The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-13
MAGAZINE

an. If anything passes between those two
without being detected-well, I'd resign
my post tomorrow"
Capital" Mr.. Cray murmured approx
ingly. "Well, guess I'll turn in. l like
my eight hours when 1 can get 'em."
you're not going to tell me where the
letter is, them" Mr.. King asked.
do you believe l know where it isl"
Mr.. Cray answered
His companion smiled.
"To tell you the truth" he admitted, II
DON'T
"Then l shan't disappoint you if we let
things stay as they are until tomorrow"
Mr.. Cray decided.
Mr.. Cray found his son-in-law waiting for
him in his rooms. Sir George was standing
on the hearth-rug with his hands in his
pockets, whistling moodly.
'Where's Sara?" he asked eagerly.
-"Gone home an hour ago. We had
bite together in the grill"
''She understood, l hope?"
"More or less" Mr.. Cray assured him.
"You know what these women are. She
may make bit of fuss for the sake of
making it up afterward. Are you off duty
now?"
+ Sir George nodded.
''Ive done the best can," he confessed.
"The woman's too clever for me. If she's
really got the letter, she must have swal-
lowed it,
did you suspect her at all during the
voyage?" Mr. Cray asked.
81 suspected everybody" his son-in-law
g.. .I..54
speak dozen words to anybody-until that
last day. l had some coffee in the smok-
ing-room which made me feel drowsy, and
afterward l dozed in my steamer-chair.
When woke up, she was in the next chair
to mine and the packet had gone from the
inner pocket of my coat, where it was sewn
in. All the stitches had been cut"
"You didn't feel like having her arrested
and searched?" Mr.. Cray asked thought
fully.
THAT was my first thought" Sir George
confessed. ''Then / looked at my watch,
and saw that I'd been asleep for hour, so
she'd had plenty of time to hide it. l sent
the wireless to King, but otherwise l pre-
tended not to have discovered the theft"
"And you can't make anything of her."
MI cray querleu
Nothing at ALL Sir George replied GIVE
given the job up, and I'm going home. The
rest of my mission" he went on, twas
completely successful; and am not the
first man in the Intellige nee Department
who has been robbed. l saw you talking
t, King" he continued "Ha you any
theories?"
"Surev' Mr.. Cray assented cheerfully.
'Well get that letter back, all right, and
before any mischiefs been done. Not only
that, but we'll carry the war into the
enemy's camp. Well find out for whom she
is working
Sir George looked at his father-in-law
with something of that wondering admira-
ton which he had more than once in his
leftime felt for him.
care you in earnest?" he asked breath
lessly.
"Sure thing" Mr.. Cray replied. "Ill lay
ten to one l could put my hand on the let
ter tonight. You get home to Sara now.
BY and by, you are seeing Mrs. Weller
again?"
81 promised to lunch tomorrow" Sir
George replied modify. 81 don't see that
there's any use in it, and Pm rather
clumsy hand at this sort of filtration"
Good boy" Mr.. Cray murmured approx
ingly.
"Get along with you now, then. I'll tel
ephone Sara that you're coming" Whereup-
on Sir George departed, and his father-in-
law went to bed.
At II o'clock the next morning there
was a slight stir among the silent army of