"THE GREAT INTERNATIONAL SECRET."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19959, 30 May 1928, Page 18

"THE GREAT INTERNATIONAL SECRET."

BY WILLIAM LE QUEUX.

SYNOPSIS. Professor Cornat one night is found dead In hi» laboratory and robbery is evident. His daughter Lisely is engaged to the professor's assistant and pupil, named Kail Bylandt. who is severely interrogated by the pol'ce. A certain missing document is the rubject of severe questioning which Karl reseuts. That same night two police officers ar? put on duty to watch the late professor's house. During the night Karl is awt'kiaed by one of them and informed that his brother officer has been shot and he himself wounded Finger-prints are discovered later by the detectives, who declare them to belong to one F.&nk Howe, an English motor bandit, who ia ;iow confidential chauffeur to His Excellency the Baron Luici fc iorelli, the greatest banker in Italy. Howe, the detectives insist, was in Professor Cornat s laboratory the night of the murder. Karl later on receives a visit from the venerable Conito de Salis. who believes that Karl knows more aboit the affair than he admits. This Karl denies. CHAPTER IV.—(Continued). "I ask the question for a reason," Gornfcan replied. "And it is really not necessary for me to give an explanation of every question 1 ask. It is my business to ask que&tions. And at a time like this it is the duty of every loyal citizen to answer questions that may be put by tho poller." " X am obliged lor this gracious lesson in the etiquette of criminal investigation, -said the Comte. 'I am only sorry that I have very little to contribute to it by any information I can give you. I went to the Chateau to see the young Austrian and to ask hirn if he would care to work for 7>;e in my research laboratory. I went at night because I acted as soon as ths idea occurred to me. 1 always act upon Strong impulse immediately, and I thought fco might make other arrangements if I did not see him at once." i( "J. am obliged, Monsieur le Comte. The detective bowed gravely and escorted the old man back to his waiting ca:r, ■whereupon the Comte drove away, after having offered to take the detective elseyrhere should he desire it. " Hum!" muttered little Gomban, Stroking his chin, as he stared after the receding car. " You have helped me jnor,« than you think, mv cunning old ancient. Who Is lying—the comte or the •Austrian ? Perhaps both. The comte interprets the request for particulars of the patent in terms of an offer of employmenfc. The Austrian said nothing about that. I wonder, I wonder. 111 just take tho precaution of having both the Austrian and the comte put under close surveillance. r lhen 111 think about peeing Baron Luigi Fiorelli." And M. Gomban returned to the Surete, where he immediately put into action machinery for recording every movement of the Comte de Salis and Karl jrfylandt. Meanwhile Karl and Lisely, ignorant of the turn events wero taking in Pans, Bpent a long afternoon in the hot July sunshine in the garden, talking over their future plans. Lisely took an unexpected line. She told him that she would marry him upon two conditions, and two only. One was that he must give up science, which had become an ogre to her, and the other that he must pledge himself to discover her father's murderer. Given bis promise to abandon science, she would marry him the day her father's murderer was brought to justice. Karl vefy reluctantly consented, and, even while ho gave his consent to the conditions, he hoped in his heart that time, with its mellowing influence, would alter Lisely's resolve. He suggested that she should go to Vienna and stay with his mother, but Lisely would not hear of it. She insisted upon taking her part in the search for the assassin of her father and expressed her intention of remaining with Karl. While these arrangements were being 'discussed by the young couple, Gomban was beginning his long journey to the South of France to interview the Baron Luigi Fiorelli, chuckling to himself as he watched the landscape flash past the window of the dining car in which he 6at. Yet, if Gomban could have seen what ,Was happening at that very moment at the Hotel Cosmopolitan at Monte Carlo, he would not have chuckled so much. On the contrary, he would have been yery disturbed indeed. In a luxurious suite on the first floor was installed tht Baron Luigi Fiorelli. Three secretaries were busy typing letters in a large sitting room, while a lady secretary —she might almost have been tailed an "honorary" secretary —lay back on the cushions of a blue and gold divan in the gorgeous drawing room, eating phocolates and reading a Russian novel. Paola Stanetti was of mixed parentage. Her father had been Italian and her mother English. She was exceedingly beautiful and accompanied the baron everywhere, to the scandal of some and £he interest, of others. Paola Stanetti was a little above the average height, had a wealth of chestnut hair, great, dark [Latin eyes, and the lips of a born cotouette. To most observers she was simply a fflelicrh.'i'ul companion of the baron's. Men Smifed at the term " secretary" where she ;\vas concerned; women pursed their lips; hut the three men secretaries of the baron iknew that, if the term " secretary" was a misnomer, it was only because the Junctions Paola fulfilled were infinitely beyond the capacity of a secretary. Paola, at times, had acted as envoy extraordinary for the baron, and that when he was carrying through deals involved millions of money and questions of high politics. Paola was known only to those who had met her in a business sense. Her intuition was uncanny and her brain, they found, always capable of thinking three moves ahead. While she moved a little restlessly on her divan and adjusted a cushion, the 'door opened and a r>hcrt, very dark man entered the ronm. He wore a light grey suit and carried a sheaf of papers in his hanJ. The baron—for he it was—had a very powerful face. He was reputed to be a prince of financiers, and he looked it. Hi r - eyes were of a steely keenness. His hk.'k hair was streaked with grey, particularly over the temples, while he had a rather prominent Roman nose and a firm mouth partially hidden by a heavy black moustache which curled upward at the ends. His chm was powerful—almost brutal. He smiled a little as he (crossed the room. " Cara inia," he addressed Paola. She looked up and smiled. " You know de Terreville, of the Ministry of the interior, jdon't you ?" "Of course." Paola smiled more fcroadly. " I want you to go to Paris at once," Baid the baron. " Get hold of him and find out every move in the Cornat case, pnd report it to me." " Ts that likely to be troublesome?" She asked, with a slight yawn. I jthought- it was ovar." " It is being troublesome —very troublesome," said the baron, with a frown. f As a matter of fact, there is something else I want you to do later about that, but in {he meantime the thing I am most concerned about is to find out what the Ministry of the Interior intend to do. They work hand in hand with the Department of Justice, and I am afraid they may get the British Government to extradite" my chauffeur on a charge for Bome offence committed in England. That would enable them to get confidential Statements from him which would be pa«sd on to the Surete. For a variety of reasons I cannot allow that. Should such a thing be likely to happen at any time jrou must get de Terreville to scotch it. Can you do that?" " Of course," Paola smiied again. " Too fcasy. What else ?" f That is ail at present." said the haron. '•'Will you go now'!" - ' *'Of course." Paola smiled agnin. rising. ** You a rc no t very gallant these days, jTscta;. Are you not K°inc to kiss ever; )® y hand 1" The pretty lips pouted and she cast a Unending stance at him. Ist >irT' 8a 1116 baron impatiently, ilv anA a T kissed it, perfunctorpow.'t Mpp a ß ain - "Be quick

