THE DAY OR, The Passing of a Throne.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3183, 17 March 1915, Page 65

THE DAY OR, The Passing of a Throne.”

By FRED M. WHITE.

THE NOVELIST,

(Ponr.iSHKD nv Speciap Arrangement )

(Copyright.) CHAPTER IV.—“VEILED EYES.” »HE giddy little butterfly known as Lady Loxton occupied a large and luxurious flat which took up practically the top floor of a block of buildings known as Medhurst Gardens. She was young and vivacious, always lively and agreeable, and enviously known as one of the best-dressed women in London. She was deliciously pretty in a Dresden china way, and apparently lived .entirely for pleasure. If she was the possessor of anything in the way of intelligence she disguised it most effectively, and her ingenuousness was a constant source of pleasure and amusement to her quicker-witted friends. And yet, in spite of her innocence of the world, she had done very well for herself. The gossips who knew were prepared to prove that she had been the only child of a shady Irish officer, whose service had been dispensed with, and that in her earlier days she had been on the Parisian stage, and that she had played in vaudeville all over the Continent. Some considerable time before she had married Lord Loxton, regarded by competent critics as the greatest blackguard in the peerage, and at his death had found herself amply provided for. People were surprised to find that Lord Loxton had left so. much money, for he had been looked on as permanently in the ranks of the but then his pretty wife had done much for him, and had found him one or two powerful friends on the Continent. It was generally understood that Loxton had done well over his speculations in foreign shares; not that it mattered much anyway, for society was prepared to take Lady Loxton as she stood, and her invitations were eagerly sought for. She made her way upstairs presently to her own flat, and let herself in with a latchkey. The servants had all retired for the night to their own quarters, which were at the end of a long corridor, and cut off from the rest of the flat by a pair of heavy baize doors. The wire of a burglar alarm ran along the wainscot, and this Ladv Loxton carefully connected before entering the dining room. The luxurious apartment, with its old oak panelling and priceless pictures, was brilliantly flooded with light. Before the clear log fire a man sat on an arm chair smoking a cigarette. He was very tall and very thin, with a lean, long face, and head covered with coarse black hair. This was no less a person that Professor Garzia, one of the greatest authorities in Europe on music, and a Spaniard of old descent. He shrugged his shoulders as Lady Loxton entered. * “My child, you have been a long time,” he said. “But not time wasted, Pedro,” Lady Loxton laughed. “I did not find Leroux at home, but, behold ! there whs little Vera in the midst of a passionate love scene with our friend Paul Eosslyn. Of course, I pretended to see nothing, but there is something in the wind all the same. But never mind those children. Have you heard from von Kemp and our friend at Aldeborough ?” “ Ah, von Kemp and the others, they are in gaol,” Garzia said, with a. shrug of his shoulders. “The little game with the shaded lamps was spotted, and the house raided just after dusk this evening. It is by great good luck that I got away without being seen. I had. managed to hide the car, or at this moment I should not be enjoying the pleasure of your charming society.” Lady Loxton hissed something between her little white teeth. Her expression had entirely changed now, her big, innocent eyes twinkled with malice and cunning. The alert vigour of her face and the outward thrust of her chin would have astonished her society friends had they seen her at that moment. For here was no frivolous butterfly, but a hard, scheming woman of the world. “What infernal luck!” she cried. “And I thought that we had planned the whole thing so carefully. There must have been some bad blundering somewhere, Pedro. And fancy this coming at a time when we need money from Berlin so badly. I was promised two hundred thousand marks if I brought off that little coup and got those gunboats mixed up with the mines that von Kemp made, and which have been lying perdu at Aldeborough for the last four years. And I am reduced to my last five-pound note. We shan’t, get another penny through Rotterdam until we have pulled something off. Look here.”

The speaker took up a copy of a leading newspaper, and indicated an advertisement appealing for subscriptions towards a children’s convalescent home, of which Lady Loxton appeared to be the president. The appeal was for children in Germany and Belgium as well as England—an appeal for the little ones suffering from the war, and printed in three languages. Lady Loxton smiled as she looked at it.

•‘What fools these English authorities ore,” she said. ‘‘And yet I- flatter myself that this is an excellent scheme for throwing dust in their eyes. This advertisement is published in London and Berlin every day. And each day it is ;lightly altered. By picking out certain letters I can read what our friends in Berlin say, and vice versa. To-day’s message' says that the Secret Service Department at Potsdam is netting very dissatisfied with us, and that unless we do something striking the money will he cut off. Now, can’t you think of something? Something dazzling'!”

