SHOUT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18277, 19 December 1922, Page 12

SHOUT STORY.

MAYFAIR, 45,878. BY J. MORTON LEWIS. (Copyright.) The voung fellow took the receiver off the hook. "Mayfair, 45,678, please! " He waited impatiently, ono ear listening for thu voice over the wire, the other for the aound of approaching footsteps. "Is that 45,678? I'm Franklin. Yon got that paper I sent yon? Yes, I hope to let you have the other particulars tomorrow. Good-bye." He hung up the receiver. A couple of seconds later the door opened, and a tall fair man entered. " Well, Cardux, I half axpocted to find you here." The younger man had risen from his seat before the telephone and strolled into the middle of the room. " T only dropped in for a few minutes to know if you can make one ot the party at Mrs. Turner's bungalow on Saturday." "If I am in England, yes. But Saturday is a long way off. Four whole days, and I may be goodness knows where in four days—Paris, Rome—anywhere." Cardux had walked towards the door. * Still I shall hope to see you." " You won't stop now? " " I can't possibly. I am going to do a litfle work for once." Franklin watched him leave the room with puckered forehead. There was much about his chief's son that he had not understood lately. The frown was still on his face as he heard the outer door slam. Then he rose and dismissed the matter from his mind. He was busy writing .some reports when his man entered with a letter. " The eight o'clock post in? " he asked. " Yes, sir." A smile lit up Franklin's face as he saw the writing. The letter was from Esma Cardux A registered letter, and one that was heavier than usual. He tore open the envelope, and the contents fell on the table with a metallic tinkle. Franklin looked at it in amazement; it was a half-hooped diamond ring. The ring he had given her the day they were engaged. The letter contained only a. couple of lines. " I enclose your ring. I need not tell vou the reason I have broken off the engagement; your own conscience will do that." "My own conscience! " Franklin echoed the words. His face had gone white. What in heaven's name could she mean ? There must be some terrible mistake. He walked towards the telephone, when the bell rang. He lifted off the receiver. " Are ysu Franklin ? " asked a voice. " Yes." he replied. "Wo are Mayfair, 45,678. You promised to let us have those particulars tomorrow. Can you make it to-morrow morning. The chief will be leaving at 10 o'clock, and he wants to take them straight to Berlin with him." " very well," said Franklin. 'Even as he stood at the instrument vague suspicions were forming in his mind. The broken engagement. Papers to Berlin. Light was beginning to dawn upon him. Somebody had been using his name as well as his telephone—and there was only one person who that somebody could be. « Mentally as he sat in his chair he reviewed the past few days. There was no doubt. For several days it was known there had been a leakage of secret information. Information of vital importance had become known to Germany. That minute at the telephone confirmed any doubts, It was diabolically clever using his name and his rooms.

He wis endeavouring to find a way out of the dilemmp.—to clear himself and stop further trafficking of state secrets, when the door opened and Sir Charles Cardux entered.

Franklin, sprang up. " Ah," said Sir Charles, *' I was wondering if I should find you at home." Sir Charles seated himself in the proffered chair.

" Franklin," ho said, " for a short time there has been a leakage of certain state secrets. Information regarding the new ship we are building. Certain figures regarding the strength of our armaments have all gone to Germany. It is a serrons matter, and it ia our duty .to etoD it if we can. It is practically impossible that the information can, g£t abroad through any channel save that of the Secret Service."

" Are yon rare of that ? " said Franklin. Ho chose his words carefully. "Quite sure; and we in the Service must .stop it. Franklin, I ask you as man to man, have you any idea who it IB? "

" None," replied Franklin. He lied prompt]-- and fluently so that the chief might never know it was his own son who was betraying him. " There is no one you suspect ? " "No one, Sir Charles." . For a second his eyes travelled to the telephone, and when he glanced back at Sir Charles he found himself looking dovrn the barrel »of a revolver.

" Then ring up- Mayfair, 45,678," said Sir CharleSj sharply. " Mayfair, 45,678 ? '' repeated Franklin. His bram was working rapidry. To a certain extent he was very fond of Cardux, and in his hands alone lay the saving of a terrible catastrophe. 7 « Yes, Mayfair, 45,678," said Sir Charles.

