Evening journal., 1917-12-19
'couriss'- eas by tn: eclur' Newspaper s''di


a most UNIQUE one. possessing mos
uncommon features and myster'
quite It's own. It was, therefore. NEE
that the arrangements for bringing II e
Cleek's notice should have departed from
the general rule-as they most decidedly
lid
In the present Instance. tho note which
be found awaiting him when he returned
at noon from fvo niles walk by th'
Thames side had said clearly and sue
cinctly. ''The Two Services Club, as
near 1880 as you can make Il. Give name
of Burke and they'll show you up
Urgent"
SO quick was Cleel1's response that the
minute hand OF the clock IN the Office
Of the Two Services Club had but just
come to the point Of the half hour after
one when he stepped over the threshold
OF the private room to which a servant
had piloted him and found himself In the
presence OF Mr.. Narkom and OF young
fair-haired, fair-mustached man, most
Immediately dressed, who was seated
opposite him with his elbows on tbs
dividing table and his chin upon his shut
hands.
'Gadi What a model OF punctuanty
you are. you abnormal beggar." eNclaim'
cd the superintendent, screwing round In
his chair and jumping up as the servant
closed the door and left the three mer
10 their privacy. And it's a quality tc
be taken into account IN tho present in
stance by Jovei The matinee Is at 2
you know, and she's on about 2:3o"
Matinee? 'She'7 " replied Cleck.
arching his brows inqulingly. 'My dear
Mr.. Narkom. before we go into the mat
ter Of the artecedont OF that personal
pronoun may I ask, are We. then, going
TO a theater?"
Yes. To the Frivolity. As the guests
OF its manager Mr.. James Collingwood
and In company with this gentleman
here But ] am forgetting. My dear
Clcek. allow me 10 have tho pleasure OF
introducing you 20 Capt. Alan Kennedy,
Of tho Royal Engineers"
Delighted to meet you, captain said
CleeS, gripping the hand which the young
man sprans up and extended 20 him and
at the same time, telling himself that he
liked the firm, manly clasp OF Il. and
liked. too. the expression Of those clear
T, straight-looking blue eyes. ANY con-
nection by chance. may 7 ask, Of that
. other important factor In the matter oi
: our national defences. Sir Maxwell Ken.
. nedy. the inventor of that most SUCCESS,
i iul OF all high explosives. picrine?"
Yea. very close connection indeed
Mr.. Cleek. He is my uncle. ] am, IN
fact, his only living relative. and. up e
"a matter OF six weeks ago, 7 was moi
only his nephew but his heir Sine,
then, however. he has chosen 10 disin
herit me for what he terms my unfortu
nate attachment or, at least ] sup
pose he has. He threatened to. at al
events, and he's hardly the kind 10 lei
. tho grass grow under his feet when hil
temper is up"
Il observe. however. that you do no
take your disinheritance very broken
heartedly. captain"
1T Not a BIT OF a. why. I'd give NJ
twenty fortunes sooner than I'd give NJ
Luella, Mr.. Cleel"
''Luella2'
'Yes. Miss Vuitec, you lsnow-or. a
Yeast, you don't know. Hardly anybod!
ioes outside Of a very few intinates anl
of course-N-. Collingwood. Th -~rli
= nc large knows her merely as la ssyi
nhine"
s la syrphine. eh7 H-mi that's eniiEhs
oning oh, yes. ] have heard the nam
. before. Who. In London. has not, who
Z it stares at one daily from every news
paper and on every boarding from on
end Of The town 20 the other7 La syl
phinc, beautiful and gifted Russia
dancer who leaped into popularity IN on
single night some three or four month
ago as the inventor OF the most move
and poetic pas seul tho century has seen
have never had tho pleasure OF seeinl
the lady. but ] am told that this 'Jympl
Of vesuvius dance Of hers Is somethin,
positively marvellous"
And they're right, who tell you that
MT. Cleek" struck In the captain. enthu
siasucally. Wait until you see her. Yot
viii no longer wonder that / love her
that ! am willing to give up everythini
upon Gods earth for her-even life II
self, IL that will save her from this new
and horrible persecution which Is drivinr
her 70 the verge OF insanity and max
ing her existence very he'll upoi
earth"
'Hellol" raped out Cleek. Jerking NJ
his chin. $50 there's a nv IN the oint
ment Is there, captaln7 And with al
her popularity and success the lady 4
being prosecuted, eh7 BY whomg Ant
Tor what purpose. plesse7'
BY bioodsuckers. blaclxmailers. dev
ilsi" he gave back. "Wretches who ar
terroriztng her night and day; begearinl
her BY their constant demands for blool
money and driving her % madness an
despair BY the well-lynown methods O
that heils brood. the Black Handr'
rBlack-your grandmother rctorte
Cleek. with a lurch Of the shoulders an
? short. deriding laugh. MY dear car
vain. get that silly rubbish about tn
Black Hand out OF your head as expo
NANnAnAEa
from me. my friend. that no such "a
ciety exists
Il used to think that myself once upo
n time, AR Cleeks but I've changed m
mind these days. It's all very we'll I
say that there's no such society In ex
istence, but when you have their letters
and they make demands and threate
10 blow up your house n you don't com
ply with them. and then do blow ui
e. A
! you can't go behind that sort Of evidence
can you now7"
s You can go behind any sort OF evi
3ence-if you only know the way" dc
n clared Cleek with a curious smile. 'Bu
y comei Tell me something You have ex
cited my curiosity. Am I 10 understand
from what you have Just said that thes
-er-persons who choose to adopt tn
name OF the Black Hand have actual,
gone TO the length Of blowing ND mis-
Nultee's private residence7"
Yes With one Of their Internal bombs
They didn't succeed IN entirely wreckini
H. however; but they made q veritabl
scrap heap Of young Lexis room"
-Lexg And who may Lex be. II yoi
. please?"
Alexis Vuitee, Iueiia's hrotber-
S. mere beardloss boy Of nineteen. as harm
y. less as a kitten and as gentle as any Sin
,c They said they'd finish him on befor
y noon today II she didn't-in their ow
r brutal phraseology-'com 70 time wit
8 lhe oof-and ] prevented her doing so
s "The 'oof.' eh2 a purely British Sian
= term for money So. then, il is fair I
; suppose that If tho writer of the letfe
is not actually a British subject he is
person sufficiently acquainted with III
slang Of Great Britain 20 make use Of
ina the most matter-of-fact manner"
There was no writer Of the letfe,
Mr.. Cleek. Whoever indited IL was care
ful enough 10 furnish no clew 10 hi