Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-09-23
"Chauville,s Secret"
-By-
DAVID WHITELAW

felt when she did not receive a let
ter at the theater would have been
dispelled by the telegram he had
sent to her on reaching Barchester
that afternoon.
At 8 o'clock he ordered supper to
be served In a private room in an
hour, and dropping Stella's letter in
the box as he went through the hall,
he left the hotel. The rain had now
ceased and the. streets had taken on q
more cheerful appearance. and as the
solicitor made his way down to the
station his spirits rose accordingly.
The train from London was well up
to time, and as 1t scurved into the
great junction Robert made out the
figure Of Siias Berwick at the; window
of a first-class smoker and hailed hin,
cordially. The mere sight Of his
frie T. gave him new energy in the
matter he had in hand, and he re-
membered the many cases in which
the investigator had acted with him
with almost invariable success.
although slightly under the average
height, and a little stouter than he
cared to be, Silas Berwick gave one
at first sight the impression OF
strength, an impression which grew
stronger when n had time to notice
the length of arm, tho depth of. chest,
and the way the short neck sat on the
square shoulders. His face, while
pleasing in expression, had no pre-
tense to; good looks; the eyes were
small. and gray, but, they shone out
merrily beneath the bushy tufts OF
eyebrow, the heaviness Of which was
intensified by their being the only
hair on his face.
He sprang out with. a CHEEKY salu-
tation as he caught sight Of the, So
ltcitor among the throng on the plat
form. .
"Quick work. Baxenter-now
what's the trouble? No, 1 haven't
any luggage-only this and he held
up his suitcase.
Robert linked his arm affectionately
in Berwick's and led him to a cab,
and within the half hour they were
sitting down to-and doing full jus
tice to--the excellent supper which
the host of the Three Pigeons, had
prepared for them.
AS they ate, the solicitor recouuted
the whole history of the Dartin affair.
His companion listened in silence,
Robert as a man of law, was precise
n he marshaled his facts plainly,
and questions on the part of his hear
er were not necessary. He showed
him also the few scraps of burnt pa
pers which he had rescued from the
fireplace in the study at Adderbury
The narrative was Interrupted by
the waiter clearing the table, and
when the coffee and cigars were
brought in, and the men were alone
again, the solicitor. went on:
: was coming on to London to
consult you. ! reckoned onayour be.
ing q bit anxious after my letter"
Il q I called at the office
Cantle was expecting you and SEM
q wire to the Towers. 1 waited for
the reply; It was quite satisfactory
and said that you were .prolongine
your visit. OF course, it doesn't take
much Intelligence to guess who sem
that reply.
Robert Baxenter nodded grimly.
Hardly, does it? Well. / was
saying. was on my way to London
when / q across a. bit of information
here that altered the complexion al
things a little. The cab / drove oyer
in from Barchester put up here. and
I remembered, when / saw the sign
board, that I had called here with
,Dartin and Havertons when we motor
led over tp golf on Sunday.
THE Boots here evidently has q
tine memory and he nodded to me
as I entered and, thinking that per-
fhaps ! might Improve the ~occasion,
4 stopped and chatted with him, for
moment. I learned that the car
with the two precious rascals from
the Towers had passed through the
town on Monday night and had pulled
up here. They had had q drink "A
p BAL, and they had looked at the
large road map In the hall, ana one
q them e asked how far It was to