Evening star., 1925-04-21


that case, / could not decide what I
should do. / was armed, for had
| found a pistol in the pocket of the
| coat that had belonged to Karl Won
Emmerich, but with Beatrice to look
after, / felt it would be too great a
| risk to stay and put up a fight. 1 had
therefore almost decided to drive on
should any of the gang put in an ap.
| pearance, when Gaston's face, flushed
with exercise, appeared over the
hedge.
''Good!' he exclaimed. as he caught
sight of me. Here he is, Etienne,
safe with the lady," and they both
scrambled through and arrived breath
less in the roadway.
1 was standing beside the car, the
engine quietly ticking over. CASTOR,
with a quick smile, pushed past me,
and, entering the car, took the wheel,
motioning Rehmy to get up beside
| him. Rehmy, as he got in, said to me
in 81 low voice:
BE very careful with Miss Harvel.
Preston. Remember that she Will know
nothing of what she said in her
trance. Talk to her quietly. we VIII
| introduce ourselves later on"
| / nodded and took my seat next TO
Beatrice, grateful for the tact which
had prompted them to leave US to-
gether.
| AS we started, I leaned forward and
tapped Rehmy on the shoulder.
Fritz and Schreckermann have got
| the document" 1 said. Adler teie-
phoned a few minutes ago and l spoke
to him myself. They are starting Tor
Basel Immediately"
1--WE must follow at once, ne re-
piled. and began to tell CASTOR my
news.
/ turned to Beatrice, who met me
with a smile.
Now tell me all about it, Tom, q"
| she said "Who are the gentlemen IN
| front?'
Beatrice darling" l said softiy,
thank God you are safe.
Safe" she echoed, and L noticed
that she did not resent the shdear.
ment. Have / been in any danger
You're feeling quite all right! L
asked. looking at her anXiously.
perfectly we'll" she answered. Il m
lust a little tired, that's all. But why
this mystery? What's 1t all about :
And you haven't told me whose
clothes I'm wearing. thlnk tney re
| perfectly awful" she added, glahclns
down distastefully at her coat;
"Reatrice," l said, you've Just es-
caped from my grandmother.
| She looked at me in astonishment
for n moment, and then l could see
she was making an effort to remem-
Der.
"I was speaking to you on the tele-
nhone" !" she. said, when / think i
must have tainted, for 1 don't recol-
| lect anything. more until saw
YOU by the car JuSt INV
| sxcent that I fancy I woke up once
and found that some one was looking
| at me-"
ybr,IIarad
Dearest" 1 said, you've had a
very narrow escape.
And I told her how she had been
carried off by the Professor, VINO had
visited her pension in the guise OF a
doctor, alleging that she was Ill. re-
counted how ne had evidently drugged
her and removed her to the house
from which we had just escaped.
but what did the Professor want
with me?" she interrupted. And now
did you find out where i was?
was rather at a loss to answer the
first question, 80 / told her in a few
words about my providential meeting
with Rehmy and De Blanchegarde
outside the League of Nations, of the
little Jew whom they had held cap
| tive and of the means we had taken to
get him to disclose the whereabouts of
the Professor and his followers.
My friends in front were splendid, !"
I said I'VE owe them a great debt,
for without their help we should never
have got away"
"I'll thank them myself in a mo-
ment," she said. She was silent a
while, and then added:
Thank goodness, the document is
safe with M. Lavelle. | must go to the
secretariat at once. He will be won
dering what on earth can have hap
pened. But 1 must get rid of these
horrid things FIRST" and she looked
disapprovingly upon the garments of
the fair Elsa. "I'll ring him up from
my pension"
I looked at her for a moment, and
then decided that, despite the shock, it
was best for her to know the truth
about Lavelle at once. l found her
hand beneath the rug and pressed it
tightly.
You won't be able to ring up poor
I.avelle," I said gravely. Beatrice
darling. he is dead. Those ruffians
killed him last night
She turned white and her lips tight
ened.
"Oh, Toni" she said. and, releasing
my fingers, she covered her face with
her hands.
put an arm about her shoulders.
could feel her slim body shaking with
sobs; but after a moment she sat up
and took her hands from her face.
saw the tears in her eyes, but her ex
preston was firm and controlled
''Tom," she said, you can never go
back now. You must not rest till you
have avenged him."
1 nodded my head, proud of her
spirit in that moment of sorrow