ROMANCE OF LOVE AND MYSTERY.

(COPYRIGHT.)

She left the room with a little soft laugh, and the baron stood a moment reading a message which had just been decoded. "Surete, moving on information," read the message. " Gomban on his way to you with provisional warrant." " I wonder what the devil the real truth of the matter is?" the baron muttered. " Provisional warrants, of course, mean nothing, and they daren't airest me, whatever their information is. But something a great deal more serious may happen if we don't look out." lie crossed the room and entered the sitting room, where the secretaries wero working. " Take this message and code it," he ordered brusquely. " Foreign Secretary, Count Rapolla,— Prepare to act quickly—serious complications developing—only partial success. Coming personally by air to-morrow. Fiorelli." CHAPTER V. " THE COMTE IS VEXED." "I feel almost convinced, Karl, that there is some sort of unholy conspiracy on the part of the police and everybody else to allow father's murderers to escape!" It was Lisely speaking. Karl and she had been talking of her father's death md the apparent futility of the police efforts to discover the murderer. Karl had told her of the only tangible clue pointing to the Englishman named Howe who was traced as being chauffeur in the service of the Fiorelli. " Then probably the baron is the real schemer behind the murder," Lisley said. "Probably he holds the secret." "That I think quite possible," Karl replied. "Then that is where our search begins," announced Lisley decisively. "Where is the baron ?" "At Monte Carlo, dear. You can't miss the baron's movements. They are noted and registered by the press of the world. i "Then you and I will go to Monte Carlo," Lisley declared. "By some means we will worm the secret out of the baron. I have plenty of money in the bank. When shall we start—to-morrow ?" Karl, though somewhat taken aback by the impetuosity of his fiancee, agreed. During the day he made preparations for the journey, then, remembering his promise to Monsieur Gomban to keep in touch with him, he rang up the Surete and was informed that the detective was away. They did not disclose Gomban's whereabouts so Karl left no message. That evening while Karl and Lisley were in the midst of their packing the telephone rang and Karl, answering it, found himself again speaking to the comte de Salis

