THE TOKEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18678, 7 April 1924, Page 5

THE TOKEN.

BY LOUIS TRACY. ' Author of " The Second Baronet," " Bainbow Island," " The House of Peril," " One S«J7onderful Kight," etc., etc..

(Copyright.) CHAPTER Xl.—(Continued.) 14 You'll bo a loss to the profession when you collar that t'hief-conatableship," said Furneaux. "I am almost sorry Miss Peggy isn't lowly-born. We might have kept you in the Yard. The girl herself may be willing, but her Pa and Ma would prove obdurate." M Oh, for goodness sake!" growled Winter, reaching for a cigar-box. He -was interrupted by the telephone. It was Sergeant Bavies again. " I sent a man on a bicycle to Paddington Station," he said, "and he reports that a gentleman, who answers to every detail of the description supplied took a Gladstone bag onf; of tlie cloakroom there about 10.40. L'e was in a great hurry, and carried it himself to a waiting taxi. It has also been ascertained that the driver of the cab was the poor chap killed iin JPraed Street ten minutes later." "Why the delay?" inquired Winter sharply. "What delay, sir'?"

"Between the departure of the cab and the time of the explosion. There are fully five minutes unaccounted for. A taxi would reach St. Mary's Hospital in less than two minutes at that hour." "I'll have further inquiries made, sir," said Harrow Road humbly. It may be stated now that the owner of the bag waited nearly five minutes while the taxi was still in tho station. Some porters who saw him thought he was rearranging the contents. " I think I sen light," cried Furneaur. propping his chin on both clenched fists and' resting his elbows on the table. "For some reason, - possibly not unconnected with events at Docking, to-night's demonstration was called off, literally at the eleventh hour. I shall not be surprised to learn that the cloakrooms of several important London termini were to be blown to smithereens at eleven o'clock. How easy— clockwork machines! The -scheme was postponed, by orders lirom headquarters, the bags were withdrawn, and the, mechanism of the bombs stopped. The elderly gent whom Linton saw must have fumbled his job, or the time-indicator fot slightly ahead of his calculations. '11 bet you a new hat, Chief, that our men are now picking pieces of his re-spectably-clad body off the shutters and doors of certain shops in Praed Street. , , , I. do hope most sincerely they find that pearl pin. It should be given to Linton as a keepsake." "That, and a certain half-crown," said Linton.

''Miss Mainwaring gets the half-crown, if she wants it, which I very much doubt. The Dorking chemist is the rightful recipient. That photograph of his was a masterpiece. But we have a long way to go before wo begin distributing souvenirs, and some of us may not be alive to claiim them. I despise criminals as a class, but this ; bunch of crooks is well organised, and directed by a real brain." " What proof is there yet of any supernormal intelligence being at work?" put in Winter. "Jenks ! That these scoundrels' propaganda should have got down to Jenks and his like is live most significant fact laid bare thus fair. I pay little heed to high explosives. Hundreds of thousands of people in Europe know the chemical formulae of all sorts of destructive agents, be they variants of T.N.T. or chlorine gases. But the really dangerous tiling is psychological knowledge, which enables those possessing it to play on the ignorance ana prejudices of the multitude. The Jenkses of [London and every other city in the world! have only to gaze ferociously at the sleek men and too expensively gowned women pouring out from theatres at this hour, and hastening in costly limousines to restaurants and dancing clubs, that they should_ be ready to believe the crazy nostrums given them by so-called regenerators of the social system. That is the real peril—the world-wide powder magazine waiting to be fired by Lefevre's squibs. I say most earnestly that unless we crush this fellow soon the Great War will be child' play as compared with the Great Collapse." Nothing could have more weight with a listener like Linton, accustomed as he was becoming to Furneaux'a flippancy and sarcastic humour, than the little man's real seriousness at this moment. Those few tumultuous words seemed to open up an illimitable vista of ruin and terror and mob rule. Winter, too, was impressed. He hid down a cigar he was about to light. * "We are not wasting any time,".he, said slowly. "Considering that ,Lofe»Te has worked with such secrecy and winning we have got on his track fairly well in twenty-four hours." \ "We've had a lot of luck, "with precious little divination. Oh, yes that is my special job, and I've ; fallen down badly. • But, for Heaven's sake, smoke, or I'll brieve that the sky is falling." Winter picked up the cigar again. "Sorry you're so hipped," he cried cheerfully. "I'm puzzled, I admit, but not despondent. I have never yet seen a crank win his way by sheer force. He may succeed on. the platform or in the press, or startle honest citizens by a book, but when it comes to a real iSght between order and disorder, he is no more prepared to face the power of tlho law than a quacking duck can resist - having its neck wrung at the appointed time. . . What do you say, Sheldon ? You look at things differently from the rest of us. What is your opinion?" The junior detective- was inured to jokes about the peculiar difference in size between his right eye, which was large, and his left eye. which was small. •, •. . "I have at least the benefit : of two points of view, sir," he said with a smile, " so, while agreeing with Mr. Fumeaux that there has been an almost phenomenal element,'of luck - in our investigations thus far, I cannot help remembering that something of the kind takes place In connection with every big affair we tackle. That is only the beginning, however. Then our resources. and experience come into the scale. You ask what I think of .this business. I think Mr. Furneaux find you should be in bed as quickly as you can get there. You're worn out. You've had a long day, and there may be a kmger one in front of you to-morrow. I can remain here till two o'clock, and will leave a memorandum of anything tha% turns up." "A Daniel come to judgment!" cried the Chief, rising. "My own impression is that Lefevre and his crew are scared, and will lie low for a time, believing we shall be lulled into forgfitfulness. Those fellows always hug that silly notion. ■ I'll bet you a new hat, Furneaux, there isn't another explosion for a week." "Done! It will be the first new hat I'll pay for joyously on your account.'*" The blinds were not drawn, and the windows were open. •, Winter, who happened to be facing that way, and Furneaux and Linton, seated with their backs to the door, saw a : vivid burst of light leap into the sky over South London Soon came a sullen boom "which rattled j the window panes.' ' , . , ' 'Talking of new ' hate! chortled Fumeaux. believe that Nero did really "Now I'll believe that Neiv> did really fiddle -while Rome tburnc<J,' said the "That bane took place about a mile and a half away," announced Linton. ' "Bed 1 " roared Winter, derisively, . glaring at Sheldon a s though lie were in some sense responsible for the latest development "I can see myself in bed about Christmas-time if -this sort of thing goes °"'Shall I call Kennington Park Road, Sir ?" inquired Sheldon. > ' "What's the use? Wait till we near from them. Are you sure about the distance, Linton V : . V.' ''Yes. sir. I counted the seconds between the flash and tikis sound.- • ..y

