the Leadenhall Street office of Lars Larssen. The latter had brought him over to Paris as temporary secretary because

before he was five minutes distant from t

temporary secretary to the great shipowner was a chance, an opportunity that most young business men of twenty-four would eagerly grasp a

He mounted it and searched eagerly. His search was fruitless. Matheson was nowhere visible-

aimlessly and miserably, until a flaunting poster outside an all-night café chantant caught his eye

eery hand was laid on his shoulders.

note of pleasure in t

y odd, with an inexhaustible fund of good spirits. Everyone called him "Jimmy." Dean had known him

ou here?"

w if La Belle Ariola"-he waved his hand towards a poster which showed chiefly a toreador hat, a pair of flashing eyes, a

help me," interr

ll do it-my worldly posses

et and whispered. "To-night, as I happen to know, an Englishman walking

somebody with a flourish

w I want to know particul

n to-morrow morning, and I'll tell you if anything's been fired in from

hook h

be good. Flee the giddy lure. Go home to your little bed and sleep sweet." There was serio

for the night, and next morning at ten o'clock he was at the office of the Europe Chron

m into the adjoining ante-room wi

ty with the shill

big, gold-mo

rought to the H?pital Malesherbes suffering from a fractured skull. This morning, on recovering consciousness, he states th

and was about to leave, when the telephone bell rang sharply in the

-editor, and after listening for a moment signed i

sked, and hurried on without waiting for an answer. "One was probably the injured innocence now at the Malesherbes and cursing those sacr

e cashier's wicket, Martin hurried his friend into a taxi

d the bridge at the end of the long avenue of t

undred metres down stream. He was apparently some sort of workman, and explained that he had no wish to be mixed up with the police. On the other hand, he felt he had to do his duty by the c

ater's edge. It was not long before they came to the object of their search. Under an alder-bu

n cut out of the overcoa

belong to your man?" he asked

ered Dean

d in complete surprise and l

n on the collar and cuffs of

this

but then there are thousands

t he had found was entirely out of mind. He turned over the coat and stick in obvious perplexity, as though they ought somehow to contain the key to the puzzle if only he could see it. Then he examined the

g to do next?" ask

em to th

s usually deserted except for nursemaids and children and an occas

would throw fits on the floor if I were so much as to carry off a coat-button.

to-mo

light, then the press steps aside and allows the law to take its course. Meanwhile to the Morgue and the Malesherb

ant admission. On the inclined marble slabs, down which ice water gently trickles, were two ghastly white figure

urnalist promised to 'phone to the Grand Hotel if anything of interest came to light, and Arthur Dean went to make hi

ffice for a few minutes, Dean hurri

sked Lars

n the Rue Laffitte until Mr Matheson came out of his o

ted curtly. "I want th

ed: "I believe Mr Math

e! Do y

t this morning I assisted at the finding of

hey wer

't let him know that I recognized the coat and stick. I thought perh

give me the

ning. It was essential that he should disguise his cowardice and his failure to carry out orders of the night befo

or had been to the office this morning. They said no. I got his hotel address fr

in silence for some time. Fi

sala

a year

or likel

deeply as he replied:

arry on two

t promotion in the

stand how to

y the details of the business outside my own de

ogether contemptuously. "The men I pay

n looked i

fixing his eyes deep into the young m

white, and began t

ight that you haven't told me of. I know, because

the matter. His voice shook as he realized that it probably mea

etails had been faltered out. Then he said ab

t him in sile

olute obedience to orders, and absolute truthfulness to me. Lie to others if you like-that's no concern of mine-but not to me. Further, underst

much more than I have the right to expect. You can count on my

s my end. Your end is to carry out orders. If you're going to set store on niceties of truthfulnes

e young man was plastic clay to be moulded by a firm grasp. ￡300 a year op

eaning of what his employer had just said. At length he answ

you are, you can look forward to bigger money.... Now my point lies here; Mr Matheson was engaged wit