The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-05-21
CHAPTER |.
His Britannia MaJesty's Service.

OH" l exclaimed Anything that
interests us?''
Yes, signore," replied the tall, thin
Italian consular clerk, speaking with
a strong accent. "An English steam
yacht ran aground on the Meloria
about ten miles out, and was discov-
cred by fishing boat that brought
the news to harbor The admiral sent
out two torpedo boats, which managed
after lot of difficulty 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"
ITO lose her, you mean?"
francesca nodded.
Sounds curious" remarked.
r'Since the consul went away on leave
things seem to have been humming-
two stabbing ARRAYS, eight drunken
seamen locked up. a mutiny on a
tramp steamer, and now yacht being
cast away-a fairly decent list! And
yet some stay-athome people COM
plain that British consuls are only
paid to be ornamental! They should
spend a week here, at Leghorn, and
they'd soon alter their opinion"
Eyes, they would, signore," respond
ed the thin-lipped old fellow with a
grin, as he twisted his fierce gray mus
tache. Franceso Carducci was we'll
known character in Leghorn. An
honest, good-hearted, easy-going fell
low, who for twenty years had occu-
pied the same position under half a
dozen different consuls.
My old friend. Frank Hutcheson, his
Britannia majesty's vice-consul at the
port of Leghorn, was away on leave
I'm England, his duties being relegated
to young Bertram Cavendish, the pro-
consul. The latter, however, had gone
down with bad touch of malaria and
i, the only other Englishman in Leg
horn, had been asked by the consul
general in Florence to act as pro-con'
sui until Hutcheson's return.
1t was mid-July. and the weather
was blazing in the glazing sun
blanched Mediterranean town. If you
know Leghorn, you probably know
the consulate, large. handsome suite
OF huge, airy Offices facing the cathe-
dral. The legend painted upon the
door Office hours, 10 to g." gives
one the idea of an easy appointment,
but such is certainly not the case, for
a consups life at a port of discharge
must necessarily be very active one.
Carducci had left me to the CORE
sgnOndpnaa for haIf on hour ~ co
when he re-entered, saying:
There is an English signore wait.
ing to see you"
who is he?"
Il don't know him. He will give no
name, but wants to see the signore
console"
All right, show him in" said lazi.
1y. and a few moments later a tall
smartly-dressed, middleaged English.
man entered, and bowling, inquired
whether l was the British consul
When he had seated himself | ex.
planned my position, whereupon he
said: Il couldn't make much out OF
your clerk. He speaks so brokenly
and / don't know a word of Italian
But perhaps ought to first introduce
myself. My name is Philip Hornby,
and he handed me a card bearing the
name with the addresses "Woodcroft
Park, Somerset - Brooks" Then
he added: Il am cruising on board
my yacht, the Lola, and last night we
unfortunately went aground on the
Meloria. Very fortunately for us a
fshing-boat saw our plight and gave
the alarm at port. The admiral sent
out two torpedo-boats and tug, and
after about three hours they managed
to get us off,"
And you are now in harbor?"
Yes. But the reason I've called IL
to ask you to do me a favor and write
me letter of thanks in Italian to the
admiral, and one to the captain of the
port-polite letters that | can CODY
and send to them. You know the kline
of thing"
Certainly" I replied, the more In
terested in him on account of the Gu
rious suspicion that the port authori
ties seemed to entertain. He was evi
IDENTIFY gentleman, and after haC
been with him ten minutes ! secuted
the idea that he had endeavored tC
cast away the Lola.
] scrubbed the drafts of two letters
Fortunately. left my wife in Eng
land. or she would have been ter
ribly frightened" he remarked pres
emily. There was a nasty wind blow
ing all night. and the fool OF car
tain seemed to add to our peril b,
every order he gave"
I examined him critically as he ga
facing me. He was about forty-five
with merry. round, good-natureC
face, red with the southern sun, blu
eyes, and a short, fair beard. Hi
speech was refined and cultivated
and as we chatted he gave me the i'm
preston that as an enthusiastic love
of the sea he had cruised the Mediter
ranean many times from Gibraltar u
TO Smyrna. He had, however, neve
before put into Leghorn.