The Madison journal., 1915-10-30


trusted the fellow.
Jack, now thoroughly recovered,
called almost daily at Bassett read.
and would often bring Muriel to the
Cecil to tea OF to luncheon. Often !
inquired the whereabouts Of her father
and of Hylton Chatter, but she declared
herself in entire ignorance. and be
lieved they were abroad.
One afternoon. shortly before Christ
mas, as we were idling in the Ameri'
can bar of the hotel. my friend told
me that Muriel had invited us to tea
at her cousins that afternoon. and ac-
cordingly we went there in company.
AS we sat together Muriel. smart
figure in pale blue gown, poured tea
for us and chatted more merrily,
thought, than ever before She seemed
quick and nervous and yet full of hap
piness, as she should indeed have
been, for Jack Durnford was one Of
the best fellows in the world, and his
restoration to health little short Of
miraculous.
Gordon" he said to me with a
sudden seriousness when tea had end
ed and we had placed down our cups
II want to tell you something-some-
thing I've been longing always to tell
you, and now have got dear Muriers
consent. | want to tell you about her
father and his friends"
And about Elma. too?" l said in
quick eagerness. Yes, tell me every
thing"
No, not everything, for l don't
know 1t myself But what | know I
will explain as briefly as | can, and
leave you to form your own conclu-
sions. 1t is," he went one, "a strange
most amazing story. When myself
became first cognizant Of the mystery
| was on board the flagship the Re-
nown, under Admiral Sir John Fisher.
We were lying in Malta when there
arrived the English yacht Iris, owned
| by Mr. Philip Leithcourt, and among
those on board cruising for pleasure
were Mr.. Martin Woodroffe, Mr. Hyl-
ton Chatter, and the owners wife and
daughter Muriel
| "Muriel and | met first at tennis
party, and afterwards frequently at
various houses In Malta. for anyone
who goes there and entertains is soon
entertained in return. A mutual at
tachment sprang up between Muriel
aud myself he said, placing his hand
tenderly upon her and smiling, "and
We often met in secret and took long
walks, until quite suddenly Leithcourt
said that it was necessary to sail for
Smyrna to pick up some friends who
had been travelling in Palestine. The
night they sailed a great consterna-
tion was caused on the island by the
news that the safe in the admiral sup
erintendent's Office had been opened
by expert safe-breakers. and certain
most important secret documents
stolen"
'Well?" l asked. much interested.
Again, two months later. when the
villa of the prince of Montevachi, at
Palmero, was broken into and the
whole of the famous jewels OF the
princess. stolen, it was a very strange
fact that the Iris was at the moment
in that port. But 1t was not until the
third occasion, when the yacht was
at Villefranche, and our squadron be-
ing at Toulon l got four days leave
to go along the Riviera, that my sus-
pioons were aroused. for at the very
hour when was dining at the London
house at Nice with Muriel and a
schoolfellow of hers. Elma Heath -
who was spending the winter there
with a lady who was Baron Oberg' s
cousin-that a great robbery was
committed in one of the big hotels up
at Cimiez, the wife Of an American
millionaire losing jewels valued al
thirty thousand pounds. Then the
robbaries. coincident with the visit OF
the yacht, aroused my strong suspi
cion. / remarked the nature of those
documents stolen from Malta, and
recognized that they could only be OF
service to a foreign government. Then
came the Leghorn incident of which
you told me- The yachts name had
been changed to the Lola, and she
had been repainted. I made search
' ing inquiry, and found that on the
. evening she was purposely rur
: aground in order to strike up friend
ship at the consulate, Russian gun
boat was lying in the vicinity. The
E consurs safe was rifled, and the
scheme certainly was to transfer any
i thing obtained from it to the Russian
gunboat."
I But what was in the safe?" asked
Fortunately nothing But you SCI
I they knew that our squadron was du,
o in Leghorn, and that some extremel!
important dispatches were on the wa!
r to the admiral-secret orders base,
/ upon the decision of the British cabi
n net as to the vexed question of Rus
7 sian ships passing the Dardanelles-
!. they expected that they would b.
y lodged in the safe until the arrival o
y the squadron, as they always are
J. They were, however, bitterly disar
pointed because the dispatches ha
A not arrived"
!, And them"
ITO BE CONTINUED)