THE DAY; OR, THE PASSING OF A THRONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15948, 19 June 1915, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE DAY; OR, THE PASSING OF A THRONE.

BY FRED M. WHITE", Author of "The Nether ' Milktone." "The Corner House.," '"The Slave of Silence," Craven Fortune," " The Scales of Justice." etc. etc.

(COPYRIGHTS

CHAPTER XLV.—(Continued.) Alonzo finished with a shrug of his shoulders. It was all so easily and cleverly done that Vera could not help admiring the man's self-possession. But she knew better. She knew perfectly well why that car was waiting there, and that Alonzo and his companion would bo on their way to tUo north in a lew minutes. And it was up to her to do all that she could to prevent their departure. She might havo gone at oneo with her story to Scotland lard or the War Office, but she did not want to do that. '1 lie spirit of adveilture was strong upon her still She was longing to take part in the raid winch itosslyn and Hailett had planned on the east coast, and she Mas anxious to see Lady Loxton and Alonzo caught in that particular net. If the worst came to the worst, and Alonzo got away on his journey north then she would inform the authorities. But there was many a s.ip betwixt the cup and the lip, and Alonzo might be detained after all. With the possibility of this in her mind, Vera lingered in the hall waiting for Alonzo to return. Then she would go up in the lift with him, and it would be no fault of her's if she did not manage to find her way inside Lady Loxton's Hat. What, she would do when she got there did not in the least matter for the moment. There was a chance of picking up a bit of valuable information. What Vera particularly wanted to do was to meet Paul Kosslyn, [ and warn him what was taking place | before these arch-conspirators had arrived. ! She was still turning over the prospects of this in her mind When her attention was diverted to an angry altercation going on in the road outside. She could hear Alonzo protesting passionately, and he crept across the hall to listen. What's the good of arguing'/" the voice protested. "You will gain absolutely nothing by abusing me. Besides, you are not an Englishman. You mightbe a German spy." "Ah," Alonzo spluttered. "How suspicious you English are. I have given you my name, and you say that it is familiar to you. Let me tell you it is a name known all over the world. Every child knows that I am a Spaniard. Call the hall porter. He will tell you that I am speaking th e truth." Vera could see now what was going on. On the pavement stood a muscular-look-ing young Englishman in a serviceable blue serge suit, and wearing on his arm th e badge of a special constable. Ho stood between Alonzo and the car quietly and good-temperedly, but at the same time quite determined. "Now look .here," he said. "My orders are quite strict, and I am going to obey them. There has been trouble on the south coast, and we have all had instructions to see that no car enters or leaves London by any road without a permit. If you try that on you will be shot. _ I shall have to telephone your descriptions to the suburbs, and if you like to run the risk so much the worse for you. Possibly late in the afternoon you may get a permit, but, seeing you are a foreigner, I should very much doubt it." The speaker turned away, and strolled along the street. Vera was easier in her mind now. It was quite plain that Alonzo was not going to get away for many hours to come, and with any luck she would be up in the north in time to warn liosslyn. Vera was down early the following morning, . and eager to see .the papers. They were practically filled with -the story of the German raid, to the exclusion of everything else. In every case the plan . of , campaign was identical, in every case the attack had. been made from some lonely spot near the various coast towns which had been selected by the German spies. It was the same at Brighton and Litt'.ehamptoii, the same- at, Hastings and Eastbourne. The. latter town had been quite a typical example. The lonely stretch of downs at the back of Willingdon Golf Club had afforded an ideal spot for the attack on the town. It had been no difficult matter to land the gunners at Pevensey, whence they had made their way over the marshes to the high ground. Here also was a disused quarry, which had been fitfully worked by foreigners a few years ago, and subsequently abandoned. The scheme was ridiculously simple and easy, so easy that 110 suspicion had ever been aroused. • .

And they had done damage enough in all conscience. They had had a free hand for the best part of two hours or more before the troops training at Cooden Beach and Hastings were got on the way, and tho high ground -behind the town from Beachy Head away past Willingdon had been thoroughly scoured and the deadly battery unmasked. For the most part the German gunners had got away 'safely enough, leaving their guns and ammunition behind them, which they had .done with a light heart, seeing that they- had been successful beyond their . wildest dreams. They had done their work successfully enough, and for once in a way Berlin would be able to tell the truth.

