Evening star., 1925-02-23
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ofJane eSmih By ,.r~en ri, L. W, rs,svo..a

vivid impression of that long corri-
dor with its one family glimmering
light.
Then she sat down on the cupboard
floor, close to Henry's head. and
breathed out:
"Henryi-how on EARTH"
Henry. who apperaed to be stand
ing upon ladder or som ething
equally vertical, came up few steps.
sat down on the edge of the hole, and
switched off his torch.
Il had to see you," he said. This
was my room in the old days, and
Tony and / found this passage 1t
leads down TO another cupboard in
the garden room where they keep
the tennis and croquet gear. How are
you?-aH right?"
"Yes, quite all right"
That's good. Now which of us is
going to talk first?"
II think I had better" said Jane.
You see. l saw Renata. and she told
me things, and / think, II you don't
mind, Henry, that / had better tell
you everything that she told me-"
Yes, please" He hesitated. "One
minute, Jane. I just wanted to say,
you don't mind talking to me like
this, do you? l wouldn't have asked
you to IL there had been any other
way-what I mean to say is
Jane gave very small laugh,
which was instantly repressed.
She reflected that 1t was pleasanter
to suppress a laugh than scream.
What you mean to say is, there
aren't any chaperons in this scene.
You needn't apologize, Henry. Sleuths
never have chaperons-it's simply
not done; and, anyhbw. I'm sure
you'd make a beautiful one. Shall
/ go on?"
1t may be doubted whether Henry
really cared about being described
as a chaperon. His tone was rather
dry as he said:
As for Jane. who had prodded him
on purpose just to see IL anything
would happen, she certainly felt
slight disappointment, accompanied
by sense of increased respect.
You saw Renata. What did she
tell you?"
'rShe told me what she overheard"
said Jane, speaking slowly. Henry,
II 1 tell you what it was, will you
promise me not to let any one guess
that you know? If they were cer-
tain that l knew, l shouldn't be
alive tomorrow; and II they thought
you knew the secret, you'd never get
back to London alive"
who is they Jsne?' said Henry
Il want to tell you about Renata
first. She really did walk in her
sleep, you know. She must have
| walked when she opened the door.
She said the first thing she knew
| was the cold feel of the hall limo
Ieum under her feet. The door was
the threshold. There was a screen
| In front OF her. and beyond the screen
man talking. She heard every
word he said and l am sure that
| what she repeated to me was just
| exactly what she heard. The first
words that she caught were for
mula A"
Henry gave violent start.
Good Lord he said under his
| breath. You're sure?"
Quite. Then he went on. and this
is what he said: You all have for
mula "A" You will go to your posts
and from your directions you will
| prepare what is needful according TO
| that formula, carrying out to the
| last detail the cipher instructions
| which each of you has received. As
| soon as the experiments relating to
| formula B. are completed, you will
/ receive a summons in code. You will
| then assemble at the rendezvous
| given. and formula B. with all in
structions for it's employment, will
| be intrusted to you. With formula
| a. you have the key. When for
mula "B" is also complete, you will
| have the lock for that key to fit;
| then the treasures of the world are
yours. The annihilation of civiliza-
| tion and of the human race is within
our grasp. When the key has turned
in the lock we only shall be left,
and Just then, Renata said
some one else cried out. The door!
The door" They pushed the screen
away and pulled her in. She nearly
| tainted. When she revived a Ettle
her father and Mr.. Ember were try
| ing to find out what she had heard
| Fortunately for herself, she told me-
| at first it was all confusion. The
only thing that stood out clearly was
| that shout at the end but afterward,
when she was alone, IL all came
back. She said it was like a pho
tographic plate developing. hazy at
| first, and then everything getting
! clearer and sharper until each detail
| came out. She repeated the whole
thing as IL it were a lesson"
Wait" said Henry. My head S
going round. 1 want to sort things
out"
! Jane waited She had been pre-
| pared for Henry to be impressed or
| incredulous. What took her by sur
| prise was the puzzled note in his
voice. Lord. what a mix-up! she
heard him say.
Then he addressed her again.a
Did you ever play Russian Scan
| dali Jane?" he said.
Yes, of course. But II you had
| heard Renata-the sort of queer me-
botanical way she spoke, exactly like
| a gramophone record-why, the
| words weren't words she'd have used,
and all that about formula Ado
| you think that's the sort of thing
| that schoolgirl makes up?"
NO." said Henry Unexpectedly. II
| think it is quite possible that she
| overheard something about formula
A. and I'd give a good deal to know
| just what she did hear"
I've told you what she heard"
J said Jane. Jimmy always said
had a Photographic memory, and l
until I had 1T by heart You see, 1
didn't dare to write 1t down."
| Can you say it again?" said Hen
ry. I'D like to get 1T down in black
| and white, and have a look at 1t. At
| present 1t makes me feel giddy."
You mustn't write it down." said
| Jane breathlessly. "Oh, you mustn't,
Henry, It's not safe"
Henry turned on his torch, propped
| it against the wall, and produced a
notebook and a pencil. The cold,
narrow beam of light showed his
| knee, the white paper, a pencil with
| a silver ring, and Henry's large,
| brown hand.
He has a horribly determined ID
| hand" thought Jane.
Now" said Henry, will you start
at the beginning and say 1T all over
| again, please?"
Jane did so meekly, but her in
| ward feelings were not meek. Once