Garzia frowned moodily. With his intimate knowledge of the coding of the advertisement he was reading it eagerly between the lines. He looked up presently, his eyes gleaming like coals.

“This is a great scheme of yours, Marie,” he exclaimed. “Ah, who would guess that the frivolous Lady Loxton was the cleverest spy ever trained in Prussia. You are great, my child, the greatest of them all. And yet they are so full of ingratitude. But that was not what I was going to say. See, there is another message here. Will you take down the letters as I pick them out.” Lady Loxton took a sheet of paper, and for the next quarter of an hour jotted down a series of letters in what appeared to be a meaningless jumble on a sheet of paper. Her eyes sparkled, and hexbreath came a little faster as she divided up the words. “Listen to this,” she cried. “Berlin has got wind of a new aeroplane invented by our young friend Paul Rosslyn. It is a folding plane, with something entirely new in the way of a motor,.and the whole thing can be packed in a big portmanteau. Moreover, it is absolutely noiseless. My word, what an instrument for bomb-dropping ! Talk about the terror by night! Now this is in vour Hue, Pedro. You must get hold of the drawings of that plane and the designs of the engine. What do you think?” Garzia smiled as he took a fresh cigarette. “I dare say,” he muttered. “But don’t you think it would be quite as easy to get hold of the aeroplane itself?” CHAPTER V.—“ON THE ROOF.” For a long time the two conspirators sat there smoking their cigarettes in silence. There was no patriotism in the mind of either, though they were both German born. They were just spies, brilliant and audacious mercenaries, prepared to sell the seeds of their dirty work to the highest bidder. The mere fact that the German Govei’nment was prepared to pay a higher price than any other Government was the one thing that kept them straight. No other great Power in Europe besides Germany had any incentive to squander millions of money to purchase strategic secrets; and well those spies knew it. They were trusted agents of Prussia, and had known years ago that “The Day” was inevitable. They knew, too, that the thunderbolt would be launched at harvest time in 1914, and hitherto their task had been easy. They chuckled over the deluded Peace party in Great-Britain, and smiled at the country apparently dead to all sense of danger. Because of this Lady Loxton and her confederate, moving freely as they did in official circles, had no difficulty in supplying Berlin with priceless information, which was lavishly paid for. For years they had lived on the fat of the land; but the sudden outbreak of hostilities froze the sources of supply, and the confederates were hard up for the opportunities of making a livinu. Probably the authorities of Berlin had traded upon the fact. It had become a case of no cure no pay, and the failure of the ingenious Aldeborough scheme had found Lady Loxton and Garzia at the end of their resources. The mere thought of Rosslyn’s aeroplane set their mouths watering. If they eould get hold of the plans and specifications, to say nothing of the aeroplane itself, then they would be in clover for many a long day to come. “We must think this out, Marie,” Garzia muttered. “The prize is a rich one, and others will be put on the scent unless we move quickly. Meanwhile don’t*' forget that I did not come here to-night merely to talk. There is work to do before we sleep, and it is getting late. Come, are you ready?” The clocks in the sleeping city were striking the hour of two as Lady Loxton and her companion made their waythrough a trap-door on to the roof of the flat. They were both shrouded from head to foot in black, so that they cftuld crouch behind a mass of chimneys without fear of being detected by the many searchlights playing across the chill, autumn sky. Here, too, was an iron standard supporting scores of telephone wires, and from one of these a gleaming strand of copper dangled. To the end of this Aliment Garzia attached a telephone receiver. A strand of wire was in contact now with an official line connected with an intelligence department, and he was in a position to hear everything that passed one way. The little scheme had its drawback, but many a priceless bit of information had been tapped in that way in the dead of the night. It was Lady Loxton’s business to act as amanuensis to Garzia, and jot down in shorthand in a notebook such points as were worthy of record. They crouched there for a long time, quite 'an hour or more, and the notebook was still a deary blank. Then Garzia started violently, and Lady Loxton stiffened. “ Here is something at last,” Garzia murmured. “Have yon got that notebook ready?”

