“THE GREEN PEARL”

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 10945, 21 October 1932, Page 4

“THE GREEN PEARL”

| AID AN DE BRUNE, | 1 (author of “Dr. Night,” “Whispering Death,” ‘The Gray’s Manor | i ' Mystery,” Etc., Etc.) s

CHAPTER X. Leaving Thomas’s room, Therrold returned to his own apartment. His mind was racked with perplexities; with a sudden fierce anger against the men who resorted to any actions to promote their selfish ends. He smiled bitterly. Again he stood alone; fighting for his trust against overwhelming odds.

in design and ornamentation it was of very modern manufacture. This box had never had connection with the Green Pearl—it was not one of the three boxes manufactured by long-forgotten men to the order of some pre-historic sovereign. The box was a fake; but where had it come from? Who had made it; and to who’s order? Immediately his thoughts went to the box on the shelf in the antique shop. Then to his memory came the imitation Green Pearl that had cost Sergeant Browne his life. Box and pearl were imitations. Had they a still closer connection?

During the years that had passed since he first obtained possession of the pearl he had made few friends; a few he had found willing to help him in his work. In every case men. Some had died violent deaths; others had disappeared, without leaving a single clue to their fate. He had thought when he landed in Sydney that he would find helpers of his own race to assist him with his burden. Browne’s appearance had appeared almost providential. The man "had been in the Secret Service during the war; he was skilful, daring, resourceful. Browne had died, violently, immediately the men who sought the Green Pearl knew that he was associated with him. Now Thomas, revealed as a helper by one unguarded movement, had disappeared. Therrold had little fear for his own life. For some reason those who sought the pearl had decided that he was not to die. Possibly, the possession of the Green Pearl had constituted him neutral ground amid the warring forces. If they had reasoned in that manner, then they had betrayed themselves into a weakness. He had no doubts as to his capabilities to carry through his mission. He knew that he would again become possessed of the pearl, as he had on former occasions; he knew that he would carry it to England and place it in the hands of the man who had sent him on the quest. For a long time he sat, pondering his problems. His eyes, ceaselessly searching the room, came to the newspaper on the table. Thorne and Thomas had intended him to go to the lecture on Soviet Russia. Why, he could hot fathom. He had intended to question Thomas. But he might not have known. The move —for what it was—had been designed by the man higher up—one of the cleverest men in the British Secret Service. It would Be foolish to- disregard the hint. He would go to the meeting.

But, from the imitation box he read more. Now he knew that Dr. Night, and not the Soviet agents were responsible for Thomas’s disappearance. It was inconceivable to suggest that the Russian Government had had the box made and sent after him, to Australia. He did not believe that the Australian Communists knew of the box that had held the Green Pearl in Moscow. Dr. Night, alone, had the knowledge to have the box made, in this country. Who would make the next move, Carl Rohmer or Dr. Night, It was possible that when that was made the would find an opportunity to butt into the game. He determined that when his time came he would administer a severe check to those who now thought they held the whip hand.

A glance at his watch showed that it was after six o’clock. Dressing quickly, he went down to the din-ing-room. In the lounge he passed the little hotel-manager. Did he fancy that in, the small black eyes he could see a glint of triumph? He laughed, quietly. Rohmer had certainly been very busy; but now it was his turn to play.

After dinner, returning to his rooms, Therrold changed into an inconspicuous suit of dark tweeds and picked up a hook to pass the time until he started for the lecture hall. But, the book would not hold his attention. For a time he fidgeted about his room, then went down to the , lou'nge. There he found an almost quiet seat and idly watched the ever-changing throng. “Mr Therrold.” A low voice brought him alert. He looked round. Miss Easton was standing behind him, partly shielded by one of the ornate pillars. “Mr Therrold, I want to thank you for speaking to Mr Rohmer. He has reinstated me.”

He would attend Comrade Atkin’s meeting that night! Perhaps Rohmer would, be there, also. A grim smile played around the firm lips. He stretched out his hand to the table, to the litter of loose cigarettes, to draw back with an exclamation of surprise.

For a moment Therrold thought to tax the girl with the part he believed she had played in the theft of the enamelled box and the disappearance of Thomas. But, she would deny the charge and he had only a theory. “Not at all! Very pleased to have been of service to you.” Therrold tried to make his voice as.inane as possible. “By the way, I hope you have abandoned the absurd theory that I stole my own property.” “You have not recovered —found it—yet?” The girl loked at him, he thought, strangely. “You know, Mr Therrold, I did not accuse you to. . to make you speak to Mr ■ Rohmer and get him to reinstate me.” "Then you do not believe than I—er—acquired my own property?” “I told you what I saw. Now., now, I am beginning to doubt.” A pucker of perplexity was on her brows. “I. ..1 asked Mr Rohmer if you had made any claim on the hotel management regarding the pearl—And he said that you had not.”