"Have you heard of my adventure ?" asked the comte. Karl had heard nothing of any adventure of the comte's and said so. "I must come round and tell you about it. I should have thought Gomban would have told you already. It concerns us all pretty closely," the comte "continued. "Are you alone now ? Is it convenient for me to come along 1" Karl agreed and very soon the old nobleman arrived again aUthe Chateau at which he was so frequent a visitor in the days of its murdered master.

Karl listened to the story of the comte's adventure with the Englishman, after which the comte said:

"Now, of course, you realise what this means ?"

"I'm afraid I don't, quite," Karl replied, frowning. "Well, it means that the secret is not in the hands of the murderers. It means that the same people who stopped at nothing in their search for the secret are still pursuing their evil work. The timely entrance of tho detective Gomban saved my life. There is no doubt about that. By the way, did Gornban ever question you as to why I visited the chateau after the funeral ?"

"Yes," replied Karl. "He certainly asked me."

"And what did you reply?" The comte looked anxiously at Karl.

"I was as guarded as possible." said Karl. "I said that you wondered if I had by any chance guessed something of the nature of Professor Cornat's secret from my association with him and my experience in the laboratories." As the younger man spoke the comte's brows settled in a deep frown. "The devil you did!" he muttered throwing away his cigar end. "Then you've raised a pretty crop of nettles for us both. I told him in reply to his direct question that I came to offer you a job in my place." Karl bit his lip. Why should he be manoeuvered into this false position because the comte had not told the truth ? He saw the danger of arousing Gomban's suspicions that the comte was lying in this particular matter. "Well, that is surely your fault," Karl said after an interval, annoyance in his tones. "I told the truth—with certain reservations. You did come to ask about the secret —you know perfectly well you did, Monsieur le Comte, and I object most emphatically to being made to look—"

"Stop a minute, stop a minute, my virtuous and outraged friend." the comte interrupted, his usually kindly eyes burning with fury. "What wer6 your reservations ? I'll'wager you a comfortable sum that you didn't tell'him that, I charged you with having possession of the secret. You didn't tell him that, did you ? What ?" * Karl shook his head and would have spoken again, but the comte held up his hand :

"Wait, then, my friend. When I suggested collaboration, was that not tantamount to offering you a job in my laboratory? lam rich and I understand that you a're.jpoor, so that I. should have had to do the financing, shouldn't I? Isn't that clear ?" The comte lit a fresh cigar, watching his companion closely. "Yes —it is like my statement —a half truth,'' Karl replied. "But as the two don't tally, there is danger that the police will think one of us is not telling the truth. What I feel about it is that it is unfair that I should be put into that position simply because you came here to voice idle suspicions about—" Again the protesting hand of the comte went up, and again the dangerous glint came into his eyes.

"Please don't inflict any more of that feeble sort of rubbish upon me," he ordered. "Place yourself in the detective Gomban's position for a moment. Now then The murder takes place; it is followed by robbery or attempted robbery —ir, which two policemen wire shot at—obviously to gain possession of the secret. The next thing that happens is that I visit this place, apparently secretly, and I am attacked on the day following by exactly the same methods that were applied to our late dear friend. Why" Because I am the Professor Cornat's literary executor and because also I made that cautious visit to the chateau to see you. Now, then, can't you see the inevitable conclusion ! The secret remains a secret. Who has it? Why, you, of course." " I see your argument," assented Karl, "but I resent its implications. I said before and I repeat now with perfect truth that I have not got the secret. Besides, if I am suspected how is it that I have not been attacked, as have you, by these people who appear determined to gain possession of it ?" "Because you are under tho close surveillance of detectives, you stupid," replied the comte, with withering contempt in his voice. "You make a move from here and you'll quickly realise the truth of what I am saying." (To be continued daily.)