The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-08-24


70. 50 he sat down and waited. And. oh
say. Snv'ner:"
Yes" said Geek. inquirinEly, stop
ping in his two steps at a time ascent Of
| ths stairs
Letter come for you, too, sir. whilst
you was out. Envsllnp wrote in q lady
! hand, and directed to Captain BurbaSe.
Took it mp and laid it on your table. sir.
"All right" said Cleek, and resumed
his journey up the stairs. passing a mo-
ment later into his private room AID the
presence of Maverick Narkom.
The superintendent. who was tandins
by the window looking ont into the brill
liant radiance OF the morning. turned as
he heard the door .creak and immediately
set his back to the things that had moth
ing To do with the conduct of Scotland
Yard. and advanced toward his famous
ally with that eagerncss and enthusiasm
which hc reserved for matters connected
with crime and the law.
MY dear Cleek. such a case; you'll
fairly rerel in it." he began c1citrdly.
"As didn't expect to find you out al
this hour of the morning. dispensed with
the Formally of 'phoning. hoped into
the car and came on at once. Dollops
said you'd be back in half 4 minute,
and" looking at his watch, Its now
ten since arrived
Sorry to have kept you waiting. Mr..
Narkom." broke in Cl"ek. "but-Sook AZ
these pulling the tissue paper from an
oblons parcel he was carrying in his hand
and exposing to view cluster of lilies
of thr valley and la France roses. They
are what detained me. Rudleigh. thr
florist. had mis- window full Of them. fresh
from Covrnt Garden this morning. and
simply couldn't resist tho temptation
If God ever made anything more heauti-
ful than rose. Mr.. Narkoln, it is yet
to be- discovered. Sit down. and while
you are talking III arrange these in this
vase. No; it won't distract my attention
from what you are saying. believe mc.
Somehow. I can always think better and
listen better when there are flowers about
me. and if
File chopped off the sentence suddenly
and laid the flowers down upon his table
with a hriskness born of sudden interest
His eye had fallen upon toe letter of
which Dolops had spoken. 1t was lying,
face upward upon the table. so that AeI
cor!d see the clear. fine charac;erhl hanl
in which it was written and could read
clearly the DevonShire postmark.
My dear Clec&," went on Narkom.
acce ptine the invitation to be seated,
but noticing nothing in his eagerness toI
get to business. my dear Clerk. never
navr I brought you any case which is sol
likely 70 make your fortune as this aud
wien tel. You that the reward offered
runs well into five figures
"A moment. please interjected Cleek
agitatedy. Don't think ne rude. Mr..
but--ynur pardon a thousand
times must read this letter before !
give attention to anything else. no matter
now important
Then. not waiting for Narkom 20 signify
his consent 10 the interruption, rs per-
force he WIS obliged to d. in tho circum-
stances. he carried the letter over to the
window. broke the seal and read il, his
heart getting into his eyes and his pulses
drumming with that kind Of happiness
which fills man when the one woman IN
the world writns him a letter.
Even If ne had not recognized her hand
writing nc must have known from the
poSlmark that it wns from Ailsa I'orne,
for he had no correspondents in Devon
shire. no correspondent but Narkom any
where. Cor the matter Of that. His lonely
life. the need for secrecy. his plan Of self
prevented that. But he had
known for months that Miss Lorne was
in Devon. that she had gone there as
Sorc:ue$s in the family of Sir Jasper
brood. when her determination not to
leave England had compelled her to resign
her position as guide and precptress to
little Lord Chepstnw on the occasion OIL
his mothers wedding with Captain
And now to have her write
to him-to him A sort Of mist got into
his eyes and blurred everything for mo-
meut When it had passed and he could
see clearly he set his back to Narkom
and rad these words
The Priory. Tuesday, June 10Th.
Dear Friend
If you remember. as so often do, that,
last day in London. when you put off
the demands Of your duty 20 see me
safely in tho train and on my way to
this new home you will perhaps also rr.
member something that you said To nae
at parting. You told me that if 'im"
ever came when should need your
friendship or your help. had but to ask
ior them If that is true and feel sure
that it is. dear Mr.. Cleck. I need them
now. Not for myself. however, but for
one who has proved a kind fricpd indeed
since my coming here. aud who. through
me-. asks Your kind aid in solving q deep
and distressing mystery and saving a
threatened human life. No reward can
be offered. l fear beyond that which
comes OF I'll. knowledge of having done
A good and generous act. Mr.. Clerk. for
my friend is not in position 20 offer
one Blu, seem 10 feel that this will
weigh little with you, and it emhoidens
me to make this appeal SO. il no other
case prevents, and you really wish to do
me a favor, if you can MAKE it cnuvcn-
lent to BE- in the neichborhond "f thr