GENTLEMEN OF THE SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 224, 20 September 1915, Page 10

GENTLEMEN OF THE SEA.

A Stirring Romance of the British Navy. By PAtTL TRENT. Author of "Right Ar.ain*t Might" 'A Commercial l/.-. n (.- >',istc," "Thr Vote," ftC, etc.

happy young airl. Ah, 1 remember now. Your in ulifi -v a> n iM>rmaii." "I IoVO lll\ 111.till'!.' •'.-he ua- a very beautiful woman. DM siic per.-uade you t,i Income a «;>>'?'' t Now to business. I haw been sent here possible. Then , ought t" In , no great , difficulty. The sooner you gvt to work J tlii' hotter." -In , said, curtly. ~ ' "I am wondering i! it would be poeI sihle to kill liv.i 1 >i r. 1 > with ono stone. I want to get Hall.nu on; of tho way. If it could ho iiiailc to appear that it was ? he »!i: stave the information—-" lie paused and watched her closely. , "You are thinking of Stella;" 1 I "Yes: 1 wa.it her. 1 thought I had forgotten her: l>ut yesterday showed mc ■ I wa- mistaken." "Do you believe in love at first sight?" [■be asked, and he laughed at the quee- ' tion. "**O I »"M right—you were by 1 llallam's charm. My dear girl, you would be bored to tears in a week —the man's a prig." "1 don't agree with you —unless you irean lie's a good man. Lately I have mr; -o many of a different elas.*. It does ' one sr<iod t , ' i-'nit- across a man who is honourable." "You have been unfortunate." ■ I have be« iMii- with Mich men as yourself, ami tliey make mc ill." she said, suddenly. "Yon are far too particular for one of your profession." A* lie .-poke he roee and rang the bell. After the bill »«- paid they went down to the car and drove rapidly back to \Y-y;...rt. Vai.l.l alighted nhen they were near t:i• - town, and walked slowly in the dire;!,.. ■•:' tin , Cameron*' house. Then- «he round awa.iinj; her a letter. and re■•ojnise 1 !ier mother's writing. "My ilarling." it began, "I am about to undergo a serious operation. To-day 1 am Boinji into a nursing home. I Aα not wi-.il you to mmc to mc. -o 1 have left no add-rc*.-. Hut should thing* -o h.idly with mc. I will fend y.m telegram, and yon iiiu-t hasten to London at once. B-- came to s ee n:e la-t nijfht. and impre«<?Pd up-">n mc the importance of your mi-.-ion. tint y.ii do no; fail, l> -aid that he was very pleased with your nork. and that you had rendered valnaY.c -ervices. 1 need lint tell you to be v,:y can-fal. Everything - in \otrr favour, an 1 unless you make i-onip great mistake you will never he suspected. Do not worry about inc. dear one.-Your affection ite mother." Yalda -ighel deeph a- -lie crossed the liall. Mh- paused at the door of the Lira wing -room. There was -oineune there, and she fdcogni-eJ llallam'e voice. For a few moment* slip hesitated, and then went upptiir.- to her room, ■-lowly the veil iv.|. remove I and -lie looked at Iht reflection in the mirror. Yes. tiiere could V. no doubt that she w«, beautiful, and yet she took no pleasure in her ■ beauty. How liappy -tie had ■■α-n until ' i few years ago: \,, child e.»uld have had a more loving moti'er. and yet all the time she knew she »,t not nuite like ot'.'er girls. Her- had heen a life of hard nork. le.miin« man' thinps that a. re i-trange. All iu-r holidays had heen -pent with !»-r mother nn tin- (ontin'-nt. Jtid slip had been taught to speak several l.in£iiaac- fluently. Then had conic that terrible day in Berlin. It warm her eighteenth i.irthJay that ber mother ha 1 spoken openly of the future. "My fhild." .-lie had raid, 'yours is n-t to lie an idle li".'' , . I have e.liu-ated you to an end. ttfti-n yon have a.