The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation

ouncement aloud. When he had

el, is the great and only Zélie de Longarde, eh?" he said. "Well, I guess that makes ma

ay all I'm worth to a penny-piece that the woman I then saw is the woman whose picture we're staring at. Great Scott! So she's a famous singer,

hich is presumably her professional one, and I've also had one or two business deals with her. So all we've got to do is to find out which hotel she's stopping at in this city, and then we'll go round there,

isted the American round in another direction, an

ne here in the station, and go straight to the concert. There, perhaps, during an

ck order on his own behalf to the waiter, left Fullaway to give his own, an

had munched in silence for a while. "This Miss Lennard, or Mamselle, or Signora de Longarde, or whatever her re

What I want to know is-has she seen them, and when, and where, an

ust now," replied A

ve done business for her. Oddly enough, that was in the jewel line-I negotiated the sale of Pink

ered Allerdyke. "Not in

inkie Pel

uck to a pearl necklace, which was said to have been given to her by the Duke of Bendlecombe-Pinkie, they said, attached a sentimental value to it. However, it had to be sold, and I sold i

orm as possible, so that I can make certain sure this is the woman I saw at Howden yesterday morning-when I positively identify her, I'll leave it to you to work

t poster that this affair is being run by the Concert-Director Ernest Weiss. I know We

s to know everybody," remarked Allerdyke. "I suppose

ow I came to know your cousin later that's rather interesting. Well, here's the place, and it's five to eight now. W

ying and explaining at the box-office, he and his companion were duly escorted to seats immediately in front of a flower-decked platform, where they were set down amidst a highly select company of correctl

land, and I your travelling companion, and that our luggage hadn't arrived from Aberdeen, so we couldn't dress, but we must hear this singing lady at all cos

inging of tender and sentimental songs, a notable performer on the violincello, a local vocalist whose speciality was the singing of ancient Scottish melodies, and-item of vast interest to a certain section of the audience-a youthful prodigy who was fondly believed to have it in her power to become a

suppose we've got to stick out the other four. I'm not great on music, Fullaway-don't know on

waking up to something like enthusiasm when the infant prodigy, a quaint, painfully shy little creature, who bobbed a side curtsey at the

too big in the eye, and too small in the bone-wants plenty of new milk, and new-laid eggs, and fresh air, and not so much piano-thumping, does

know that all these people were itching to show their fondness for Zélie de Longarde by clapping their hands, waving their program, and otherwise manifesting their delight at once more seeing a prime favourite. All eyes were fixed on the wing of the platform, all hands were ready to give welcome. But a minute passed-two minutes-three m

"Something's wrong! Look at h

rom that semi-military bow, and looked at t

is not yet arrived from her hotel. I hope-I think-she is now on her way. In the meantime I propose, with your gracio

retired there was another wait, a longer one which lengthened unduly, a note of impatience sounded from the gallery; it was taken up elsewhere. And suddenly Weiss came again upon the platform-this time with no affectation of suave entreaty. He was plainly much

her. Mademoiselle is at her hotel. She declares she has been robbed-her jewels have all been stolen from their case in her apartments. She is-how shall I say?-turning the hotel upside down! She refuses to budge one inch until her jewels are restored to her. How then?-I cannot restore her jewels. I say to her-my colleagues say to her-it is no

the way to a sidedoor, whispered something to an attendant, and was quickly ushered through another door to an ante-room behind the w

ave heard?-you have been in front. You hear, then-she will

selle de Longarde stop

way q

Caledonian-I go there j

ll not appear-ruined,

g with you," said F

the lighted streets of the smoky old city, of a dash upstairs at a big hotel; they ended with a picture of a beautiful, highly enraged w