Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-04-21
CHAPTER IL

mean IIldI we are oCiieAiiAS AAASA
down here tomorrow" the minister
went on. "He is third in command
at Scotland Yard but he was at MI7B
during the war and he is pretty clever
at this sort of business. NARROW is
coming with him to see that the crimi-
nal side of the matter is kept within
bounds. Before they get to work,
Matresser, as man to man, and / can
assure you a great deal depends upon
your reply, are you shielding anyone
or partially shielding them? Have
you no suspicion whatever as to who
it was who first assaulted Fergus and
is in possession of the letter addressed
to you, fortunately in very vague
terms but definitely inviting you to
take part in our pending conference
"I can assure you that have no
idea," Matresser declared earnestly.
1.-THE only strangers in these parts
are Dutchman called van Westrheene
who brought his boat in here the
night of the great storm and who has
been up to shoot with me once and
dine, a great sportsman but a disa-
greeable fellow. Then, besides him,
the only persons who do not absolute
ly belong here are my mothers maid,
who 1 have satisfied myself is entire
ly harmless, and my sisters compan-
ion, Mademoiselle Stamier, whom you
sat next at dinner and who I think I
told you is a niece of the Austrian
Minister"
1--WE will leave the young lady out
of it for the moment" the Foreign
Minister declared. 81 have some
slight acquaintance with Mademoi-
selle Stamier and she is scarcely likely
to work against her sympathies. Van
Westrheene is a Dutchman, you say.
/ will have him looked up directly I
get back"
would you like to see the doctor
in whose house the final tragedy hap
pened?"
Glow long has he been in the
place?"
"He was born here and his father
before him. He is what he calls him
self-a real piece of Norfolk clay.
He used to be ashamed of the fact
but now he rather brags about it. He
has never been outside England in his
life. He has not even crossed the
Channel"
an leave Andrews to Finch" Sir
Francis decided. "It seems to me
at the moment as though someone had
followed Fergus down from London
If so, the letters are probably in Paris
by now"
fare you going to tell me what was
in those letters, sir?" Matresser ask.
ed.
"That's why I begged for an invi.
taion to Sandringham so as to have
a bona fide excuse for calling in to
see you. One letter concerned your
report on Territory Number 2. Theft
Of that message makes the whole bust
ness in which the Foreign Office is
concerned extraordinarily difficult.
"It is a record of plain unvarnish-
ed facts" Matresser said firmly.
"My dear fellow, we realize that
and we are tremendously grateful
Sir Francis declared. eff those facts
had leaked out afterwards, provided
our great move comes off, there
would have been an uproar. We
should have had a red hot press a.
gainst us. You did what we asked
you to do by telling us the simple
truth, Matresser, and I won't have a
Inc of your report altered. We shall
have to deal with Number Seven sep
Arately."
"What about the other letter."
"You will probably smile when I
tell you its contents and it will take
me the best part of an hour to ex-
plain exactly its significance. The
letter contains an invitation from a
certain person in mid Europe to spend
q fortnight with him at his shooting
box in the Metzger Mountains"
From a Stranger" Matresser ask
I'd.
II don't think it likely that you
have ever met him." was the thought
ful reply. "He is a very charming
person, however, and although he is
not English himself, he appears to
have great affection for our race
You will take with you the usual
outfit rifle and suppose couple
Of shotguns, with cartridges from
number twos to sevens. Let it look
a. much like a genuine sporting ex-