THE WHITE ANGEL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21912, 22 September 1934, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE WHITE ANGEL

CHAPTER XlX.—(Continued) " Not in the least," Gregory answered. " Allow me to congratulate vou on the ruse that sent me here. May i ask if Sir Horace Digby is still in perfect health?" " AY9 are looking after Digby," McGrath assured him. " If lie made a mistake in going to that telephone, that was entirely his affair."

" And if he led me into an ambush?' Gregory hazarded.

" That," McGrath replied, " would be the most stupid thing he has ever done." He went, across and picked up a coil of rbpe from a corner. " Gregory, I am going to bind those arms behind your back. I hope you do not mind the discomfort. The duration of it will last entirely with yourself, and, incidentally, \t will give Gaumont a breathing space."

" It seems a wretched pity not to have the use of my arms," Gregory agreed. " but I suppose I have no alternative in the matter. As to the duration of discomfort, that, of course, will depend on your terms."

'• My terms are simple," McGrath rejoined, after the binding operation was carried '»ut. " You are now going to be subjected to a thorough and systematic search. Very likely we shall not find the paper which we are seeking, but, if not, it will rest with you how long you are going to remain in captivity."

" But how are you going to arrange for my detention?" Gregory asked. McGrath was passing a hand through all ibis pockets.

" I could keep you here a night without interruption," he said, " but I have no time to waste. No, Gregory, if this little paper is not forthcoming, then there is going to be an accident—that is all."

" You mean to kill me?" " Gaumont will do the killing,'

McGrath rejoined. " I never soil my

hands in an affair of this kind. It will ' be a pity, of course, but then you were warned in time. . . . No, there is nothing in these pockets. I am sorry, Gregory, but you will have to be disrobed to the skin. We must make absolutely certain this time!" " Hold a moment," the expert intervened. " Am I to take it that you are really in earnest, McGrath? You really mean to order my extinction if the paper is not forthcoming?" The Leader of the Opposition drew back a few paces. He gazed straight into Gregory's dark eyes.

u My dear chap," he replied, " I am

astounded you have the slightest doubt about it. Matters are now getting too serious. Since Davidson's escape last night—or in the early hours of this morning, /rather —I have completely made up my mind. Lawson has selected a number of you people to fool me. The majority of you are only red herrings across ,the trail, but one of you carries the document, and, when you are trapped in this fashion and the paper (b not found upon your body.

then the safest measure is to get rid of you. These accidents are going to occur right along the line of route. That is' the best way of ensuring that the real document never gets to Washington!" ■ . Gregory turned his head toward the man with the revolver.

"And you, Gaumont?" he queried. " You are really going to use that weapon? You really shoot to kill?" Gaumont stood there, white-faced, grim, determined. Plainly he was just waiting the order to fire. "If the-Chief gives the •word," he said promptly, " then I shoot to kill. Make your mind on that." Gregory allowed a slight pause to ensue. He was thinking hard. Apparently he was giving the matter his fiercest concentration.

" Well, what is it to be?" McGrath asked quietly. " We have no time to lose. We know the room you have booked os the first landing. If the . document is in your dispatch-case, or secreted anywhere about your belongingß, you /have only to mention the whereabouts, but you must wait here until the paper is found." Gregory/seemed to rouse himself. " Look here, McGrath," he said dramatically, " you have won this round all right. Enlighten me on one point. What is this mysterious document? What does it contain? What is the nature of it, and how does it affect the British Government?" McGrath gave a short, hard laugh. ''There is no harm in telling you that much,", he answered. " The paper we seek contains the formula of the deadliest explosive the world has ever known. You can imagine the devastating effect of that explosive in a world war. It would mean only one thing: the nation /in the possession of that secret would conquer the world. But the formula cannot be read until it reaches America. The one in possession of the code secret has been detained at the White House. Ho is guarded day and night, but it is the & im of America and the British Government that such explosive should pass into the control of the League of Nations. I represent a World League , of Peace, but it is a secret League with hundreds of powerful members linked over the two continents. It is our determination that such a formula should be destroyed, that the only way of maintaining world peace is the destruction of that paper." Gregory listened spellbound. But the formula could bo written out afresh/' he hazarded. McGrath shook his head. " The explosive itself has been tested °n a small scale," he answered. " Its potentiality has been verified in detail, hut the man who invented the formuia is dead. His name is James Moncrieffe, and his death will remain a mystery. Ho actej in conjunction with one partner, a young man named Rueben Gordon, to whom he confided the secret of the code in which the formula has been prepared. Washington got hold of that youngster, and has now detained him at the White House. Lawson has promised that the paper will be handed to the President of the United States, or a White House official acting on the President's behalf, and the British Government stands for tho redemption of that promise." Gregory's eyes flashed. ; Jt " So that is the meaning of it all, he said in an earnest voice. " That is / why Lawson has taken Buch pains to deceive the organisation of which you ore the head." ■ McGrath made an impatient movement. ' Wu are wasting time," he repeated. " 1 should 'have thought Lawson would have taken you into confidence. I have an idea that Davidson is cognisant ot everything. Lawson trusts him to an

(COPYRIGHT)

By JAMES CORBETT Author of " Murder at Red Grange," " lUe Winterton Hotel My*tery," The Merrlvale Myitery," " The Death Diamonds," etc., etc.

