The Washington herald., 1914-06-21
tcOpyrsht. islA.l
I ORD TAMWoRTH received his
nephew with unusual considera-


Gould you go to Paris this after
noon?" he asked.
Certainly" Knox answered promptly
"Why?"
Lord Tamworth coughed. Las
Tuesday secret service officer who di
vides his time between here and Paris
left London by the two-twenty train
with copy of the first part of our new
cipher to be delivered personally at tn,
embassy at Paris. The train arrived a
the Care du Nord punctually, and with
in half an hour NeviIle-the mans nam,
was Neville-called at the embassy anc
delivered over his packet to one of the
Secretaries. Since then not word ha:
been heard of him, either on this side
or that"
WAS he supposed to have remained
in Paris or to have returned"
"He was supposed to have remained
for that night in Paris>and to have re-
turned here by the ten O'Clock train on
the following morning to report"
II knew him quite well by sight,
Knox remarked. saw him only few
weeks ago at the Ritz. So he was in
the secret service, was he7"
He was not very prominent mem
ber," Lord Tamworth replied "On the
other hand, he was, we are all con-
vineed, absolutely and entirely trust
worthy"
WAS there any special reason for
changing the cipher"
I'VE change it continually" Lord
Tamworth answered, after a moments
hesitation. ''Tn a few days we shall
have series of instructions to convey
to the embassy there of great impor-
tance. This was really the reason why
we changed the cipher. When we make
a change, we always send one part at
time. The remaining portion will be
ready IN few days"
Queer thing" Knox replied, that he
should have disappeared after executing
his commission. Did he stay long at
the embassy"
For a couple of minutes only. He
saw Percival, the second secretary"
"Percival make any remark about his
appearanoe?"
Il understand" Lord Tamworth re-
piled, that Neville complained of a
slight chill-n6thing else"
you know where he used to stay in
Paris?"
Certainly Hotel de PUniverSa
small, quiet place in the Rue Dachet.
Inquiries have been made there, of
course. He had wired for a room, but
did not appear"
did he go straight to the station from
the foreign Officer" Knox asked, with
some apparent irrelevance.
$50 far as l can remember" Lord
Tamworth told his nephew" he left
Downing street about I o'clock His
intention was to. have some lunch at
his club, call at his room in Old Bur-
lington street for his luggage and catch
the two-twenty train. We did not trou-
bic to make inquiries at the club, but
there is no doubt that he called at his
rooms and took away his luggage. His
servant there has heard nothing from
him. The position is that, so far as we
know, he left the embassy in Paris at
about Io:oo last Tuesday evening and
walked off the face of the earth.
you see exactly how we stand now,
Algernon. We do not wish to send any
well-known person over to make in
quiries about Neville You go to Paris
occasionally as young man of pleas
ure. Leave this afternoon on one of your
accustomed trips. Neville is an ac-
quaintance of yours. Make such in
quiries as you can without kicking up
too much fuss. If you discover that
Neville has met with any misfortune,
keep it quiet. One last word of warn
ing. When l say keep anything quiet
which you discover, mean it You
are not acting now against criminals.
You are taking part in a game where
the cards are played differently"
'T understand" Knox said thought
fully. "Pn do my best"
Knox started on his quest with an
effort at reconstruction. With his bag
ready packed, he drove in his taxicab
10 the foreign Office, and, leaving there
exactly at I O'Clock, called at the club I
to which Neville belonged, where he
made some casual inquiry, and was
driven from there to the house in Old
street, where Neville lived.
He found this to be the last one on the
eft-hand side. The street ended in a
and for the middle of Lon /:
ion was extraordinarily quiet and re-
ired He rang the brightly-potshed 4
,ell, and was admitted after only a mo- [
nent or two's delay, by a smooth-faced,
iark-complexioued servant. 1t
"Mr. Neville ins" Knox asked.
"Mr. Neville is on the continent, SIR" c
vas the prompt reply. He went last t
Tuesday" d