The Green Forest tribune., 1915-07-23
cHAPT FER l.
lie Britannic Majesty's Service.

 "Tbere was a mysterious affair last "Ob." I exclaimed. Anything that Interests us!
 "Yes, signore," replied the tall. thin Italian consular clerk, speaking with . strong accent An English steam yacht ran aground on the Meloria about ten miles out, and was discov-
 cred by fishing boat that brought ,tbe news to harlor. The admiral sent .o,t two torpedo boats, which managed
 after a lot of dificulty to bring in the
 yacht safely, but the captain of the
 port has a suspicion that the crew were trying to make away with the vessel.
 "To lose her, you mean?"
 Francesca nodded.
 Sounds curious," remarked. "Since the consul went away on leave things seem tql have been humming- two stabbing Iaffrays, eight drunken seamen lockdl up, mutiny on a tramp steameIs and now a yacht being cast away-a jfairly decent list! And yet some st|y-at-home people con- plain that Hitish consuls are only paid to be ornamental! They should spend week here, at Leghorn, and they'd soon liter their opinion"
 Yes, they would, signore," respond od tho thin finnnd old fo11or, x,,;&L grin, as he twisted his fierce gray mus tache. Franceso Carducci was a we'll noxn character in Leghorn. An honest, good-hearted, easy-going fel- low, who for twenty years had occu- pied the same position under half a dozen different consuls.
 My old friend, Frank Hutcheson, his Britannic InaJesty's vice-consul at the port of Leghorn, was away on leave in England, his duties being relegated to young Bertram Cavendish, the pro- consuk Tie latter, however, had gone down With bad touch of malaria, and | te only other Englishman in Leg hq D. had been asked by the consul
 neral in Florence to act as pro-con- eal until Hucheson's return. tt was nid-July, and the weather sPs blazbg in the glaring sum- fnched lediterranean town. If you Iow Lghorn, you probably know ue conslate, a large, handsome suite Inuge, airy offices fycing the cathe-
 fl' ne legend Tinted upon the sAVpr, 2flce hapraszsh0 -te 3 aa,..-giges. oAus idea of an easy appointment, but hch is certainly not the case, for chsufs life at port of discharge mut necessarily be very active one.
 arducci had left me to the core s1ndence for half an hour or so. Ten he re-entered, saying: There is an English signore wait lg to see you"
 Who is he?"
 T don't know him. He will give no lame, but wants to see the signore console"
 All right show him in," I said lazi- " and few moments later a tall, smaftly-dressed, middle-aged English man entered, and lowing, inquired whether l was the British consul.
 when De had seated himself I ex- p'a,nea my position, whereupon he saio' I couldn't make much out of your clerl. He speaks so brokenly. ana don't know word of Italian. Du' perhaps l ought to first introduce m'sel' My name is Philip Hornby," gnu Ut aalded me a card bearing the name With the addresses "Woodcroft lh' somerset - Brooks" Then Ae added; T am cruising on board ,- my sAcht, jhe Lola, and last night we uuniortunatSy u went aground on the ss, s.eiofia. Very fortunately for us a ,.ssnins-ooat .sn saw our plight and gave sa e aiafm at port. The admiral sent os' S two torpedo-boats and a tug. and .a .'0i apout lhree hours they managed to get us off,
 nnu you lre now in harbor?" Aes' Butthe reason I've called Is ~ "Sh you to do me a favor and write .d,.a M ie'ler q thanks in Italian to the auNiifal, and one to the captain of the ao, pollte etters that can copy =. esu send to them. You know the kind Of thing" ~ AiAo ,o. certainly" I replied, the more in- us'eu rious Tn hin on account of the cu- tiou suspicion that the port authori- das, ,ss seemed toentertain. He was evil heo easiy gentleman. and after I had ,he oA "lth him ten minutes I secuted cao. @ 'aea that ie had endeavored to vast away the Lola.
 scribbled the drafts of two letters. ,, ssortunately. left my wife in Eng rIh,a u' or she would have been ter on., y irlghtened." he remarked pres tn.ly' ta There was a nasty wind blow tai, all night. and the fool of a cap- ever, seemed to add to our peril by
 '' order he gag(e."
 examined him Aritically as he sat with "s' He wals about forty-five, faco merry, round, good-natured .evos ou With the southern sun, blue snoo,, "ho short, fair beard. His and ou was refined and cultivated, u as We chatted he gave me the i'm p,ession that as an e(ntbusiast stic lover