Evening star., 1909-07-10
Copyright, 1909, by William lie Queux.
CHAPTER I.
The Man and the Mystery.

llS u4dn dQu IAAO AAy
Come. dear old chap, cheer up! 1t
surely isn't so bad as all that!'
bad? 1t couldn't be worse! I'm ruined!
But I'm not thinking SO much about my
self"
II know, old fellow. You're thinking
of her." l said in low voice, deeply sym
pathizing with the man who sat there
broken and detected before me. But how
did it all happen? You're usually SO very
smart
Yes replied Cough. bitterly. II know
I can be-too smart, perhaps, to suit some
people. But / thought that fellow gen
tleman, and trusted him.
.'Ah. few men are gentlemen when 1t
comes to the obtaining of a concession
which means a fortune l remarked.
"Garshore was no exception, it seems
He calls himself one" my friend said
in "a strained voice. Fortunately l have
never set myself I'D on a pedestal. I'm
what the world calls by a hard name-an
adventurer / live by my wits, Phil" he
went on, bitterly, speaking between his
teeth, land in the past I've lived we'll
and have had nothing to complain
about"
MY dear old chap" said, "you are
business man who spends his life abroad
looking after concessions and openings
for the employment of British capital in
industrial enterprises. Half the million
aires in Park Lane are, at heart, adven-
turers, If the truth be told
''Oh, yes. ] know all about that he
exclaimed. impatiently. You're always
trying to whtewash me. Why? Be-
cause. Phil. you're my best friend. II
get hard up for "A pound come to you.
mr. oil
back. haven't your
Eyes. But you. in your position. may
one day find 1t a bit awkward when 1T
is known that we are such close friends
Supposing ] was arrested one day?'
"Well, / hope you won't be, Granny.
1t won't come to that--I feel sure.
My friend shrugged his shoulders and
tossed off his glass of liqueur brandy at
"Who knows?" he exclaimed. I'm
broke now. Ralston, and I've lost Myra.
Therefore let the future take care of it.
self For myself, l have none-none"
Rubbish" I calculated with more force
than politeness. "Myra loves you-loves
you still. If YOU are just a little bit
hipped what does 1t matter? All will
come right again before long, mark me.
And if you want a few pounds to get
along with, you know whom to ask. don't
you?"
Granville Cough tossed away the end
of his "Bogdanoff," his pet brand of Rus
was scarcely ever seen, and stared
straight before him across the great
noisy well lit foreign cafe. the din and
clatter of which almost drowned our
conversation.
To the world he mystery. How
he lived or where he lived, nobody knew.
About thirty-five, stout, broad-shoudered
good-looking. with fair hair which had
an inclination to curl. pair of big. mer-
ry blue eyes. and big. clean -sharen
face full of good humor and bonhomie
Granny" Cough was known in every
capital of Europe. His full name was
Gerald Granville Cough, hence his init
mates called him Granny" No man in
the whole Of Europe was more of
cosmopolitan, and surely no man more
popular among certain set-a rather
go-ahead set, freely admit.
In the bar OF the Chatham. in Paris.
where Johnnie SO ably presides: in that
of the Grand at Stockholm. at the Angle
tree at Copenhagen, the Palast at Ham
burg, the Hungaria at Budapest. the
Grand at Belgrade. the Pera Palace at
Constantinople. the Boulevard at Bucha-
rest or the Cecil In London, one had only
to mention the name of Granny" Cough
to call forth a chorus OF inquiries:
'.where Is the dear old chap-one OF the
very best! A bit Of q crook, perhaps,