The Washington times., 1918-11-12
CHAPTER w.

ChAE-IEAA AbL
Mr.. William Hayter, in the soli-
tude Of his chambers at the MiIaa
Court, was q very altered person
age. He extended no welcoming
SALVATION to his midnight visitor
but simply motioned him TO .
chair.
WELL" he began, sis your task
finished that you are in LondonTS
MY task" Lessingham replied
might just as well never have
been entered upon The man you
sent me to watch IL nothing but
an ordinary sport-lovtng English
man"
~ReaIly! You have lived as his
neighbor for nearly q month, ana
that is your impression Of htmrs
1T is" Lessingham assented. sHo
has been away sea-fishing. haif
the time, but I have searched HE
house thoroughly"
Searched his papers, eh7"
Every one / could find. ana
hated the job. There are q COED
many charts of the coast, but they
are all for the use OF the fishsr-
men"
"wonderfuIT" Hayter scoefsd
MY young friend. you may zee
find distinction In some other walk
OF life. Our secret service fancy
will very soon be able to dispenss
with your energies."
~And I with your secret BerVice.
Lessingham agreed heartily.
dare say there may be somo
branches of 1t In which exigtenco
is tolerable. That however, does
not apply to the task upon which
have been engaged
you have been completely
duped," Hayter told him calmly
"and the Information You have
sent US Is valueless. Sir Henry
Cranston, instead Of being the type
OF man who you have described, n
one of the greatest experts upon
coast defense and mine-laying. in
the English admiralty"
Lessinghsm laughed shortly.
-That," he declared, ''is perfect
" absurd
at is" Hayter repeated. win
emphasis. "the precise truth. Sir
Henry Cranton's fishing excursions
are myths. He Is simply trans-
ferred from his fishing boat on to
one OF a little fleet OF so-callod
mine sTeepers, from which he con-
ducts bis operations Nearly ev-
cry one OF the most importan4
towns on the coast are protected
by minefields Of his design"
LeSSingham was dumfounde4
His companton's manner was singa-
larly convincing.
"But how could Sir Henry o.
any one else keep this q secretT@
he protested. Even his wife q
scarcely on speaking terms with
him because she believes him to b
an idler. and the whole neighboF-
hood gossips over his slackness.
THE whole neighborhood IL cas-
lily fooled" Hayter retorted There
are one or two who know, how
ever"
There are one or two Lsssfng-
ham observed grimly, who arS
beginnin to suspect me-"
"That Is a pity" Haytsr admit
ted, because IL will be necessary
for you to return to DreymArsh se
once"
Return to Dreymarsh at eneeg
But Cranston Is away There 70
nothing for me to do there in hS
absence"
"He will be back on Wednesday
or Thursday night was the con-
fident reply. "He will bring with
him the plan of his latest defenses
OF town on the east coast, which
our cruiser squadron purpose to
lombard. We must have thae
chart"
Lessingham listened in mute dis
tress.
Could you possibly get me re-
lieved?" he begged. The tact
is
"we could not. and we viii ncE!S
Hayter interrupted fiercely. ~Un-
less you wish me to denounce sroa
at home as a renegade and a COW
ard. you viii 60 through with the
work which has been allotted 70
you. Your earlier mistakes WIN
be forgiven II that chart is in ny
hands by Friday"
But how do you know that ha
will have it?" Lessingham protested
"Supposing you are right and he 10
really responsible for the InineheldS
you speak OF. should think the last
thing he would do would be to bring
the chart back to Dreymarsh."
AS q matter of fart, that Is pre-
cisely what he will do" Hayter aS-
sured his listener. He Is bringing
II back for the inspection OF one oG
the commissioners for the east coast
defense, who is to meet him At his
house. And wish to warn you. too,
Maderstrom. that you will have very
little time. For some reason or 9th
er. Cranston Is dissatisfied with the
secrecy under which he has been
compelled to work and has applied
to the admiralty for recognition Of
his position. Immediately that -
given. gather that his house win
be inaccessible to you"
ITO Be Continued Tomorrow n