Evening star., 1918-06-23
nn~ UPT. NARKoM waitin' up
COS stairs in your room, sir.
Nl Come unexpected and sud-
w. den-like about FIVE min


was withdrawn from the lock and
Cleek stopped into the house. Told
him you'd just run round the corner,
sir, to get a fresh supply Of them
cigarettes you're 80 partial to. SO he
sat down and waited. And. oh, I say,
guv'ner?"
''YesT said Cleek, inauiringly, stop
ping in his two-steps-at-a-time as
cent Of the stairs.
"Letter come for you, too, sir, whilst
you was out. Envellup wrote in q
lady's hand. and directed to Captain
Burbage.' Took it up and laid 1t on
your table, sir"
"AM right" said Cleek, and resumed
his journey up the stairs, passing q
moment later into his private room
and the presence Of Maverick Narkom.
The superintendent, who was stand
ing by the window looking out into
the brilliant radiance Of the morning.
turned as he heard the door creak
and Immediately set his back to the
things that had nothing to do with
the conduct Of Scotland Yard, and e,, aa,
vanced toward his famous ally with
that eagerness and enthusiasm which
he reserved for matters connected
with crime and the law.
my dear Cleek, such a case; you'll
fairly revel in it." he began excitedly.
this hour Of the morning, dispensed
With the formality Of phoning, hoped
into the car and came on at once.
Dollops said you'd be back in half a
minute, and" looking at his watch,
"it's now ten since I arrived"
Mr.. Narkom.- broke in Cheek. but.
look at these" pulling the tissue pa
per from an oblong parcel he was car
rying in his hand and exposing to
view a cluster Of lilies Of the valley
antala and La France resss They ,s are nNrIs, what
had his window full of them. fresh
from Covent Garden this morning,
and I simply couldn't resist the temp
tation. If God ever made anything
more beautiful than a rose, Mr.. Mar
kom, 1t is yet to be discovered. Sit
down, and while you are talking I'll
arrange these in this vase. No; it
won't distract my attention from what
you are saying. believe me. Some-
how, 1 can always think better and
listen better when there are flowers
about me, and if
He chopped off the sentence suddenly
and laid the flowers down upon his table
with a briskness born of sudden interest.
His eye had fallen upon the letter Of
which Dollops had spoken. 1t was lying
AdSC upWdlu upOil SAo tdUlCs 81 luhI i0
could see the clear, fine, characterful
hand in which 1t was written and could
read clearly the Devonshire postmark.
my dear Cleek," went on Narkom,
accepting the invitation to be seated,
but noticing nothing in his eagerness to
get to business. my dear Cleek, never
have l brought you any case which is SO
likely to make your fortune as this, and
when tell you that the reward offered
runs we'll into five figures-
v,nnn vii ayof iv,ta fnI
agitatedly. Don't think me rude, Mr..
Narkom, but-your pardon a thousand
times. must read this letter before I
give attention to anything else. no mat
ter how Important!
Then, not waiting for Narkom to
signify his consent to the interruption,
as perforce he was obliged to do in the
circumstances, he carried the letter over
to the window, broke the seal and read
1t, his heart getting into his eyes and his
pulses drumming with that kind Of hap
piness which fills man when the one
woman in the world writes him letter.
Even II he had not recognized her
handwriting he must have known from
the postmark that 1t was from Ailsa
Lorne. for he had no correspondent in
Devonshire. no correspondent but Mar
kom anywhere, for the matter of that.
His lonely life, the need for secrecy, his
plan of self -effacement, prevented that.
But he had known for months that Miss
there as governess in the family of Sir
Jasper brood, when her determination
not to leave England had compelled her
to resign her position as guide and
peceptress to little Lord Chepstow on
the occasion of his mothers wedding
with Capt. Hawksley. And now to have
her write to him-to him! A sort of mist
got into his eyes and blurred everything
for moment. When it had passed and
he could see clearly he set his back to
Narkom and read these words:
The Priory, Tuesday, June 10.
Dear Friend
If you remember, as 1 so often do,
that last day in London, when you
put off the demands of your duty to
see me safely in the train and on my
way to this new home, you will per-
haps also remember something that
me that IL a time ever came when
shsuld need your friendship or your
help 1 had but to ask for them. If
that is true, and ! feel sure that 1t
ia, dear Mr.. Cleek, l need them now.
Not for myself, however. but for one
since my coming here and who.
through me. asks your kind aid in
solving a deep and distressing mys-
terry and saving a threatened human
life. No reward can be offered, l fear,
beyond that which comes of the
generous act. Mr.. Cleek, for my friend
ls not In a position to offer one. But
I seem to feel that this will weigh
little with you. and it emboldens me
to make this appeal. So, IL no other
do me a favor, IL you can make it
convenient to be in the neighborhood
of the lych-gate of Lyntonhurst
Church on Wednesday morning at IL
o'clock you will win the everlasting