Fortunately the' loss of life ' was hot jreat. Streets were injured here and there, and one or' two hotels on the sea front badly damaged. In most cases the ( audacious. Germans had got away, but they had had to leave everything behind them, so that there was no chance of a further raid taking place. ■ Vera was still engaged over these details when Lady Loxton came gliding into the room. ' j " Oh, this is a nice thing," she said. "One thing I am thankful for is that ? was not in Brighton last night. i I see that the hotel Metropcle is in ruins. I suppose it will be London's turn next, You may call me a coward if you like, but I am not going to stay here. I am going to the north. , I should have gone early this morning, only those stupid people actually refused me a permit for the car. They told Alonzo, who' kindly offered to drive me, that no permits will be issued until after to-morrow. I suppose I shall have to stay till to-morrow afternoon. Are you staying, too?" • Vera was not sure. It would have been unwise to speak of her movements to this woman. All the same, she knew exactly what she was going to do. She was leaving, London by a fast' train noon after lunch, and she hoped to meet Rosslyn at Filey somewhere about tea time. • She shook Lady 'Loxton off, and went "on hurriedly with her preparations for departure. As she anticipated, the trains were running as usual, and she reached her destination about tea time.

Rosslyn was there on the platform awaiting her. "We are going straight to Inchcliffe Castle," he said. " Come on, I have got a car waiting."

CHAPTER XL 1 THE OTHER SPIDEII.

Vera asked no questions. She knew that the broad road of adventure lay before her, and that there was yet much to be done, but it was good to know that she was amongst friends, and that no longer would she have to make her way alone. It was a warm welcome that awaited her from Lady InchcliiTe, who in a way reminded Vera of Lady Loxton.: She was small and fair and vivacious, alwavs cheery and good-tempered, and absolutely devoid of brains. In fact, she was typically a musical comedy lady, to whose charms so many of the younger aristocracy have fallen victims during the last few years. , , , , . "I hear all sorts of wonderful things of you," she said, as she settled Vera down in a great chair before the hall fire. "Now I want you to make yourself perfectly happy here, and do just as you like. You are one of the conspirators, I understand. I believo that all sorts of mysterious things are going on of which Inchcliffe tells me nothing. He gays it is utterly impossible for--mo to keep a secret of any kind, and, really, he is quite right, 'People come and go in the middle of the night, and Mr. Hallett and his friends never seem to go. to bed, and that is about all I know. So if I ask you any questions you don't want to answer, don't do so. Now have some more tea."- - ; ,

. Vera smiled at this ; unconventional re- . inception. ' But all ; the same it made her easy in her mind, and later on, when i. Inchcliffo turned his' wife : unceremoni- 1 ously out of the library with an intima- L . lion that she was not wanted, Vera did not feel in the least uncomfortable. .

" You have just come straight from : town haven't you Inchcliffe asked. "No more trouble there, I hops?" "As a matter of fact, Miss Leroux knows all about it," Eosslyn said. " She had adventures thrilling enough for yel- -■ low covers. She saw the raid on Brighton from start to finish. Don't bo shy, Vera. Tell these people all about it."

Vera stammered out the history of her wonderful trip. It did not occur to her that she had done .anything calling for marvellous courage and resolution, and her cheeks crimsoned as she listened to the chorus of praise from her listeners. "It was just good luck," she said. "Mr. Hailett put me on the track, and after that fortune favoured me in the most extraordinary way. Absolutely nothing went wrong. Now do tell me what's going on here, and how I can help.' It's so dreadfully lonely working by oneself. I think I can be useful."

" You can be of the greatest possible assistance," Hailett said. "Now listen to what I have to say." In a few words Hailett explained the course of evjsnts during the last day or two. He had managed to decipher the code of the window curtains with the aid of the catalogue, and now had the whole thing at his fingers' ends. It was no part of his scheme to take the conspirators single-handed, for he preferred, if possible, to capture the whole of them at one fell swoop.

"sJVc have contrived for the moment to put them entirely off their guard." he said. "They think the arrangements have broken down for the time being, and that there is reason for delay. Wo know that there are several hostile fishing smacks hanging about in the bay outside waiting for orders; and we know that these boats are connected with the laying of mines. We have every reason to believe that the mines are not on board the boats. That would be a rather dangerous proceeding in case of a search. But the mines are somewhere handy where they can be taken on board at a moment's notice, and it is this hiding-place that we want to discover. If we can put our hands on those and the crews of the fishing boats at the same time, then I' think we can break up this gang altcgether." " Where can I help Vera asked. . " I was just coming to that," Hailett went on. "I am going to ask you to be good enough to spend most of to-mor-row mastering the cipher of the window curtains. I will give you the key and I have no doubt you will learn the whole thing in the course of the day. You see our great difficulty has been to change the letters on the curtains in the same neat way as they have been altered hitherto. I have used tiny spots of gum, but what we want is a woman who is quick and neat, with a needle." "I make all my own blouses," Vera,, smiled. v " Excellent," Hailett exclaimed. "If was quite sure you would be most useful.! You will be able to make all the neces-' sary changes without the slightest traco of clumsiness. Now I am laying a little trap for these people to-morrow night and I shan't be able to spare one of unfriends here to work the signals from tho house on the cliff. They will have to be changed from time to time at certain specified hours, and this is the task that I propose to put id your hands, 'Mica Vera. I know you won't shriru from it."

