The Ordway new era., 1916-06-09

at once. X?" he asked
went out with him. The veranda
was deserted. for Egypt does its shop
ping and pays its visits in the early
morning, before the heat grows in
tense, and exercises in the late after
noon. Atterbury sat down with me
beneath the shade OF palm and pulled
some papers from his pocket.
~" he said, turning on me sud
denly, Il didn't know you were here on
government business. This is an inn
portant matter. You have some ere
| dentiala?"
l handed him Sir Edward Grey's
signed letter, and the special consular
recommendation signed by the foreign
office and personally vised-which
makes all the difference in the world
by the British ambassadors at
Vienna, Berlin and Rome.
He scanned the papers closely and
drew in long breath.
This dispatch came this morning,
via Brindisi. in the consular mail bag"
he said. 1T is from our ambassador
at Rome. He advises me to use your
services to the fullest extent. Do you
know why, X?'
Il gathered something from the
newspapers" began, but he checked
me.
Yes, but do you realize that we are
hung up in the air?'' he said, display
ing understandable excitement You
are absolutely the only coadjutor can
find. Those fellows in the Office are
either raw Englishmen or native
clerks. Saunders. who could have
helped, is down with fever and deliri-
GUS. Ponsonby is home on leave.
There is nobody but ourselves to
handle the most ticklish situation
since the days of Arab. The cables
are cut"
l jumped in my seat. That meant.
business indeed-it might mean war
all over Europe. Cables are only cut
when events of the highest magnitude
are impending.
Il spent three hours deciphering the
code alone said Atterbury, and the
moment / had Strengthened out the
meaning l hurried to find you. Well,
we have had no cable messages for
two days Who cut the cables? Not
Italy, but that Turk torpedo boat that
put into Alexandria on Friday morn
ing and got out last night unobserved.
Well, Kitchener has disappeared, ap-
parently. en- route for Egypt. He ought
to have been here yesterday. 1t isn't
his way to linger.
Now, Y. have to trust You entirely
in this matter. Italy has declared war
on Turkey, and, before doing so. she
sounded our government in London.
Would we declare Egyptian neutrality
and bar the Turkish troops that would
be hurried down from Damascus.
where their Eighth army corps is
posted? If we would refuse them pas
sage TripoIi falls like plum into
Italy's lap. If we refused, the game
was up. OF course, we had no right to
declare a Turkish province neutral.
But we've done it. X"
l whistled. 1t might mean war with
Turkey, and Mohammedan uprising
in India.
NO doubt England receives her quid
pro quo" pursued Atterbury. And,
needless to say. that consists of Italian
neutrality in the coming war with Ger
many. It's a thieves bargain, and I'm
not proud of my country. We're as bad
as those Italian robbers. However. the
sole point that concerns us now is:
Who is going to make the khedive de-
clare neutrality and stop the Eighth
army corps at the frontier?"
Lord Kitchener" I answered. did
you ever know him to be in the wrong
place at the right moment?"
Atterbury laid his hand on my shoul-
sion of great earnestness. *" he an
swered. Il am firmly convinced that
Kitchener has been murdered en- route.
There is no other explanation for his
absence at such critical juncture.
Now"
He then unfolded to me the daring
scheme that he had conceived. The
| conversation began on the hotel
veranda and was continued in the pal.
ace. where. as the English representa-
| tive, Atterbury occupied a suite OF
rooms.
The amazing nature OF this proposal
did not appeal TO me. met 1t. on the
| veranda. with a direct negative. At.
terbury then. asked me to luncheon at
the palace, and afterward began again
TX. it IL the supreme crisis in Eng
lands destiny" he said. The Eighth
army corps is already mobilized In
Damascus. II w4 ian Italy now. At may
mean oar extfpctfon as ! nation when
Germany aS1s1 " italy. strfkss at oul
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