-ke I ire ■ about your father, an T have evaded your i|ue>tions. The tiuif has now rome for you to know what I -nflere.l. Be fore I ,\..r- twenty I fell in love and married an Kngli-h nan. He «a- a nival officer— the be-t hiis:.and thflt ever breathed. He wa* stationed at I'ort.--motith. and I lived at Southsea. We ha.l very little money, but we loved one another passionately. A month or t"n before \ oil were born he was arrested and trie,] by court martial for hnvins sold -e.-rets'to Ormany. He was found Ciiilty. They did not mii.l him to |>rsn,,. hut di-niis-el liiin from thp service. \'our father n.i- innocent. He w.w an honourable man- that I swear: and I knew him. Thp night of the verdict they brought him to mc. dead. He had shot himself, unable to bear the unmerited -ha mc. "Thp next morning you were born. I 'ia.l hoped yo;i would be a boy. On his dead body i swore that ) our life should Iμ levoted to the rep.i .ment of the terrible wrong that had been done him. As \on grew into girlhood I saw mv way .■ie. ( r. While you were at school i commence 1 the work which you are to carry on. I entered the Herman Secret Service." From the nutwt .-lie had been -ii.ci-- ■ ful. Kvprythina »a- in her favour. To ■ill appearance- she i Us a beautiful yoiini! Knulj-'i uirl. «'ioui one would trust in-tinctivi-lv. (iradlialh her con -cience became re.-on.-iie.l to 'what -he ■ was doing. When she weakened, he, i mother v,|. at hand t.i reiniml her of her ■ wrong-. i N"ow. a, she thought o: t u<. past Vald., Mi n -l, a me|. ~„., ,„„,. vesterdny the b li.m,. had become acute.' .Again ! she aakiil her-elf the nu-on. and iTii-re ■ was conjured up i i,e f.,,,. ,„■ (| IIV ijil'am ' nith hi- trank. bleady eye. With another deep si«h -hi. olace,] her hat on the bed. and went ilowm-tain-Tlip door of the dra h Ing-room wa~ thrown open, and Hallam strode out. "Mr. Hallam. what has happened? , ' she railed after him. He gave one look back, and she shrank from thp mi-pry of his face. And then the front door closed on him. (To be continued daily)

HAPTER 1 IT. Fi::v: had uT.isi.ed hi? mo:nIngV »or's. and trolled aloim to the Hardro-iTj > ;ere he ■ rdered a .0,-k:aii. The ante-: ■ •■•■ -*a- filled « .tli nftieerw. nil • AfTc talk i:-z togethe: «it!i the li_''uheartedne*. ~f their cia-.s. The Trident «a* "hat i- termed a "happy t>h.p." anil. as j i-.,n-i"juence. had a reputation for .-:C3rtn»— and genera .competence. At the reeei." ririni! practice they had co:r.e nut "on top." and Iron the captain to the latent-joined boy t!ic\ were proud of t:;. , ship that bore them. Xo'.v they were getting ready for the can', -.view which iat- shortiy to be hclii in thp Kin:: at v :it iead. Tiie eominander caaie in briskly .uid found Furber. "You're co'.na ashore. ?lial'. you see Haliani , " he askel. "I naven't arrangei. to meet him." "The Adjnira". ha- signalled that he ■wants the report on ?on:e wireless experiment. You might tell Ha'lim if }ou come across him." -Very we.l. eir." Before ashore Furber went to the ■wireless room, and q lest ioned the petty pfficer ;n charge then. "Do you know if Mr. Hallam has the report ready for the Admiral;" "1 think so. sir." "The last experju?nt was successful, cii V •■Ye?, sir." ">o Mr. riallam liH solved the problem!" •Tes. sir." "I wonder how he managed it:" Furber Tcrxiarke'i. rpHectingl. '. The P'tty officer i id not answer, and Furber went along to his cabin. Everyone knew that the wireless experts had been trying to devise a means o; sending mo?