Evening star., 1925-03-26
CHAPTER L.
Lose My Luggage.

1t all started with the loss OF my
luggage.
/ was returning home to England
from a trip to the Tuscan towns by
way of the Riviera, and l had regis
tered my trunk to Genoa. On arriv-
ing at that city, however, L dtscoV-
cred, after much difficult inquiry, in
the course of which l was assured
that Italy, thanks to Signor Mussolini.
was a great and glorious country
which would shortly be undisputed
mistress of the Mediterranean and the
most efficient nation in Europe, that
my effects had been dispatched to
Geneva 1t was pointed out, for my
consolation, that the difference be-
tween Geneva" and "Ginevra" was
almost negligible.
Fortunately l was in no great need
of consolation. I was, in fact, de-
lighted with the discovery of my loss
1t was an omen. All roads, 1t seemed.
were leading me to Beatrice.
Beatrice Harvel, whom ! had met in
London during the war, was now on
the staff of the League of Nations
She had been for two years IN Geneva
and had not seen her during all that
time. l had parted with her in the
conviction that penniless officer
newly demobilized. as l then was, not
y
was in no position to lay his name
and absence of fortune at her feet
During the last few days, however, my
position and prospects had changed
remarkably for the better. My Uncle
James, calling me into his office some
three weeks previously, had an
nounced his immediate intention of
making me partner in his business,
and had given me to understand that
I icyh ard my
On the strength of these gratifying
assurances, I was taking short hol-
iday, and confirming myself in the
intention Of going ultimately to
Geneva in order to discover how
stood with the girl who had never
ceased to be in my thoughts since /
had waved her an affectedly cheerful
farewell some two years ago at VIC
toria. 1t was stimulating to discover
that my luggage had anticipated me
and was calling me forward TO the
fatal moment 1 decided then and
there to go after it Immediately, and
within half an hour of this decision
] had taken the express for Lausanne
and was rolling toward the Swiss
frontier.
But let there be no mlsunderstand-
ing. The loss of my luggage was the
pretext and not the cause of my sud
den descent upon the city OF Geneva.
But for Beatrice, l might quite wen
have abandoned my trunk TO what
ever complicated doom was reserved
for it under the appropriate resuia-
tions. To this day, in fact, l main
tain that IL was Beatrice who, in the
last ANALYSIS, awoke the Seven Sleep
ors untimely. But l am anticipating.
I shall have little leisure, once TINS
story is under way, to tell you any
thing about myself, SO l had better
take this opportunity, while i am SUN
a mere member of the travelling pup
lie. to explain, at any rate, VINO am
and how | am customarily employed.
| was born in 1894 in the village or
Steynhurst. Sussex (where my mother
still resides), and christened Thomas
Thomas Henry Preston. / was edu-
Gated at Stowerbridge, where L took
prizes for history, physical Jerks ana
running was also in the Rugger
fifteen and captain of the school box
ing team. ! was destined for Oxforu'
but before going up my people sent
me for two years to the university OF
Bonn, where learned to speak German
almost. if not quite, as well as Ger
man himself. 1 think must have in
herited a gift for languages from my
mother, who speaks six or seven. L
was about to go to oxford when the
war broke out, which upset my plans,
for | entered the army instead, serV-
ing right through in the Royal Field
Artillery, and emerging in the END
with two wounds, the nllltary CROSS
and a captaincy.
For my personal appearance, 1t is
shortest to quote from my passport:
Height. feet IL inches; color OF
eyes. blue; color of hair, fair; special
peculiarities, none"
l should add that unkind friends
have accused me Of a certain resem-
blance to the sons of the Fatheriano,
owing, 1 suppose, to my fair hair and
the rather crude blue of my eyes l
am apt, however, to become violent
when this subject is mentioned, and
it is not usually pressed.
Most of the men of my family are
more remarkable for their physical
prowess than for their business eff1-
Cheney and it was a lucky day for us
all when my fathers sister, Agatha
Preston, married my Uncle James.
Uncle James is widely known to COM
rnerce as Jebbutt of Jebbutt & Jeb-
butt, hardware manufacturers, Bir-
mingham. 1 have spent the last two
wears in learning the business, and,
if YOU are interested, l can quote you
a line in saucepanS or sell you a
thousand bedsteads without referring
to the price list. ! find it difficult to
be enthusiastic in these activities, but
at a time when the salt OF the earth,
who sacrificed four years of their
youth to save the world, spends it's
abundant leisure for the most part in
polishing the hard benches of labor
exchange waiting rooms, l can only
thank the lucky stars that made me
heir to a wholesale tinker.
/ had caught my train at Genoa
with only a minute to spare, and l
had had no time to buy anything TO
read. There was one other occupant
of the carriage. He was Swiss, and
for the moment he was absorbed in
the morning papers. I had not seen
them vet and wondered why he was
so closely intrigued. He was not eX-
actlv excited His race is seldom ex-
cited but he showed a degree OF mild
interest in the foreign kilograms
which was almost unprecedented III
my acquaintance with his compa-
triots.
"Vous permettez. monsieur?'I said,
and L put my hand on the Journal de
Paris
He nodded and resumed his reading.
The news accorded we'll with my
hopeful spirits and the exhilaratlon
of the December sunlight
There was, it appeared, reason
able prospect at last of d European
settlement The long dispute between
France and Germany seemed on the
eve of conclusion. Germany had ca
pitulated. She would pay any repara-
tions that might be asked of her,
down to the last farthing. There was
to be some sort of interallied confer
ence in Paris, and the German gov
ernment pledged itself in advance to
accept its ruling. AS a proof or her
good faith, Germany was prepared at