1938-09-16 — Page 11

MEXICAN FROM WIGAN

(Continued from Page 1)

The grandee appeared to have loads of money and entertained royally, The two gentlemen from the Second Bureau had disappeared, so I con- cluded there had been a false alarm.

The senorita, who did me the honour of teaming up with me on a number of social occasions, avoided anything to do with military topics but wanted to know all about journ- alisin on the Continent and was much interested in the U.S.A., eB- pecially in the cow-country and Hollywood. She seemed to have plenty of business sense and, wanted to exploit her own charming per- sonality, though she carefully avoid- ed giving any indication of where she really lived when she was at home and if she did anything for a

According to living:

her statement she had come up Barcelona to Plaisance, and preferred Spain to France.

own

from much

But our pleasant tete-a-tetes were interrupted by those two confounded trouble-hunters

Second from the Bureau turning up again, and the younger and more disagreeable of the two came up to me and said: "Tell that young woman to keep to her room for the next forty-eight hours. She is not to telephone or send letters outside without per- mission. If she does not obey these instruction, I'll have her 'thrown inside'," He used the French slang expression.

I ruefully explained to the fair charmer what had happened

-

large box of chocolates from that... cost him quite a few francs and a large box of chocolates from that very expensive little shop next door to the hotel. The reply that came down caused Smuth to grin.. He did not show it to me.

There was a gala dinner given by the hotel management that night in honour of the Army, and all guests at the hotel were invited. Carmen- cita, innocent-eyed in the extreme and very nicely turned out, sat next to Smith. She did flash me one look, however, and it was a very mastry In fact I believe she put out

But I her tongue at me. talking to the very charming wife of some senior officer, one of those understanding women of forty who to look like thirty and know how wear their clothes, so I could afford to ignore any childish rudeness, on the part of Carmencita.

one:

WAR

My dinner companion was Parisi- an to her finger-ting and we talked just like fellow-exiles. for. I am an Anglo-Parisian myself. She knew people I knew and had heard of me, which did not displease me. On the contrary. It was towards the end

of dinner that she said in a low tone, "There are to be some very inter- esting developments this evening, but you probably know more about them than I do."

I did not, but I did not tell her so and and endeavoured to look wise well informed, and probably succeed- owlish. ed in looking remarkably Then I was seized with a horrible foreboding. and

Was Carmencita to I knew be thrown to the wolves? Smith was hard and totally un- scrupulous in the execution of what I he conceived to be his duty. knew that the trouble-hunters would' have sent the most beautiful woman in the world to face a firing party if they thought she had betrayed Le Belle France.

what she had to do. She gave me a nasty look and the Second Bureau man a worse one and wept like an the lift. outraged queen towards

1 did not see her for two whole days, though I sent her up some reading and other little matter, cigarettes trifles. Smith was away from the the hotel most of the time, and poker players had suddenly gone bridge mad; and I hate bridge, possibly because I am such a bad player. To make me further, an- noyed, the two Second Bureau men were extremely friendly, possibly because I knew them in Paris. They lounged about the hotel doing nothing in particular.

Of course they were only the outward sign of their confounded anti-spy service, just a sort of uniformed reminder to the rest of the army that there was such an organisation as Military Intelligence as they call its equiva- lent in England.

Smith knew about Carmencita's dilemma. --He smiled when I pro-

"It tested indignantly.

will do that young lady a vast deal of good. She needs a little discipline. Also it It. will keep her out of danger. was touch and go she was not arrest- ed, but I explained she was harm- less. Just a romantic young per- son with a keen desire to get on in the world."

He continued: **The French authorities have what may be term- ed the "Marle Louise' complex. They young do not like un-attached

Bex females who, complete with

Army appeal, make friends with

Why even the officers in hotels: General babbled to her like the pro- verbial .brook. Fortunately she knows nothing about modern - gun- nery, though she does know some- most thing about revolvers like Mex's, and that little fact would· have landed her into much trouble our with the Second - Bureau if friends the trouble-hunters had heard her talk. They would have jumped at incorrect conclusions at You see she could not help playing at-La a Belle Mysterieuse. Dance band, uniforms, moonlight, all the "good

ps and the as

once.

I felt something tragic in the air, and my companion must have noticed that I was upset, for she gave me a queer look and said, "Captain Smeet You two is very clever, is he not? havé

time, been here some little have you not?” An implied com- pliment verbars, but I had had noth- military ing to do with armies or matters for years, though, they still do not like me either in Germany or Italy.

"A few days only. Smith is taking his first real leave in five years,” answered.

