The Washington herald., 1912-08-18

times previously by MIR. Greening.
The baron nodded.
"You can 60" he said. There is
no reply"
The man bowed and retired. De
Grost called for his bill.
rs it anything serious?" Violet in
quired.
mo, not exactly serious" he an
swered. Il do not understand what
has happened, but they have sent for
me to go-well, where it was agreed
that ! should not go except as a mat
ter of urgent necessity"
Violet knew better than to show any
signs of disquietude
| 1T is in London" she asked.
Certainly" her husband replied. 81
shall take taxicab from here. am
sorry. dear, to have one of our even
ings disturbed in this manner. ! have
always done my best TO avoid it, but
this summons is urgent
She rose and he wrapped her cloak
around her.
you will drive straight home, won't
your" he begged. Il dare say that
may be back within an hour myself"
"And if not?" she asked, in a low
tone.
'1f not" he replied, there is moth
ing TO be done"
Violet bit her lip, but. as he handed
her into the small electric brougham
which was waiting, she smiled into his
| face
you will come back, and soon, Pet
er." she declared confidently. ''Wher-
ever you 60 ! am sure of that. You
see, l have faith in my star which
watches over you"
He kissed her fingers and turned
away The commissionaire had already
called him taxicab.
ITO London Bridge" he ordered, af-
ter a moments hesitation, and drove
off.
! The traffic cityward had long since
finished for the day. and he reached
his destination within ten minutes of
leaving the restaurant. Here he paid
the man and, entering the station,
turned to the refreshment room and
ordered a liqueur brandy While he
slipped it, he smoked a cigarette and
carefully reread in a s,rong light the
note which he had received The sig
nature especially he pored over for
some time. At last however, he re-
placed it in his pocket, paid his bill,
and, stepping out once more on to the
platform, entered a telephone booth.
A few minutes later he left the station.
and, turning to the right, walked slow
ly as far as Tooley Street. He kept on
the right-hand side until he arrived a,
the spot where the great arches, with
their scanty lights, make a gloomy
thoroughfare into Bermondsey. In the
shadow of the first of these he paused.
and looked steadfastly across the street
There were few people passing and
practically no traffic. In front of him
was a row of warehouses, all save one
of which was wrapped in complete
darkness. 1t was the one where some
lights were still burning which de
Grost stood and watched.
The lights, such as they were, SEEM
ed to illuminate the ground floor only.
From his hidden post he could see the
shoulders of man apparently bending
over a ledger, diligently writing. At
the next window a youth, seated upon
a tall stool, was engaged in presum-
ably the same avocation. There was
nothing about the place in the least
mysterious or out of the way Even
the blinds of the Offices had been left |
undrawn. The man and the boy, who
were alone visible, seemed, in a sense, |
to be working under protest Every
now and then the former stopped to
yawn, and the latter performed a diff |
cult balancing feat upon his stool. De
Grost, having satisfied his curiosity, |
came presently from his shelter, al |
most running into the arms of a po-
liceman, who looked at him closely. The |
baron, who had an unlighted cigarette
in his mouth, stopped to ask for light. !
any suspicious the policeman rlight |
have had.
q have a warehouse myself dc en in |
the match, ''but | don't allow my peo-
pie. to work as late as that"
He pointed across the way, and the |
policeman smiled.
They are very often late there, sir"
he said ITS Continental wine bust
ness, and there's always one or two
of them over time
Its bad business. all the same" de
Grost declared pleasantly. Good
night. policeman"
Goodnight, sir"
De Grost crossed the road diago- |
nally, as though about to take the short |
cut across London Bridge, but as soon |
as the policeman was out of sight he |
retraced his steps to the building which |
they had been discussing, and turning
the battered brass handle of the door.
walked calmly in. On his right and
left were counting houses framed with
glass; in front, the cavernous and ugly
depths of gloomy warehouse. He
knocked upon the window pane on the
right and passed forward step or two,
as though to enter the office. The boy.
who had been engaged in the left-hand
counting house, came gliding from his
place, passed silently behind the visitor
and turned the key of the outer door
What followed seemed to happen as
though by some mysteriously directed
force. The figures of men came steal
ing out from the hidden places. The
clerk who had been working so hard
at his desk calmly divested himself of
a false mustache and wig. and, as
suning a more familiar appearance,
strolled out into the warehouse. De
Grost looked around him with absolute
ly unruffled eomposure. He was the
center of little circle of men, respect
ably dressed. but every one of them
with something in their
faces which suggested not the, ordi-
nary toiler, but the fighting animal
the man who lives by his wits and