Rising from his chair he bent over the scattered cigarettes. Surely there was a meaning on that table. A few moment’s study and he laughed. The little cylinders were lying in symmetrical order.

/ //._/_/// // Here was an adaption of the Morse code signals. The upright cigarettes represented dots and the parallel cigarettes dashes. The / followed by the represented. “A.” The —//spelt “D.” The —/ meant “N.” The —/// “B;” and so on. Therrold found a pencil and scribbled down the code. For his first attempt he obtained

his first attempt he obtained ADNBOX.

From the ambiguous message stood out the word “box.” But what did “ADN” mean? Again he took up his pencil, attacking the puzzle. /—, A; / , W. With' an abrupt motion he tore the paper and started afresh.

7 —//, L; —C; //, I; ,M; —/, G: /—, A. LGINGA. This was, obviously, a poorer attempt than the first. Again he turned to the paper.

“A claim difficult to substantiate. Therrold laughed. “Do you know that soon after I landed in Australia I asked an expert what a green pearl would be worth. He said that he would give me a blank cheque—to write in my own valuation, if I placed in his hand a genuine green pearl, -for sale.” The girl laughed quietly. There was a glint of amusement in the eyes that met Therrold’s frankly. “I suppose that while you were talking to that expert you had the Green Pearl in your pocket. Did you show it to him?”

/ /, P; /—, A; /—//, L; / ~J;—//—.X. Here was no better result. Yet he knew that he was getting closer to the correct solution; working down the alphabet on a systematic plan. Only two more alternatives remained. The next attempt was also a failure. Then:

Taking the first letter as “W”, the secret service agent determined to follow it with a vowel. The next two signs “//” represented “I” and the following pair of cigarettes must mean “N.” ,Now his mind flew to his first attempt at a solution. He had had “BOX;” with the first three letters of his latest solution he had a compound word; “WINBOX.”

“I did not. Do you know, young lady, that the Green Pearl is the best known jewel in the world. It has graced the crown of more than one line of monarchs. If I had shown the Green Pearl to Mr Angus he would certainly have asked me where I got it from arid probably detained me until the police arrived. That would have meant publicity—and publicity would be bad for my mission.- It is well known that the owners of the Green Pearl would never part with it; but, if it did come on the market it would be guarded night and day by armed men, not carried about in the pocket of a casual traveller. No, I kept the pearl—and my knowledge—to myself.” "Mr Therrold, you mean to stay here, until you have recovered the Green Pearl, or know where it is?”

Had he succeeded? Was the enamelled box somewhere about the # window.

For some time he searched without success. The blind was halfway down. Therrold caught at the cord and jerked. The blind rolled up almost to the roller, then stopped without being checked. He pulled down the blind and sent it up again. It stopped at the same place. Pulling it down again he sought the solution of the check. Tucked in the torn selvage was the enamelled box. Now he could reconstruct the happenings in that room while he had been in the lounge. Thomas had discovered that he w'as being watched. He had tucked the little box in the selvage of the blind and let it roll up. Then, hastily arranging the cigarettes, he had faced his assailants, confident that when Therrold returned to the room he would solve the puzzle. When Rohmer and his friends had overcome Thomas’s resistance and had carried him away they had returned .and searched for the box, in yain. For some time he sat fondling the little box, wondering where he should hide it. The blind had been a good, temporary hiding-place but was of little use as a place of permanent concealment. He could see nothing the cold, bare, appurtenances of the hotel bedroom. There was no choice. He would have to carry it about with him, until he could again get in touch with Thorne and get him to take charge of it until he had recovered the Green Pearl and was ready to sail for England. He was about to slip the box in his waistcoat pocket when something in the patina of the anarael attracted his attention. Obtaining a powerful glass he scrutinised the surface of the box. A few r seconds and he sat back,-whistling softly. This box was not the one he had brought out of Asia. Though alike

Therrold nodded, wonderingly. “Then...” Again the girl glanced, almost fearfully, around and bent lower. “Then, Mr Therrold I should change my room, if I were you. 1 ’ ■ Before he could reply she swung round and walked quickly to the office doors. Therrold stared after her, amazed: but she did not glance back.

(To be Continued)