HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1931-12-24, Page 65'
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SYNOPSIS,
*`hen Philip.,Crane, a young aeroplane
": designer arrives in London on a hctlida
through a coincidence of ince Atames.
miss ;taken for the Crook Crane,'iwho la; a
tool of a band ruled, by a mysterious.
aRrnpres9 " .
HB rescues . Margery Ferguson . and
taken herr to -,a convent. >de then •,goes to
• �1andlln in •Kent to reseue her father
Meanwhile Charles Whittle, an Amer
)can detective. is trailing a band of`for> -
`tlh 01elose'.continement The -Empress•
hopes to bens( Ferguson s (viii to 4ter
Q 4
her; them')) be ro trouble inthat' di-
rection," he, rep'lied.. "The man,
Crane, wanted to Come down here this
morning," he added quickly; "but
thought it best to fix up an appoint-
ment at your, house.'
"Quite right. What time did you
say?"
.
"Si* o'clock.."
She looked at her Jewelled . wrist-,
T beautiful)
�PTHR VIII. --f Cont'd,� •. '
"I must 'hurry, then."
CIi°
. u y-propariioned; ice•
Ferguson was hustled into. a large gal,, majestic, sha made an .;impresstii
••pleasantly furnished `room.: The ;n_ edit, ' .
•itial ,impression was one of,: comnfort- Stevenseen lit as cigarette, Dating'
able;,ease •On-the.hearth. a wood''fire- crook'that•he was,`li'e•was lost in coni='
blazed and,. -ate table. sufMcie Tyr ,plete..admira4tion of rthis woman under
near for the w nth•°to, be. apprecia d.
sat two'people
• Itwas the -woman . f' whom l ergs:.
°son stared.' FashionablyY' dressed, she
mr : ht•have .been-.ta7 n,.at dist glanee,-
for,'the usual : Mayfair matron, wh ese
hours -were amiried with social tt
,gagements. She 4.4d good looks.,
commend her, and a soigne air: This
'Anaueh, the casual observer would have
noticed:
•It was not until one looks closer
that. ft was realized that this -woman
was very different, frgm other of het
class.' There was •acold:. callousnessiz
cher eyes; .a fixed determination about
her firmly -moulded chin, and7a
as .,ug
gestion of cruelty in her tightly -closed
(mouth, ..
Ferguson felt his knees give bee:
neath; him.. This was only tiie seeond
time he. had faced hex, but he knew
this roman•,topbe a .terrible. creature.
A remorseless; devouring monster, ut-
'terrly Without scruple. She, surprising'
faet''though it 'Might • be, •. wasat the
be.o
adrthe_gang who_were-determined-
•-'to break'his will. . ' ,
Well, Ferguson, . I hear you are
Oat proving;obstinate."' The conver-
-1-....11.4.°1-1. was started. with these .words.
Hmoistened his , dry lips.
"How long are, you , going to keep
ale here?" he' demanded. • ' •
"So • long as we require . your ser -
!ices, my malt."
•"But :you can't do that!"
"Can't we?" The sneer was palp-
able W,e appear ;to: :be doir g,it, any-
waR=New,-listen; me,, Ferguson:
Yau'lI stay•here.untii you,dothe work
which is required That's quite clear,
• The words stunned him. 'He knew
the wonian'to be speaking the'truth.
He had.: already .:pre- ed.,her to' beint-
placable.: . ,
• - dtYon are the one man in"the world
, we need at the 'moment," she cortin-
• • ued; "no other engraver, that we know
af; at any rate, possesses your,abiiity.'
there-was.-such=a=many we -might'
get hon to help 'yo.i."
The man with the -ascetic -fame -mute
w ed by, her side, smiled at this' pleas -
entry; . and it was heCtith now. con -
tinned the_tall i:ng.
• "Be, sensible, Ferguson;if ireA t—"
The sentence (was completed by the
"—If If not," she said, "there is your
(`laughter, of -eoiirsa/7
A gasping cry came from, the throat
of 'the•torm'ented' nian. He flung him -
i self forward:. ,
"Leave my ;girl alone, damn you!"
he cried; and then:.19'here is she?
Tell mel"
•
Into the hard, but' beautiful face of
the woman, stole •a smile.
We are looking after her for yon..
Do what I want, Ferguson, and .to
Earle will come toher."
He •found courage of a sort. He be=
Belied this , was -an :attempt to bluff;
Ma fiery would bee hem guard..,
' "I won't make any :pore," he stated.
"That will be very foolish of You.'
The speaker now pressed a bell, and,
to the servant; who app tared, -said tbe
one word:
• ‘13114,00i40 •
Ferguson screamed. At the thought
of that horrible Italian... .
He was still when "a man
•' of gigantic build entered the roo:-t.
• Swarthy -faced, his deep-set eyes -glow'
ed as he looked at the man whom he
Imagined was .shortly to he delivered
over to hint..
-"You sent for me, Empress?" Tie
fid. -
• "Yes, Badoglio. Our friend . ov
there is being insolent."
Badoglio turned.,
"Shall I see to °him, Empress?"
"In a minute, perhaps.... Now,
Ferguson, this is my last word: You
get to work on those new notes, or
Badoglio .will give you a little • mole
- of his attention.. •.. Paugh !" she
Added; "the fool hat fainted."
Simon. Stevenssan " turned .to his
superior.
"With all ' possible respect, Emp-
ress," he said, "we must not allow the
fellovi to die." " "S"ome breakfast," grinned Crane.
"Diel lie tvoreedie. But his spirit "The Missus'll see to that," was the
must be broken. Time 'tresses. He reply, accompanied by a backward
must get busy. When he comes to, I flick of the thumb; "she can cook
' • p
ha -
don't think he'll make any more diffi-'con lovely!"
ciIties. And now, must get bac. 'Aeceping
the iiovtitation• Crane
to town. You'll stay here, of, course, walked across the sanded stip and
B' the way, what about that girl o� carne into what evidently was the
Ferguson's?y' - " • )curiae of the inn.
Steveesson parried with the truth. '`Behind the counter vvas 'a red-
-Tile Ernpre'ss was--rets-•in theeneed--tom' cheeke-d,- - tt. lel irr'g-eyed women
late middle -age.
"Morning," she said cheerily.
whose banner he ',;lad enlisted Al
thiongbei for: thea past twenty .years
Mrs. Aubyri' St. Clair the name_' by
which Mayfair 'society knew .her -=had optimist. . "Sorry, je troiihle.you
y
lneome through early,. hut' is it pos fb'1e to. get!.sonie
crime, she lad`..never .:)leen y+4 hT �astwheie?"
`She was a born organizer; a woman .' "Law's .sake, ' yes,' young man!'
of extraordinary brain power, she was r carie the 'quick answer.' ' "Sit down'
paid 'large sums to plan. coups for and tell ire what you require." . "
various criminal gangs.'' That. had "Oh,;anything:—so Tong• as' it's hot!
been her living until. five years; ago.' .And quick," :'•he' added. "Bacon, an'
Then;; deciding. that shewould enter' eggs would do splendidly," •
`business on her own, she had enlisted "Tea or coffee?.You can have either,'
the services of., three, or ;four speeial
ists. One of these had been Stevens
son himself.
The smoker smiied as he recalled
recalled
the really,: extraordinary position'the
woman was nevi in. Eespected by the
world whilst- living- -Ler' :