Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-28
The Ark of the Covenant
4 Story of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR MCCLURE.
Copyright, 1924. by Harper q Brothers.

would have got with his ALTERATION IL
the telephone bell had not rung just
then. Smiling at his friend. in spite of
the gravity Of the situation, Lord Al
meric picked up the receiver.
Yes" he said into the microphone.
"Sir Thomas Is here. Scotland Yard
i for you, Basldon."
"Ah. good!' said Sir Thomas. I'VE
! may have some news.'
| Sir Thomas Basildon took the receiver
| from Lord Almeric. and sat on the desk
| to talk into the instrument
| Yes, REPRESENTATION speaking
he said. Eth? All Yes, WELL 1 half eX-
pected that. Army and Navy Stores?
| Aha-that. too. Eth? Just minute,
| Ferguson" He turned to us.
| The things complete. A petrol sta
| ton at Purfieet-the Anglo-American
Oil Co.-reports a deficiency of 5000
liters of petrol, and the whole establish
ment put to sleep. The Army and Navy
| Stores in Victoria street have been
| forced open. and n large quantity of
foodstuffs taken away, money being left.
| Now. Ferguson-'
He turned to the mouthpiecs again,
and almost Immediately an incredulous
| look passed over his face.
| mo" he shouted. Don't pull your
chief leg, Ferguson-it isn't done Tell
me again. With their faces blackened?
Well. I'm damned"
| He burst into roar Of laughter,
shaking. shaking, until Lord Almeric
and I sprang UP in alarm. Soldiers have
| given way to Mysteries in the midst of a
great nervous strain before, AID
| thought the general had an attack. /
don't know what Lord Almeric thought,
! but he evidently considered the laughter
a little ill-timed.
NO, no! Tn all right, really-Tm
not unstrung!' gasped Sir Thomas
/ The raiders did gas the Commons this
morning-and every man jack on the
treasury bench woke up with his face
blackened! Blackened, by George =
with burnt cork
| "What?'' cried Lord Almeric. You
aren't serious. Basildon."
Serious as cholera" said Sir
| Thomas. Ferguson has just told me
and he's too solemn to joke on any
| subject"
There was no help for it. Lord
Almeric tried hard to keep his face
straight. but he couldnt-and pres
emily he and the general were lying
back helpless in chairs, laughing till
tears streamed down their faces /
thought 1t funny enough, but their
laughter got me more than the joke.
"Confound it, Basildon," said Lord
-ilmeric. hopping his eyes. The
things farcical. 1t couldn't have been
the aiderS-surely not"
Must have been, Pluscarden. Boxes
of radium were left beside the mace,
addressed to some of our research
institutions. The things conc!usive!"
1T might have been one of the
opposition who woke up first and
snatched the opportunity TO make the
front bench look ridiculous. 1t Is
enough to wreck the government"
Might have been that" Sir Thomas
chuckled, and / hope it does wreck
the government. We may get the
die hards back again, thank God"
Let US hope 50. Basildon. Well
there is little use In remaining here.
We can do nothing until the clerks
turn up, when we can go through the
books. Heavens, what a mess" said
Lord Almeric II think a ride home
and a bath, then early breakfast, is
the idea. Let us go, Jimmy"
Just let Mr. Boon show me those
splashes of powdered glass. Pluscar-
den" Sir Thomas said, and I'm with
you. Could you drop me at Scotland
Yard If sent my car on? I want to
talk to you on the way"
Surely" said his lordship. "I'll
pick you up outside"
There was no great crowd in the
streets yet, for It was barely 6
o'clock, but Sir Thomas no sooner
appeared than he was surrounded by
newspaper men, who wanted a state
ment
II can't give you any statement
yet" Sir Thomas protested. Yes
yes, you can say l believe it to be
the work of the Parnassic gang.
That must be obvious. 1 shall issue
a general statement when 1 get back
to Scotland Yard. l must treat you
all alike"
They fell away. from him, but
watched him from a distance, and
when we had finished looking at the
smears of glass and had gone on, l
saw them gather round the spot and
examine the powder closely.
Glass bombs, l agree-probably
containing the gas in liquid form"
said Sir Thomas. Il wonder what
it is?'
The newspaper men were still
hanging round the smears when the
three of US drove away In Lord AL
merics automobile.
81 must have those policemen sent
away" said Sir Thomas, when we had
passed through the Gordon which
was holding a small crowd back from
the area which had been gassed. 1t
is nothing but waste Of time"