----sages that could not be real by an enemy. And Hallam had evidently succeeded. Half an bour later Furber landed and got into his car. whi. li had been brought from the garage to meet him. Having dismissed the chauffeur, he drove slowly throush the town on the Dorhampton road. A quarter of a mile from the outskirts he saw a woman walking ahead, and spurted to catch )ier up. ■'Jump up!" he sa v. curtly. And Valda Glyn su by his side, --he ■was dressed in a tweed walking costume, and her face was veil-.!. For a time they iirovp along in silen'-e. • n Yelir" she querie 1. quietly. "We can't talk heie. Wait till we get to the hotel." Furbor drove ar a rapid pacp until he reached Dorhampton where lie stopped before an ho.te-1. Th"V went together to tlif "nail, where he ?u<Mged a ]>rivate room. •"•Aren't you rather indiscreet ?** s-he a>k'ed. mockingly. "No c-ie knovfti youj as for my-elf. it ooppit'T Tnattpr.--' The waiter broilgl t a bottle of flam and. after he iad filTed the classes. l":'t the roo:i. .'-.s soon as they were a!>ne. Fr'ber "turneri on her roughly. "Wh.it are you doing in Weyport ?" he demanded. ■■I'm here on business. Read thU lettpr." His fj,-«. turned white when he had mastered tiie iew. lir.es. "S • I'm to take :iiy instruction? from "Yes. I've come down on wireless business." "Y"..n naven't lost much time. I be--1 .--..■ il.illam on'y perfected the thing la.-t .veek." '"It i- not our cu-toni to waste time. ( an you give mc an" information!" -None at all. The. are mighty careful. 1 The experiments are si" tph. Only Halljm enil a couple n: hi<s iien know."" "The mpir" -he . -kp I. quickly. "Quite nselcf*-. No money could buy them." "Hallam? But 1 know him. Still. you've sot to . copy of '.is rpport. and I want it at or cc." "It will W very d fficult." he remarked. reflectively. "I believe you've done difficult things before, and been w.-Il paid for what you have done." "Tnat is co. I mist think out a way." "T can't give yoi, very long." "By the by. havi you heard t'nat Hallam t. engaged to ?.li3e '"ampronr" 'No. I expected it. but not so soon." His quick ears detected that her voice ■was not quite so steady, and confirmed a suspicion of the pr«v.oiL- day. "You rather farcy Hallam." eh?" _ "I hardly know him. Besides, my profession does not < dmi: of sentiment.' , "Sentiment hae a way of forcing itself upou one. It doesn't ask permission. I epeak from experipnee. Hallam sha'n't marry Stella. I want hpr." "So I imagined. You are too late, my friend.'' "I don't think so. Hallam will have to go under. That's all.' , "You have a phin? : ' "The beginning of one. It wants a Jittle thinking out." ■She took a cigarette from his case and lighted it carefully. Then her cyee\aininej him fo?' a timp. and suddc-nlv the addressed him in German, and he answered h<T flueitly. "I thought so. Y'oj are Herman." ">"o. I'm English. My father was German. -Ma.'y years ago he came over when r |iiite young and was naturalised." "Your sympathies are Herman?" "Ah-olutely. I have been brought up to be what I am. My father sent mc into the Navy for one purpose—to help the Fatherland." "You feel no shame?" "Why should I '• lam an officer of the British Navy-—only in name. At hear: I am a (jerman, and I have been brought up to bflievp that no sacrifice van b<> too great to -erve my country." "1 o my knowle ijre you have been well paid. Has the money had nothing to do with it'" she ask«d. mockingly. "1 require money for my work. But wai:. I'll be quite frank. 1 have luxurious taetes. I lil.e good wine and good j cifrar.s. I find tbe mou"y very useful. ' Now tell mc sonething about yourself.! lo'; are English enouzh. Why arc you 1 : -ne ilerman Secret t-ervit-e": Js""" it i fur money V | "No." .she said, coir.ernptuousjy. ••Then why aie you working'against your country*" "For revenge,' ? he said, with a fierce ness that .- irpri "d li m . "How hat- England injurpd you': Tlie first time 1 met i'ou in Ostend—some few jeare ago—you eeejm»d to be a perfectly