Part 8 (1/2)

”Perhaps it's hardly worth while, but I can't claim that Austin and I are particularly friendly Our business interests sometimes clash”

She was silent for a few moments, and he wondered why both she and the man had been curious to kno far his acquaintance with Austin went

Then she looked up with a quicktown, and if you have no other reason for going there, it ht be better to post the packet”

Foster was soive him a hint

”The trouble is that I proht it to England,” she persisted ”It will be safe in the post------”

She stopped with a glance at the door, and Foster heard a step in the passage Then she quietly turned to the man who had taken the packet

”I would have entle here until I saw him as I passed the door”

The other, who had looked at her rather sharply, nodded and gave Foster the packet

”As there was rooh, I wrote the new address on the cover”

Foster thanked him and took his leave, but as the n

”Post it,” she whispered and turned back into the roo the road in a thoughtful hter or niece Their relative ages warranted the sur to a stranger indicated that she recognized his authority, while Foster thought she had been disturbed when she heard his step It was strange that she should urge him to post the packet, and he would sooner have done so, but it was not a long journey to Newcastle and heand dis back to his hotel, he found there was an evening train and decided to leave by it Edinburgh had attractions, but he could coet rid of the packet, ed the tiers at the station and he found an eot tired and lifting a corner of the blind looked out Here and there a light rushed back through the darkness and vanished as the express sped south with a s he had been used to in Canada Indeed, except for the roar when they ran across a bridge and the confused flashi+ng past of lained himself on board a train There was, however, not much to be seen, and he took out the packet

It looked somewhat bulkier and he examined it carefully, but the cover did not seem to have been removed It could not have been replaced by another, because the original address was there and he knew Carmen's hand; then there was a seal, which he did not think could have been tampered with Besides, the man had only had it for a minute or two, and if he had opened it, would probably have taken so in Foster decided that he was mistaken about its size and returned it to his pocket

Then he wanted a cigarette and took out the case he had got in the fur coat Since he had left the coat in Montreal, the case was the only record of his adventure on the train, and he wondered whether he would ever be able to restore it to its owner and speculated languidly about the e that he had not communicated with him at the Windsor, as he had promised He had obviously not been attacked, because there had been nothing about it in the Canadian newspapers The thing was puzzling, but after all it did not concern Fosterelse

It was late when he arrived at Newcastle and went to an hotel There was fog and rain next , and he saw very little of the tohich see a tras and shops where lights twinkled, he got out at the corner of a narrow street that ran back into the haze

After looking at the address on the packet, he plunged into the gloos There was no pave in the wall The buildings were apparently warehouses, but sohts shone in the upper s By and by he found the number he wanted and entered a dirty arch, inside which a few names were painted on the wall Graham's was not there, but he went up the steps to inquire at the first office he reached

The lower stories were used as a warehouse and he ca before he saw a name that see in, he knocked on the counter The office was sht indicated that its occupant dealt in provisions, but he could not seeimpatient, an old man came to the counter

”Can you tell ?” Foster asked

”Yes, he's here,” said the other ”What do you want?”

Foster said he had brought a packet from Canada, and the old man, who looked rather hard at hih A door in the partition opened as he advanced and another man beckoned him to come in It looked as if the latter had heard what had passed, but this saved an explanation and Foster, who asked if he was Graham, put the packet on a table There was not much else in the seon-holes, a desk, and a safe

”This is fro,” he relanced at the packet carelessly, as if he did not consider it of much importance, and Foster felt puzzled The felloas not as old as Car about hiirl used to admiration, as Carmen was He was certainly not handsome and had, on the whole, a commonplace look, while he was obviously in a small way of business

”Thank you,” he said ”It seeh We had a branch there, but closed it recently Newcastle has oods I'm afraid you have been put to some trouble”

Foster replied that he did notthe packet and she was a friend of his, but although he studied theto indicate that he was interested

”Are you staying here?” he asked, and when Foster told hi back as soon as he could, resulad to take you about the town; but, after all, there's nothing e to meet you in the afternoon, but must now finish some letters for the Continental mail”