"Then it cannot be Waterloo, and London Bridge is a long way to : eastward. There is no important station in" that direction. Perhaps' these devils have blown themselves up!" / :' : S"-■■■>> The telephone rang. "The Chief Commissioner, of course," said Winter. "By Jove—he's quick on the trigger!" ; The instrument in use happened to be near Furneaux, who took off the receiver. Ho handed it, with a. grin, to Linton. "'A lady on the wire!" he said. It was Peggy. She was distressed but apologetic. "I do hope I am not interfering at an awkward moment," she said, "but, a little while ago I was seated at my bedroom window, looking out into the street, and thinking over my day's adventures when I saw a blaze of light beyond the Marble Arch. I know it was beyond, because the Arch itself was silhouetted against it. Then came a bang. .Soon afterwards two men appeared in our street, bat ran away when someone—l think it was the detective who grabbed —challenged them. They were stopped by some policemen a little further on, and there was a fight, though I am sure thev were captured .quickly. I felt I had To ring up and tell someone, and, while waiting at the 'phone, I heard another bang. I cannot tell you how 'relieved I am to hear your voice." "Please don't be alarmed, Miss - Mainwaring," said Linton, quietly. "Such skirmishes only reveal the enemy's position, The mere fact that those men were arrested in the street shows that you may sleep in safety." "But, as it is you speaking, I want to apologise for my (horrid behaviour today." "What have yon done that calls for apology "Misleading yon the way I did. But I terrified of figuring in the newspapers. " "'Line wanted !*' broke in a voice, and the circuit was broken forthwith. There were i,wo 'phones in the room, and both were in demand now. Winter took the Commissioner's call and Furneaas that from Kennington P.jrk Road police station.® The inspector in charge there announced that a furniture repository in South London had been wrecked by am (explosion, and was completely destroyed by *an extraordinary fierce fire which followed. Two; night watchmen were assumed to have been killed v but, so far as was known, there were no otjher casualties, 'though mpny (people in the neighbourhood complained of shock. The fiffl brigade was powerless to save . any part of the warehouse, bat was protecting adjoining property. Deponent thought the affair resembled the operations of the gang concerning -which a , general order had been issued that day. Furneaux thanked him gravely, and" said that his opinion would be communicated to the Commissioner without- a moment's delay, which was true enough, if not in the sense understood by the gratified in- - spector. The next rail oame from Vine Street, to inform headquarters; that two men, ■: charged with, loitering in Curaon Street, had resisted arrest Nothing of a suspicious nature was: found on them when searched, but they refused to give. names or addresses, so were locked up, h Furneaux sprang from his chair. 'Til see those lads; to-night," he said. "This is one of the occasions when one longs for the full and free use of .the torture chamber in the Tower. An. revoir sans adieux. : Meet yon all at 9.30 a.is. perhaps * "You be off, too?** cried "Winter to Linton and Sheldon. I'll sleep here. Don't forget, Sheldon, you have to look after Jenis early to-morrow. Do him well. As usual, Furneaux is right. Jenks has,, suddenly beoome tie nervecentre of our activities." . ? *£• - . U (To bo continued daily.) Jj-i