Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-10


together reduced to ashes.
Quain's was the second letter. Having
merely glanced at the heading and sig
nature, Labertouche had reserved the
rather formidable document,for Quain
had written fully-as probably of scant
importance. to be dealt with at his abso-
lutte leisure. But as he read his express
sion grew more and more serious and
perturbed. Finishing the last page he
turned back to the first and went over II
a second time with much deliberation
| and frequent pauses. apparently memoriz-
ing portions of its contents. Finally he
| said. "Hum-m.'' inscrutably and rang
for Frank
HE left New York by the Lusitania.
eh?' said Mr.. Labertouche. aloud. The
clerk entering interrupted his sollloquy.
Bring me. please" he said, Bradshaw,
the Newsstand the latest p. and O..
schedule" And when Frank had re-
turned with these articles he desired him
to go at once and inquire at Government
House the whereabouts Of Col Dominick
James Farrell, and further to search the
hotels of Calcutta for a Miss Farrell, or
for information concerning her. Have
this for me tonight-come to the bunga.
low at - he said. And 1 shall
probably not be at the office again for
several days"
"Insects?" inquired the clerk.
Insects affirmed Mr.. Labertouche,
gravely.
"Tn the Mofussil?'
There or thereabouts, Frank
Yes, sir. I presume you don't feel the
Not yet. Frank said Labertouche.
kindly. BE patient Your time will
come; you're doing famously now
Thank you.
Good afternoon. Lock the door as
you leave"
Immediately that he found himself
alone Labertouche made of Quain's let
ter a second burnt offering to prejudice
upon the tray of hammered brass. He
was possessed of an incurable aversion
to waste-paper baskets and other recep-
tacles from which the curious might nsh
out torn bits of paper and, with patience.
piece together and reconstruct documents
Of whose import he preferred the world
at large to remain unadviSed. Hence
the tray of brass-a fixture among the
furnishings of his desk.
This matter attended to. he lost himself
In Bradshaw and the Peninsular and
Oriental Steamship Company's list OF
sailings from which he derived enlighten-
ment HE was to come direct" unused
Labertouche. ''In that case he'll have
waited over In London for the Poonah.
He turned to the copy Of the Indian
Daily News. which lay at his elbow
somewhat anxiously consulting its ship
ping news. Under the heading of Due
this Day" he discovered the words:
"Poonah, Observation-Disclosures Set
Elements And his face heightened with
concern.
That's short notice" he said. Lucky
/ got back today-uncommon lucky!
Still may be mistaken" But the sur
mise failed to comfort him.
He drew a sheet of paper on which
there was no letter head to him and be-
gan to write. composing deliberately and
with great care.
The building in which his offices were
! located stood upon a corner; at either emo
of the long corridor on the upper floor,
upon which the various offices opened,
were stairways, one descending to Dnur-
rumtollah street, the other to SIDE
street little better than an alley. 1t may
be considered significant that whereas
Labertouche himself was not seen either
to enter or leave the building at any time
that day. an Attit mendicant did enter
from Dhurrumtollah street shortly after
Frank had gone to lunch-and disap-
peared forthwith; while. in the dusk of
evening, q slim Eurasian boy with a
clerkly air left by the stairs to the alley.
/ say a boy. but he may have been
thirty; he was carefully attired In cloth
ing of the mode affected by the Anglo
Indian. but wore shoes that were al
most heelless. His height may have been
five feet seven inches, but he carried
himself with a slight, studious rounding
of the shoulders that assorted well with
the effect Of his large gold-rimmed spec
tacles
He stumbled out Of the alley into Free
School street and set his face to the
MADAM, shuffling along slowly with a
,peering air, his spectacles catching the
light from the shop windows and glaring
classify through the shadows.
CTo be continued tomorrow