Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-11
CHAPTER TX.
THE GOLD CIGARET CASE.

ope; that and nothing more; yet the
powers that be in the postoffice had
sent II to him without delay. This was
tribute to his fame, but 1t was not
enlightening.
In the common envelope was half
sheet of thick and creamy parchment
paper with monogram In pale blue
and silver; a pretty monogram, but
so intricate, consisting as II did OF
three letters, as to be almost impossi-
Bile for an uninitiated person to deci-
pher On this half sheet, written in
firm and somewhat original hand,
Z which might be,that Of a man or a
woman. were two sentences and part
OF another.
Dear Sir: /, have heard of you
and your car and saw photographs Of
both: ] know that you are u gentle
man and can be trusted. hope very
much that you are free and can come
here by Thursday, If possible early in
the morning, as 1t is a matter of life
and death to me, to get away"
Here the letter broke of, giving no
: clew to the nature of the errand or to
the whereabouts Of the nameless
writer. But Christopher was able to
make out the postmark. The scrawled
envelope had been sent out from
Stoke d'Estcourt, in Warwickshire.
No, there was nothing to do. and yet
the last, broken sentence haunted
Christopher. He found himself con-
stantly repeating It. and wondering
whether his coming with Scarlet Rum
ner really had been q matter of life
and death to the writer Again and
again he pondered at the breaking OF
Of then sentence, which, II finished
might have explained all. He studied
the monogram, fancying that 1t must
mean v. l. H.. and, though the hand
writing was uncommonly strong for
a woman. the monogram was essen,
tally feminine.
Altogether. from telling himself
that there was nothing to do In the
affair Of the unfinished letter. Chris
TOPPER went In O. few hours to the ex-
treme Of determining ito do great
deal. The handbook told him that
Stoke d 'Estcdurt was q small but IN
teresting hamlet situated about three
miles from a railway station. The
church was celebrated for Its brasses
and Norman font The sixteenth
century inn. still unspoiied, attracted
artists. There were several fine old
houses In the village and on the out
skirts. also a number or picturesque
cottages. and tourists were advised to
visit the ruins OF q castle In the neigh
borhood.
This description encouraged Chris
TOPPER In the somewhat Wild idea that
by going to Stoke d'Estcpurt and max
ing inquiries hid might be able to find
out who had sent him the unfinished
letter.
His journey was smooth and I'M
cventful and IL was still early In the
murky evening when the blazing rays
OF his lamps Illuminated the quaint
front of the old inn OF which he had
read in the guide-book.s Welcoming
lights, streaming through red blinds,
seemed to speak of warmth and COM
fort within. He drove his car into
barn which had been converted into
a garage and engaged bedroom.
The first thing he did while his din
Ifer was being prepared was to call
for the local directory and pors over
its pages in the hope Of finding some
one with the initials ~. L. H." But
he was disappointed. The popula-
ton Of the village and the immediate
neighborhood was only a few hum
dreds and among the Harrises, the
Hasboroughs. the Hickses and the
Harveys there was none who owne the
initials ~, L." This was a check for
which he had been quite prepared.
On arriving he had ostentatiously
driven Scarlet Runner through the
whole length Of the village High Street
and past the cottages and old Queen
Anne or Georgian houses which sur
rounded the famous green, thus adj
vertising his advent to whom il might
concern. and though the country air
and strong ale made him sleep he sat
up late pretending to read old num-
bers of magazines. in the hope OF re-
ceiving a letter or word Of some sort
from his nameless correspondent. BY
o'clock he was dressed and 1t was
not yet when he had breakfasted
and was starting Scarlet Runner be-
fore the door OF the inn. The first
thing he did was to teuf-teuf con-
spicuously to the postofiice, where he
inquired IL there were any letter for
Mr. Christopher Race. But nothing
OF interest was forwarded, and nobody
at Stoke dEstcourt had taken this
means of communicating for the sec
ond time with the owner of Scarlet
Runner.
DO you ever get letters here for
anyone with the initials v. l.. H. ?" he
ventured to ask OF the postmistress
who was too pretty and coquettish to
snub polite and good-looking man
even II he put eccentric questions.
No. SO far as the young woman
could remember, none of her regular
people" had such initials. AS for the
transient folk. she could not pretend
to say.
Baffled, as il he had been the villain
OF the piece, Christopher went out of
tina nngfnfFAa m
In the game to play. He determined
to drive Scarlet Runner slowly, tempt
ingly through every street of the VIII
lage and past the gates OF the great
houses and even farms OF the sur
rounding country weaving the car
through from road to road as his map
made possible
He sounded his new and singularly
sweet-toned musical siren unnecessa-
rily often and faces peered out of cot
tage windows and fresh-faced girls
turned to look at him and his hand
some red car in the village streets, but
DO one beckoned. no one called 10 him.
He drove out Of the village and
took the road which, he had been told
would lead him past several gentle
mems houses and outlying farms, past
the ruined castle, past General New
comes place. on to Lord Melden's. Be-
yond the last estate he did not intend
70 go. but would turn there in order
TO pass Sir Edward Leigh's and SO go
back towards Stoke d'Estcourt by an
other road.
Here and there he caused his ST.
rem TO discourse snatches from the
opera OF La Trariata. but when he
came in sight Of the castle he forgot
70 play his own accompaniment even
forgot for few moments the BUSH
ness which had brought him TO Stoke
d 'Estcourt.
II really was very fine and striking
ruin. Christopher drove very slowly