A SENSATIONAL MYSTERY STORY

enormous extent. Now let us hare your decision, Gregory. Doubtless you are bound hand and foot to the British Government. It is hardly on the cards that you will betray Lawson, hut the refusal to give up the document, or tell us where it may be found, is going to cost you your life. It will also cost the lives of those who are fooling us in this red herring business. We can tako no more risks." There- was a pause. Gregory gave a slight cough. " You do me an injustice," he said quietly. " I have been asked to undertake the mission of delivering the paper, of having it initialled by certain people—just as the others are doing—but, now that you have explained what that paper contains, I see no reason why I should lose my life over it. In other words, McGrath, 1 am inclined to take a gambling chance. It never seemed to me possible for one moment that I should be the potential party. 1 have believed, all along, that 1 have been selected for one purpose—to deceive you all—to make you think that I was the man who carried the document. But I do not believe I have the original, and to prove my words 1 will let you examine the paper for yourself. You can have it." Gaumont gave a grunt of surprise. McGrath uttered a low whistle. But ho was not the man to be caught napping He knew Gregory had a superintelligence, otherwise Lawson would never have picked him out. " Well," he said, " I am glad you have succumbed to logic. There is no sanity in shooting you, Gregory. It would be a deplorable waste of life. If you are going to fool me, however, then you must pay the penalty." " I accept the condition," Gregory answered. " Untie this rope, and I will produce the paper for your own examination. That is a promise." McGrath shot a warning glance at Gaumont. The latter remained in readiness with his revolver. Then Gregory was liberated.

" You can keep me covered," he said with a laugh, " but I must use my hands at least. The paper is hidden inside this fountain pen. Watch! . . ." Ho took the pen from his waistcoat pocket, drew off the holder, and then, with remarkable deliberation, drew forth a tiny sheet of tissue paper, folded into a remarkably small area. McGrath leaned forward with a little hoarse murmur, and at that instant Gregory leapt into action. His left hand caught the table, pulled it up, and sent it flying toward Gaumont, his right shot cfean into McGrath's face and eyes. The next second Gregory was out of the room, locking the door behind him. « * * # # * Four minutes later Sir Horace Digbv struggled back to "consciousness in his room at the Kurtoal Hotel. Gregory was bending over him. " What has happened?" Digby asked in a faint voice.

" Just another trick of McGrath's that has miscarried," Gregory replied with a slight laugh. " When you left the dining-room to go to that phone, I felt it was a fake message of some kind. That was confirmed by what happened later. McGrath drew my attention to someone signalling for me in the passage. I thought it was you at first. When I reached the man I knew it was a very clever impersonation. You have got almost a perfect double, my friend, and he is going to find himself in a sad mess. You were decoyed to your own room, of course, and subsequently chloroformed. I had an idea you would be found here. Thank Heaven, I arrived in time. Is the document safe?" Digby made a quick investigation. Then he leaned back with a sigh. " The document is safe," he gu3ped. "Now tell me everything, Gregory!" CHAPTER XX A DESPEBATE FIOHT " Sir Horace Digby wants to see me?" Vera's voice at the telephone betrayed her astonishment. She was speaking from her room the following evening in the Hotel Angleterre, Paris. Davidson had left half an hour ago to see Lowestoft at the Embassy—a courier had come for him in a desperate hurry but he had promised to be back in time for dinner, and Vera had gojic to her room pending his return.

" He is waiting in the lounge," the girl said from below. " He saya the matter is urgent and he should like to see you at once."

" Very well, tell him I will see him." Vera replied. Had it been any other personage but Sir Horace Digby, she might have felt suspicious, because 'Davidson had warned her of any possible trap, but Digby of course was a Secret Service man himself, therefore it never occurred to her to doubt that the message was other than bona fide. Still, it seemed odd that Digby should be in Paris. She understood that he had gone to Berlin with the Duchess, and, since then, Davidson had informed her there was a possibility of them both going on to Vienna. Why, then, had Digby returned suddenly to Paris ? Had anything happened to Gregory? That was the first thought that flashed through her mind. It brought her to her feet in an instant, and when she entered the lift she thought it would never descend quickly enough. She had only seen Digby once—that was a few evenings ago when he dined at that hotel with the Duchess—but she felt she would recognise him instantly. WTien the man rose in the lounge and addressed her, she paused a little in. embarrassment. Was it really the individual who had sat with the Premier a few nights ago? Yes, it must be Sir Horace Digby. It was strikingly like him at any rate, and she felt she could not possibly be deceived. "Are you Sir Horace Digby? she asked in some confusion. She wanted to make absolutely certain, for, after all, she had only seen him once, and that in reality was-merely a fleeting is my name," was the instant response. " I have not had the pleasure of meeting you, Miss Auckland, but 1 have been sent here with a very urgent message. It is from your emplover, Mr. Felix Gregory." Vera stood waiting. Her face whitened imperceptibly. She felt trembling with some vague anxiety. "What has happened?" she asked swiftly. "Has there been an accident.? Is he safe? I thought he was in Berlin." " There has been no accident, was the reply. "He has merely returned incognito to Paris, and ho docs not wish that to be known to the other side. Ho is now staying in a little French house in the Hue St. Bernard — No. 7, to be exact —and he wishes you to go to him at once. I have to conduct you there personally. He did not wish to send a telephone message or letter in case you might think it was a trap laid by the Opposition, so he sent mo as a special messenger. Ho knew you would have every confidence in me!" " Of course," Vera murmured. 1 will go at once. But I thought you also were in Berlin?" (To be continued daily)