" And if I refuse ! "

"You will not refuse." The pistol clicked as Sir Charles spoke. "I do refuse. «If you cannot trust m» better than that after the years I havo •pent in my country's service, you can go to the devil." " Go to the telephone,"- commanded Sir Charles. " I give you one minute. If yon have not rung up the number at the end of that minute I shall fire." * Do you realise what you are doing ? " ■aid Franklin. "Perfectly. I have had my suspicions for some days now. It could be no ono bat you. Ring up that number." " Very well,"" said Franklin. " To-day I had a letter from Esme breaking off our »ngagement." "T know. She feels as I do. I have !waited to 'convict you." ** I am innocent," said Franklin. •* It lies in your power to prove that. Ring up Mayfair, 45,678. Fifty seconds have gone. I shall fire at the sixtieth." Franklin shrugged his shoulders. " Sir Charles," he said, taking the receiver off the hook, " you will be sorry." " Mayfair, 45,678," he added over the wire, in response to the girl's voice. Sir Charles sjr.pped over to the 'phone, and picked up the second receiver. " You wil] eay what I tell you," he whispered, hoarsttly. " Sir Charles, you are mad. How mad yon will realise in a few moments." " Do aa I toll you," Sir Charles' voice waa hard and relentless, "Are yon Mayfair, 45,678?" asked Franklin. . "Ask them if they received those papers safely," whispered Sir Charles. " Did you receive those papers safely ? " "Of course "we did," said a guttural voice over the wire. " You ought to know, since we have spoken about them twice already to-night. ' " Ah," said Sir Charles in an undertone. . '* T know. What time was it when we spoke first T " " Exactly 7.30." '.' You are sure of that ? " " Quite." " Thank you,," said Franklin. " You will lot us have those particulars about the East Coast Naval Force ■without fail to-morrow morning ? " " All right. Good night." " Cood-night," said the voice. Franklin hung up the receiver and turned to Sir Charles. " Well, are you satisfied?" ~ .. ~ " Quite," said Sir Charles. 1 won d have trusted you before any man In the Service. This is the way you repay my trust. Rv betraying your own country. ' Franklin was angry, dangerously angry. Hs face was set hard. "Did you notice two things, Sir Charles? "I noticed nothing except yow guilt,'-'

"45,678 said/that the first time they wera rung was 7.30. I was with you until 7.25. I remember thft time' because you looked at your watch." ' " Yes." " I could not got here and on tno 'phone in five minutes. It is «• physical impossibility. Secondly, the p*pe« th |>y asked for to-morrow morning. The details of our East Coast Naval defence. They have never bceu known to mo—or passed through, my hands." "What do you mean?" said bir Charles. " His voice was still »s hard and relentless. V You arc insinuating ? ""'What your own common-sense must tell you! " "That someone has been using your telephone? '- " Yes-" " Do you know who it is 7 •• Yes—t found out to-mghl. barely sui hour before you came." '• Who is it? " " That I refuse to tell you. «< You shall tell me-I insist. It is mv place to know. And by Heaven the man shall pay dearly. Come on-wbe is it * " " For the second time that night the revolver gleamed in Sir Charles' hands. " Your own son." "Not Dick. No. I'll not believe yoji. Fool extravagant he may be; but he is not such a scoundrel as to Bell his own country." , ~ " Yet you were ready enough to believe it of me." . Sir Charles' face was white with rage. " You and Dick shall meet face to face, and you shall make your Accusation before him." , ~ _ " Very well," said Franklin. lam ready now, -1 would have spared you that, if I "could." Even as he spoke the door opened, and F.sme Cardux entered followed, by her brother. The girl walked straight to Franklins side. " Harry," she said. " I am so sorry. Can you forgive me sufficiently to let we wear" that rim; again? Diok has told me everything to-night." " Dick, you." Sir Charles' lips trembled over those two words. - The young fellow looked his father straight in the face. " Yes," he said. "it was me all along. I'm sorry. I ought to have rsilised the enormity of what I was doing, but somehow I didn't until I heard what had happened to-night. I got into trouble over money matters, and I suppose that made me mad. I'm leaving England to-morrow. It's no use, dad," as Sir Charles took a step forward. " It's the best'l can do n<»w. A fresh country and a fresh start. I'll write aud tell you whoro I am." The.next moment he had gone. Sir Charles looked at the closed door with a sigh, then ho stepped forward and held out his hand. " Franklin, I owe you an apology. I'm sorry. I hope vou'll forget. Esme, I'm goincc up the road to despatch a telegram. I'll bo back in twenty minutes or so." Esme watched her father leave the room, then she came slowly towards Franklin, and glistening in the palm of hw right hand was her engagement ring.