Evening star., 1925-04-18

The professor, with a motion Of the
hand, directed Karl and Fritz to bring
me to the alcove. This they did, half
| dragging, half carrying me. for the
cord round my legs was too tight for
me to move. They bound me securely
to one of the iron hinges of a shut
tered window situated only few
| feet behind the couch. AS they were
| tying me up, the servant returned
| with a salver, bearing an old-fashloned
white silk neckerchief of the kind
used by elderly gentlemen to wrap
round their necks beneath an over
coat. He handed this to Fritz, who
twisted it's ample folds securely about
| my mouth, effectively preventing any
attempt to speak again.
Now" said the professor, and,
| taking up from the little table at the
foot of the couch a hypodermic needle
and some cotton wool, he approached
| Beatrice, who throughout had not
moved, but who, l had noted with
| thankfulnesS, was breathing naturally
and regularly, as though asleep.
She was wearing, l saw, her night
| gown and a silk dressing gown. / re-
| membered then that she had been
| taken from her room by the hospital
nurse and the doctor. She must al
ready have gone to bed when / tele-
phoned to her from the secretariat.
| Her hair was lying in two long plaits
on each side of her cheeks, and her
| feet and lower part of her body were
| covered with a quilt.
But what kind of sleep was this
which had held her fast through the
noise and violence of my struggle with
/ her captors? She lay as in a trance,
| immobile and curiously aloof from the
| group that surrounded her. 1t seemed
| sl,1 n,t,, llxry yl,at-
| in presence; that she was sleeping re-
mote from the figures which moved
| about her; that for the moment she
was as far beyond their malice as she
| had been beyond the urgent call which
| | had addressed to her. This impress
| sion lent an added horror to the de-
| liberate approach of the professor
| toward the couch. 1t seemed as
though he were about TO summon her
! from the distant tranquility in which
she lay in order to impose upon her
his own evil and alien purpose. ! was
aware, in my impression of the scene,
of something that transcribed the
horror of a mere physical approach.
felt as though he were about to
touch the mind and being of the girl
/ loved, and I felt it is more than
merely physical indignity.
l watched him, helpless and fasci-
mated, every fiber crying out against
this infamy, as he bent over the couch.
drew back the sleeve on her left arm
and, inserting the hypodermic needle
few inches above the elbow pressed
home the plunger. He stepped back,
watching her quietly. After Il few
moments she opened her eyes and
stretched herself quite naturally, as
though she was just waking from an
ordinary sleep. Her eyes wandered
round the room for a moment, and
her face assumed a puzzled express
sion.
Where on earth am I?' she be-
gan, in English, and looked bewild-
eredly first at Schreckermann and
then at the professor.
You are quite safe, my dear Miss
Harvel." said the professor in perfect
English, quite safe, and there is no
cause for alarm. Please look at me
for a moment
He took up position at the foot of
the couch, gazing down at her quietly.
but with a penetrating and persistent
stare. ] would have given worlds to
have been able to warn her on no ac-
count to meet those persuas sive eyes.
But could not move even a muscle in
her defense, and after a moment she
raised her eyes and fixed them on his
face.
There was complete silence in the
room for the space of a minute, and
all / could hear was the thudding of
the blood in my ears. Then Beatrice
gave d little sigh, her head fell back
on the pillow, and her eyes closed. her
small hands clenching and unclench'
ing once or twice.
The professor moved swiftly to her
side, and, bending over, made d few
, passes up and down her face. Then
he stepped back and began to speak.
who are your" he said, still in
English.
, Beatrice at once answered him in an
impersonal and perfectly expression
, less tone, as though she were invol
unfairly repeating a message.
, II am Beatrice IIarvel.'
Where do you live?'
AT Les Pervenches, Boulevard des
Tranchees, Geneva" she replied
What is your work." continued the
professor.
II am secretary to NJ. Lavelle of the
League of Nations" went on Beatrice
still in the same monotonous voice.
Did Mr.. Thomas Preston call to see
NJ. Lavelle yesterday"
Yes"
''At what time?"
shortly after o'clock"
Were you present when they met?'
Yes"
Did Mr.. Preston mention a certain
document to NJ. Lavelle?"
They talked of it,
who had given it to NJ. Lavelle?'
Il gave it to him myself"
How did you obtain it?''
Mr.. Preston gave it to me-
What did NJ. Lavelle do with the
document"
"He deciphered it."
The professor paused and I noted
the strained attention with which the
others were listening.
Did he decipher it completeIy?'
went on the professor.
Yes"
Where did he put it?"
In a registry dossier."
What is that?''
ut is a file in which papers arr
kept"
Are there many such in the secre
tariat?"
Thousands.
l What did he do with the dossier?'
:, He gave it to ME to take to thu
: registry
And you did SOP
Yes
Il What is the registry
= "A place where the dossiers are KEEP
| when not in use"