and report. Hence IT is that the
stranger. from the moment he sets foot
in Belgrade 70 the moment he leaves IL, is
watched. and his every movement noted
and reported. Yet all is so well managed
that the foreigner is never aware Of the
close surveillance upon him, and Bel
grade is as gay a town in the matter Of
entertaining and general freedom as
well, as any other you may choose TO
name.
During the days when. owing to the
unfortunate events which terminated the
oF Lor Fv,h
ander and the designing woman who be-
came his Queen. when England had sus-
pended diplomatic negotiations. the great
stakes held in the country by Statham
Brothers were In a somewhat precarious
condition. For two years Servian finance
had been In anything but a fourishing
condition, but now. under the rule OF
King Peter. who had done his very ut
most 70 reinstate his country In its for
mer fourishing position, the confidence
of Europe had been restored, and Stat
ham Brothers were ready 10 make fur
ther investments.
In Charles Rolfe the great millionaire
had the most perfect confidence. The
letter he had sent him TO Paris was
clear and explicit in its instructions. II
the concessions were confirmed by the
Prime Minister Pashitch and the coun-
ell. a million dinsrs (or francs) were al
ready deposited in the National Bank Of
Servia. and could be drawn at an hour S
notice upon Charles signature.
SO he drove to the Grand. the hotel with
its great garish cafe. its restaurant
where the sterlet is perhaps more deli
cious than at the Hermitage in Moscow,
and its excellent Tzigane band. It was
evening, so he ate a light neal and.
tagged out by the journey, retired early.
He tried to sleep, but could not. The
noise and clatter OF the cafe below, the
weird strains Of the gypsy music, the rat
tie Of the cabs over the cobbles, all com
bined 10 prevent slumber.
And over all, was the vivid recollection
Of that rather handsome girl who had
called herself Lorena, and who had de-
clared that the reason OF Statham's peril
lay behind the door which he always kept
so carefully secured.
The hours passed slowly. He thought
far more Of Maud Petrovitch, and Of what
Jorena had told him, than of the busi-
ness he had to transact on the morrow.
He was there in the city where DR..
Petrovitch had been worshiped almost
as a demi-god, where the people cheered
Justify as he drove out, and where he was
called THE Ssrvian Patriot" Where was
the statesman now? What was the actual
truth Of that sudden disappearance?
Why had not Maud written? Surely she
might al least have trusted him with her
secret
The noise below had died away. and he
knew that II must be o'clock in the
morning, the hour when the cafe closed.
Presently there came q rap at his door,
and the night porter handed him tele-
gram. He tore it open mechanically. ex-
pecting il TO be in cipher from old Sam.
but instead. saw the signature OF Max. -
Scanning il eagerly, he held his breath.
The news il contained staggered him. II
stated thai his hister Marion had been
discharged from Cunnington's and her
whereabouts was unknown.
Have seen Statham. but cannot dis
cover where your sister has gone. Can
You suggest any friend she may have
gone 10 visit? What shall do? Am dis
tracted. Wire Immediately"
Marion left Cunnington's Discharged
the telegram said Was Il possible. he
thought. that old Sam would allow her
discharge? He was certain he would not
He was his sisters friend, as be was his
own.
Maxs telegram added further 10 the
burden Of mystery upon him. What could
it all mean?
Marion had evidently left Cunnington' S
and disappeared. He tried to think 10
whom she would go I'm her distress. There
was her Aunt Anne at Wimborne, her
cousin Lucy who had married the bank
manager at Hereford. and there was her
old schoolfelIow. Mary Craven, dho had
only recently married Pelham. the man
ager Of an insurance company in Moor
gate street.
Those three addresses he wrote on a
telegraph form, urging Max to make in