Lady Loxton muttered that she had. In the excitement of the moment her German accent clearly betrayed her nationality. But there was no time now to be wasted in idle chatter; besides, such a thing was highly dangerous. It was getting" late, too, and possibly there might be some d, ngerous work before day light. Garzia did not say any more. He held the receiver to his left car, and with

his right hand ticked off a sort of abbreviated Morse code on the ieads of the flat. The woman by his side translated the sentences quickly in her notebook. At the end of half an hour Garzia dropped his receiver, and turned to his companion with an evil grin of triumph on his face. That is about all/’ he said. “ Any way, we have netted a fine lot of fish to-night, and there is a real beauty amongst them. Now let us go back to the dining room, and you shall react it aS to refresh your memory. Then we will get bu y.” " the p.,ir crept through the trap door and regained the dining room without anybody apparently being any the wiser. Jhe burglar alarm had not been disturbed, as the state of the indicator proved, and none of the servants could have left their room without giving the signal. So far everything had gone off well, and nothing remained for the present but to read the stolen message. “ I recognised the voice,” Garzia exclaimed. “ I need not tell you that it came from the Admiralt}', and the speaker was calling up Stuart Hallett, who 1 need not tell you is our young friend Paul Rosslyn’s chief. They were talking about that precious aeroplane. But I daresay you have gathered that.” Lady Loxton’s eyes gleamed with joy. ‘‘l did not,” she said. ‘‘l was too busy taking down your information. Perhaps I had better read it.” She. rattled it off glibly enough. Somebody in authority at the Admiralty had rung up Stuart Hallett at that late hour in the morning—far it was three o’clock, —and the questioner was evidently anxious to get in contact with Eosslyn without delay. There was immediate and important work for him to do, but what it was had not been mentioned over the telephone. This was somewhat disappointing to the conspirators, and they would have given a great deal for further particulars, though Garzia had gathered that Rosslyn’s task would have something to do with the new aeroplane. This was somewhat disturbing in a way, for it. certainly meant more trouble for the spies. And there was something else that troubled them, because Garzia could make out from the one-sided conversation that Hallett was uneasy in hia mind inasmuch as Rosslyn had gone off on a dangerous mission, and had not yet returned, though in the ordinary course of things he should have been back in his rooms long ago. ■ But against this they had the priceless information of the spot where the aeroplane was concealed and the combination letters with the look on the door of the shed. The Admiralty official had repeated this twice by way of verifying his notes, and Garzia smiled! grimly over this priceless bit of information. ‘‘ Now I wonder if anything has happened to .Rosslyn?” he muttered. ‘‘l should not be surprised if he had gone off doing a bit of spy-hunting on his own account. We are not the only people in London who know something about the work he is doing. What a glorious bit of luck this has been ’ Now we can safely rely upon the Admiralty man doing nothing before to-morrow. He will naturally wait for Rosslyn to turn up after the cool way officials do lag, and every moment to us will be distinctly precious.” Lady Loxton carefully tore her notes into fragments, and dropped them intd the heart of the burning fire. She neve< left anything, however small, to chance, and in the matter of the letter lock combination she had a devoted faith in her own marvellous memory. “ I see you have something in your mind,” she said eagerly. ‘‘l should like to know what you propose to do?” ‘‘Walk off with the aeroplane,” Garzia said coolly. “ Start out now and fetch it. There is nobody in London who! knows the roads within a twenty-mile radius better than you do. Besides, you l have not had an adventure for so long that your nerves must be getting flabby. Lady Loxton laughed, and the gleam oi battle shone in her eyes. For here was an adventure after her own heart. She was sick of inaction and the comparative failures of the past few weeks. She stood up live and graceful, a niass_ of pluck and courage to her finger-tips. She would hesitated at nothing, and if the worst came to the worst, she was quite ready and willing to use a revolver. “It would be grand,” she cried. ‘‘Let’ us start at once. But there are certain precautions, of course ” Garzia made light of the suggestion. ‘‘You shall see what you shall see,” he said. ‘‘Now go and get ready, and I will fetch the car round.” CHAPTER. VI.—A CHECK ALL ROUND. Like a cat, and as noiselessly, Garzial crept from the flat and made his way down the flights of stairs. He did not ring for the lift, for he counted on the night watchman being asleep in his box, and considerately had no desire to disturb him. He smiled pleasantly to find the forecast correct, and he slid off in tim darkness without a soul being any thai wiser. Even though the streets weref empty, Garzia took no risk, and he used every patch of shadow as if it had been cover on a battlefield. He came at length to the garage where he kept his car, ai motor which he had excellent reasons for looking after himself. It was supposed' to be a hobby of his, but at any rate it avoided a curious chauffeur and enabled Garzia to get about in all hours of the day and night without having to make a lot of more or less plausible explana-* tions. He closed the tightly-fitting door and switched on the light. Then he proceeded! rapidly to don a full chauffeur s unlfornl and a cap that hid his dark hair. Thai addition of a pair of goggles changed him), beyond all recognition. He chuckled as he regarded himself ii# the looking-glass. Then he took up & spray of brilliant red paint, and in «