" I don't think I shall," Vera aid quietly. "Now let me clearly understand. You are going to give me a series of messages to tack on the window curtains and these things are to bo altered and changed according to a 1 time-table. The lights will go up and down as I am doing my work. Shall I bo alone in the house."

" Not altogether," Hailett explained. " One of my trusted subordinates and his wife are in the 'house acting as caretakers. They" don't know much, though they arc both old hands at .the game..- It won't interfere with j you'; unless something quite ' unexpected. happens,•" soma unforeseen' danger,and all * that sort of thing. My . man is a:> resolute fellow, quite capable of - using , a revolver. : Of course, no one about has the. least- notion of what liasj happened. r People . ar® under the impression that Blair Allison and his wife have gone abroad on.business and the servants are having a holiday."' f~v * -

J .'There was 110 more Ito lie said or dotio for the moment and Vera went v away wearily to bed. '* She was , utterly tired out with the toil and excitement : of tho last eighVand-fortv hours,- and only ; too ready to rest. ' But she was up betimes in the morning and hard at- work with the cipher directly '.after breakfast. . , All this sort*' of thing was child's play to her, so that by lunch time she had the whole thing by heart and was quite capable of working the secret code without any reference to the ingenious catalogue. V; " Splendid," Hallett said. : " The? way you picked that up is wonderful.' I don't know what we should have done without you. Now do take a rest this afternoon and don't think any more; about it; till after dinner. About half-past ten you had better announce ~ your intention '. of retiring for the night, then come down again and meet us .in' the hall. J v Put on something warm and serviceable you need not be afraid of meeting, the servants, because they will all be sent to bed by that time." '' 1 ' 1 V' .

."Vera ■ was glad enough to have an hour or two to herself to J wander about the <jrand"'old house . and ' make herself agreeable to Lady Inchcliffe. It seemed, strange to stroll up and down tho magni-. ficent terrace in front of the castle, to look out over the ancient park where the deer were lying peacefully under the trees, and realise " the ' deadly A intrigue which was going on only a mile or ->two away. It seemed to Vera that she. was leading two separate lives. She sat in the drawingroom presently listening to Lady Inchcliffe's pleasant frivolous chatter, and all tho time longing for. the moment of . action to arrive. She could hear the ' men talking in the billiard-room, she could hear the click of the balls and someone calling the score. All this was such a . long way from trouble and strife that Vera,, could not. altogether grasp the connection . between the . two. • Then the time came for her to bid her hostess good-night, and a quarter of an hour later .with Hallett and the rest she was making her way across the, park in the direction of the house on the cliff. They did not touch the road at any point, ana just as a clock somewhere was striking the hour of eleven the discreet caretaker opened the door and admitted them. ' • "Nobody been here, I suppose?" Hallett asked. "That's all right. No, wo arc not coming in. We have work to >do elsewhere. But we are leaving this lady behind, and you will do anything she asks. Please* show her into the suite of bedrooms and bathrooms in the front of the house, and point out where the controlling switch of the electric light is. I think that's all." The discreet subordinate bowed respectfully, and asked Vera if she would be go id "enough to follow him. She had nothing with her. not even tho key to the cipher, for slio already knew that by heart. She asked her guide a few simple questions, then when she had satislied herself that the box of embroidered letters and needle and cotton were handy, she closed the door and proceeded to studv the card oil which Hallett had tabulated his messages and the various times they were to be signalled by means of the window curtains. It was a somewhat monotonous job, requiring a certain amount of patience, and at intervals tho putting out of the light whilst the necessary letters were being altered. But at length the messages drew to a close, and the" last one had just been signalled when there came a low tap at the door, and the caretaker looked anxiously in. " I don't quite know what 'to do, miss," he said. "Some visitors have just turned up asking to see Mr. Blair Allison. I had to say I was only hero taking another man's place, ana that I'd inquire. If only Mr. Hallett was here." A sudden' fear flashed into Vera's mind. :

• "Did these people give any names?" she asked. '

"Oh, yes, miss. I asked for. names, and the gentleman calls, himself Alonzo and the other ia Lady Loxton." (To lie continued.on Wednesday nozt.J V