The Washington herald., 1915-01-31

excitement, for a report had just
reached him of an accident to an tmpor-
tant parsonage he had been instructed 20
protect As Big Ben's last sonorous note
of II came over the intervening distance
he whipped round at the opening Of the
door behind him, and nodded curtly to
Detective Sergeant Hammond, who stood
in the frame Of the open doorway.
''Welr" raped out the superintendent,
in a fury Of impatience, cit was only a
petty gas explosion, wasn't it? Speak
up, man! It's not another bomb mys-
tery?''
Detective Sergeant Hammond shook his
head. I'm afraid it is. sir" said he
gravely, land Count Egon Estamar, son
Of the Hungarian ambassador, has been
killed. Shall I tell Lennard to bring
round the limousine sir?'
"Confound the limousine!' cried Mr..
Narkom, excitedly hitting his hands to-
gether. IT'S Mr.. Cleek I want, Ham
mond; and what the deuce has become
Of him Heaven alone knows!'
He stopped short, and sucked in his
breath, as the sharp. insistent ring Of
the telephone bell caused him to jump at
his instrument.
rs that you, old chap" he cried, as
he recognized the voice. We're in a
dreadful hole. You'll meet mech, good
man! Start at once, won't you? Good
by"
well, here I am, you old fidget,' said
CIeek. a few minutes later, as he jumped
into the car at the meeting place. Sorry
I wasn't on tap the minute you rung.
Didn't get back to my digs until ten min
utes ago. Been keeping out Of sight a
bit, as waldemar of Mauravania and his
hired apache thugs have been particu-
larIy keen on my trail Of late. He means
to have me, Mr.. Narkom, IL having me
is possible; and he's down to the last
ditch and getting desperate"
"I know. They say that unless some
thing happens very shortly to turn the
tide in Ulrics favor and quell the cries
for restoration the Kings downfall and
expulsion are merely a matter of a few
days at most. But what's that got TO do
with it that you suggest its bearing upon
any need for haste on Waldemar' s
part?''
"Only that. with matters in such a
state, he cannot long defer his return
to the army of his country and the de-
fense of its king" replied Cleek serenely.
And every day he loses in failing to
pay his respects to your humble servant
in the manner he desires to do increases
the strain of the situation and keeps
him from the service of his master"
"Oh, then, it's really a personal AFFAIR
between you and him, after alp
Something like that He doesn't ap-
prove of my-er-knowing things that 1
do know; and it would be the end of
very promising future for him if told.
Here-have a cigarette and smoke your
self into a better temper. You look saw
age enough to bite a nail in two
The car ran on for a good half mile be-
fore either spoke again.
At length Cleek spoke again: But ]
was explaining my delay, Mr.. Narkom.
/ also had an adventure. I came across
a poor devil Of a fellow on Hampstead
Heath. He'd evidently been knocked
down and injured about the head; for
all he could do was to writhe and twist
about, his brain too badly injured to
give any account Of himself. or how or
what had happened. And so, naturally,
we had to stop and send him to the hos
pital."
Yes, yes" broke in Narkom, but you
might have been blown up with bomb
or knitted. Besides, I've trouble enough
at Hempstead as it is. To think that a
man can be murdered in a perfectly
empty house-an absolutely empty room
right under the telescopes of two OF
our men told OF to watch him, and have
no more idea than Queen Anne how ii
was done; and, in addition to that, COM
plete plans of fortifcations destroyed,
worth a fortune"
CIeek sat up suddenly and threw out
his chin.
Hello, that sounds interesting" said
he with a flicker Of the eyebrows. An
empty house. eh? Whereabouts, pray?'
In Harebourne Sqhare-Hampstead,
strangely enough. Why?
For Cleek drew himself up suddenly,
his brows puckered and his face went
very grave.
"A queer coincidence" he muttered.
But let's have the details of the case.
When and where and how did the affair
begin?'
Yesterday when I had a special mes
sage from the war office that they were
sending some one for the Yards help to
whom I was to pay special attention-no
less than the Hungarian Ambassador,
Count Estamar-I daresay you have
heard of him, Cleek?"
Il have, as it happens" admitted that
gentleman with faint smile. Il believe
in his younger days he was attached to
the Mauravanian consulate, and he pre-
sented the ambassador at several state
functions. Surely he has not been getting
into any trouble over secret papers. with
conditions in Mauravania in such a con-
dition."
The superintendent shrugged his shouI-
ders.
Just so. He wanted protection for his
son, Count Egon Estsmar,. a young man
Of about twenty-five"
Don't tell me anything has happened
10 that bonny boy interrupted Cleek