•few minutes had transformed his pale car into a crimson one. All this would wash off quite easily presently, and when the number-plate had been changed and fresh lamps added he felt ready to defy the keenest eye. Then he boldly started the car, and slid along noiselesly till Medhurst Gardens was reached. There was no occasion to give Mane Loxton the signal, for she was already waiting in the doorway for the arrival of the car. She had made no attempt to disguise herself, for there was no occasion. If anybody met them on the road she would merely be taken for a lady out on urgent business, who was being driven by her own chauffeur. They slid away almost noiselessly through the sleeping city. Lady - Loxton from time to time indicating the direction by a wave of her arm. Their destination was not more than twenty miles, and this should be accomplished by four o’clock, when it would still be pitch dark. The rest was no great matter. It would not be a difficult thing to gain access to the hangar in ,which the aeroplane was lying, and, with any luck, the prize would be safely housed in Garzia’s garage before dawn. So they hurried along the silent roads, encountering nobody besides on occasional country policeman. The night was dark and black as the throat of a wolf, but Garzia swung along easily, for he was an accomplished driver. Lady Loxton laid her hand upon his arm presently, and the car stopped at the entrance to a narrow lane. “You had better back her in here,” the woman whispered. “We are very pear to our destination. I know that Sosslyn’s workshops are in a field at the oottom of the lane, and the hangar can’t iie very far off. Shut down the engine aid follow me.’’ It was not easy work fumbling along the lane in the pitch darkness, but the journey was accomplished at length, and a white gate loomed like a ghost a little way ahead. Beyond was a rang© of buildings dark against the skyline, and towards these the two adventurers made their way. It all seemed to be? plain * jailing now, till something snapped under Garzia’s foot, then a gruff voice challenged, and the click of a trigger sounded ominously near. It was a moment of something more than clanger, and indeed it spelt exposure and disgrace. If the man with the revolver held them up long enough for assistance to arrive, then their career would be at an end. Even the ready-witted Garzia was at a loss for the moment. But not so the woman by his ide. She grasped him tensely by the arm, and hissed in his ear. • “Drop,” she said, “on your hands and knees at once and get behind the fellow. He is about five yards straight in front of me, and I saw his outline for a second against a door.. Get behind him, and kill him when the time comes. Leave him to me.” Garzia needed no second bidding. He dropped like a shot r.abbit on the wet grass, and proceeded do stalk his prey. He heard Marie Loxton utter a little cry of joy and relief, or, at any rate, so it seemed to the sentinel standing there. It was quite clear that the guardian was unaware of the fact that there were two trespassers, and under the fond illusion lhat he had only a woman to deal with. “Oh, I am so glad I have found somebody,” said Marie Loxton in tones of felief. “ I have never been so frightened in ray life. _ I was on the way to see a irsend of mine that was taken suddenly 113, and I was stupid enough to think that I could drive myself. I managed to Steer my car into a ditch, and if you will ha so kind There was no occasion to say any more, for the man standing there gave a gasp as he dropped senseless from a murderous blow on the back of the head. Garzia bent over him coolly. “He won’t trouble anybody for ah hour or two,” he said. “ That was very smart of you, Marie. Now come along, for there is not a moment to be lost. There is the hangar, and here is my pocketlamp. Well, so much for the lock. Now lhat the door while I find the switch and lufn on the light. Here we are, and ” The chuckling speech broke off suddenly, - and a yell of rage came- from Garzia’s lips. For all this toil and.all these risks were wasted. The hangar was empty. “Now what ' does all this mean?” Garzia hissed. “ There isn’t so much here as a box of matches. And from what I heard over the telephone to-night %e aeroplane must have been here an hour or two ago. I’d give five - years of my life to know where Eosslyn is just now. He is a lucky beggar, anyhow.” Bad Garzia only known ! Hours before Eosslyn had retraced his steps in the direction of Cannon street with the full intention of knowing the worst. The cool air of the night chilled the fever in his blood, and he saw his duty clearly before hip. He resolutely put Vera out of his mind ; he would forget her altogether. He had only one object in vierv, and that was to discover the hidden mystery in a busy city street. He went cautiously up the stairs presently. He was all ready; nor did he Anticipate any kind pf trouble. He would be able to find the switch and turn on the light. But all that was done for him jn the twinkling of an eyo. Ho had a fleeting vision of Leroux, and a big burly man whom the former addressed as Ludwig. Then ho was carried to the floor, and a pair of handcuffs snapped upon his wrisffi. (To be continued.)