But the woman would keep.on. ..."Curious place to find an officer on European furlough. You would have thought Paris or London would have attracted a man of the world like him,

especially a man with his social connections, Paris is so beauti- the ful in June, and surely it is height of the season in London now?” "He wants a little quiet rest," I replied and she smiled disbelieving- ly.

I was very glad when that din- ner came to an end.

Contrary to my general practice. I went into the ballroom to see the dancing and to see Smith a-trotting about with Carmencita with a self- satisfied look on his face, confound him!

I saw the young Spanish grandes in the centre of a very lively group. I saw He did not dance at firet. him watching Carmencita with positively cruel smile, then he grub- bed a pretty blonde girl and swept her away into the dancing throng.

Then came a tango played in the lively manner and

name

went out into the gardens of the hotel which were flood-lit. I heard a voice say in precise military fashion: "In the

of the French Republic, I arrest you Ramon Garcia on a charge of espionage and further with the murder of a naval sentry at Brest." "

her role as a lady of mystery: distracted attention from his own activities in connection with the new anti-aircraft invention. Smith had informed him confidentially that Carmencita was a spy and would be arrested that night; so he must have grown a little over-confident, other- wise he would not have been captur- ed so easily. t

What of Carmencita? She actually had the cool nerve to ask for a pay- ment from the Second Bureau for help renders in capturing a danger- French ous spy, and although the hato paying out money, especially to a foreigner, I'll be darned if she did not get a few thousand francs.

Smith and I returned to Paris, furlough where he began his real I

before crossing to London to renew old contacts.

I recognised the voice. It was that of ́s special police commissary I the He was attached to know Second Bureau. Like the grandee, ho was standing in the shadows. A little further off, in the light, could distinguish the trouble-hunters their with grim, tense smiles on faces. There was a struggle and the grandee won free, but the young- er and more deadly trouble-hunter whipped out a revolver with all the dexterity usually attributed to Wes- tern 'American gunmen and shot the Spaniard in the left leg. "I want you alive, by pretty boy," he said..

Gradually, very gradually, I was beginning to see light. Smith had growing told me my brains were rusty, and now I had to reluctantly admit he was right as he usually is, confound him.

a

to Garcia was rushed away waiting car, and when people stream- ed out of the ballroom there was no trace of any fray, and I, naturally, knew nothing.

It was Smith who took me to the bar and provided refreshment gen- erously. He also told me the "in- side" story of the whale affair.

It was from London that he sent me a newspaper with an article by Carmencita Juanez, "the well-known traveller and special correspondent," complete with photo of the writer.

She had some very nasty things the to say about the French, and Second Bureau and their lack of chivalry. She painted Smith in no friendly colours, described her own experience as some harrowing ad- Oh, venture, and then sketched me... boy! of course she did not use my name, but she meant me all right. And to think of all the money I She headed the spent on that girl. article "To be Shot at Dawn" or "Under the Shadow of the. Guillo. tine," or something like that.

Anyway she had the last laugh, though Smith and I had to chuckle about "The Adventure of the WI- we call it, for to tell ganese,” as you the horrible truth our young friend did come from Wigan, and her surname was a perfectly good Lancashire name, though she born in Mexico and her name was Carmencita.

was

Christian

By the way, Smith still writes to all her,

most charming epistles, about the mysterious charm of the great desert.

Garica was a particularly brilliant. and daring spy, a Spaniard working for Germany or some other great Power, and the French had wanted to lay him by the heels for a long time. They were not sure of his had real. identity however, and actually suspected Carmencita until

At least so she told me yesterday accumulated proof against Garcia

when we usually meet. at lunch, case. complete had given them a

You see. The Spaniard against the latter.

Wiganese. had encouraged our fair friend in

"You've

got to be fussy

over

horses.

Fussy about their training

-fussy about who rides them.

I am very fond of the

only way. For instance, I don't "onally I find it's the

care to lead in

a lucky winner; but it gives me the rarest pleasure to watch any thoroughbred ridden to a faultless victory.

In the same way I appreciate the

dementi

gentlemanl

changed the conversation

and

made an~, honourable peace rough the intermediary of Demon m as the American anti-saloon league used to call it.

It was early in the evening of the second day of Carmencita s coration that Smith went

*Everything La

ndar

Will you doine and dance with me later this evening? - Smith..

Then

called myself names,-0. must be getting old. I was an ass.. But side by side with these mixed. emotions. I was possessed by a sensé of impending tragedy of which could not rid myself, and was glued to the ballroom instead of seeking sustenance liquid and philosophical at the bar, though I was beginning to need a drink badly.

It was after the third or fourth dance that the tragedy camé, saw the Spanish grandes slip out of the ballroom and, not · knowing exactly why, I followed him.”

Ho

fall

glow. Till I do, sist on White Horse.

WHITE HORSE

Whisky

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