The Washington herald., 1915-10-03
The Latest Adventures of the Wonderful Cleek

sine swung out of the close-pressing
autumnal darkness to the rear gates
of Emdon Court, and Cleek, alight-
ing, followed Lady Rivington and
Mr.. Charlock into the depths of the
plantation. and Lennard-obeying or
ders-whizzed off to the head of the
local constabulary in accordance with
a request wired down from Scotland
Yard before the long journey to Dew
onshire began.
Move sharp" Cleek had said to
him, as they parted. Get them here
as quickly as possible, Dennard, and
don't wait for any further orders from
me. One at every mode OF egress
from the park, remember. and two a,
call near the entrance of the house
itself: Nab anybody-anybody-dc
you hear?-that attempts to leave the
place. And now, Mr.. Charlock," he
added, when Lennard had taken this
order and gone like the wind to ex-
ecute it, now we will have look al
this spot where the bundle was bur
led; and if it is still there and still un-
disturbed, we will have a look al
that as we'll"
1t was still there, as they came to
know when they made their way to
the place, and Cleek, taking a small
electric torch from his pocket; flashed
spot of light upon it; butt was
not undisturbed; the little cry which
both aunt and nephew gave when the
light blowed out over it told him
that at once.
Look, Valentine. oh, look" her
ladyship breathed in wavering, ex-
cited whisper. There are two m
crosses on it now, and they are big
ger twigs, both of them, than the one
you replaced after you dug the bun
die up. And see! the moss and stones
and leaves are not. as they were"
mo, they are not!" agreed Char
lock agitatedly, as he knelt and exam
ined the ground. "Mr. Cleek, some
body has been here; somebody has
dug up the bundle before us"
81 rather expected that" said
Cleek, as he handed him the torch and
turned up his sleeves preparatory to
beginning operations. at is more
than likely that a third digging up is
anticipated, but not at such hands as
will perform that Office now. Hold
the light steady, Mr.. Charlock; ard
you, Lady Rivington, stand so that
no faint glimmer of it can possibly
be seen from the house should any
body be looking this way. We've
stolen a march on the enemy as far
as that third digging up is concerned,
/ fancy, or those two twig crosses
would not be left here still, and So
Now then, we will see what's hidden
underneath"
With that he set to work digging
up the spot until, what was there"
was uncovered, lifted out and laid
on the ground beside him. 1t was
exactly what he had been told, a
woman's dress, rolled tightly up into
a compact bundle and secured with
bit OF string. But there was some
thing more than }ast that now: for a
slip of paper upon which something
in language what neither Lady Riv-
ington nor her nephew could read.
'Rus ssian!" said Cleek, as he took
the torch from Charlock's hand and
bent over the written slip.
And then, sinking his voice, he
translated the message verbatim. 1t
ran:
daughter of Heroes: Well and
truly is it begun; well and truly is
the oath Kept. Thou art to be trust
ed OF the Brotherhood after all. At
ter the cygnet the swan Within a
twelvemonth, remember-no more
than a twelvenonth And after that
thou are absolved Well done,
Avenger. The Seven bow to thee
Malagotski!
"Malagotski! BY Jupiter" raped
out Cleek as he read that signature.
Ivan Malagotski in England, within
grip of my hands at last. Oh, ST.
IBERIA, what find for you! Now
for look at the lady's handiwork!"
He snapped the cord that bound the
bundle, spread out a woman's dress
OF palest azure silk-a dress all
smeared and dabbled with red-brown
stains-and holding in its folds a
clean new knife patterned like the
old one it replaced. He gave not a
second glance at the knife (the word
ing of the note had told him its pur-
port, warned him for what and for
whom it was intended), and would
have given but the one shuddering
glance at those gruesome stains as
we'll, but that his eye, trained to look
for trifles, saw one now. A mere bit
OF emerald green fluff not half so big
as a mans thumb nail, caught in the
beaded trimming on the bodice of the
gown, and clearly the tiny, downy
breast feather of a bird. He faced
round suddenly and looked up at
Lady Rivington.
Tell me something" he said. Had
Sir Maurice's wife a pet parrot-a
green parrot? And did it die or dis
appear on the same night as the
child?"
yes" replied her ladyship.
All in a moment Cleck had bun
died the dress back into the hole, was
on his feet and had taken off his hat
"Well played, Lady Vera Riving-
toni" he said with a Frightening face
and a note like laughter running
through his voice Come, your lady
ship, come, Mr.. Charlock, let US get
to the house as quickly as possible.
For me, the riddle is no longer a
riddle"
They rose and went with him.
And another surprise awaited him
awaited them all For, in the open
the village carriers spring cart
stood, with little tin trunk strapped
upon il. and the carrier himself stand