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Hersheimmer. It is an uncommon name, and I should not have been likely to

forget it.'

"Well, that was flat. It laid me out for a space. I'd kind of hoped my search was at

an end. 'That's that,' I said at last. 'Now, there's another matter. When I was

hugging that darned branch I thought I recognized an old friend of mine talking

to one of your nurses.' I purposely didn't mention any name because, of course,

Whittington might be calling himself something quite different down here, but the

doctor answered at once. 'Mr. Whittington, perhaps?' 'That's the fellow,' I replied.

'What's he doing down here? Don't tell me HIS nerves are out of order?'

"Dr. Hall laughed. 'No. He came down to see one of my nurses, Nurse Edith, who

is a niece of his.' 'Why, fancy that!' I exclaimed. 'Is he still here?' 'No, he went

back to town almost immediately.' 'What a pity!' I ejaculated. 'But perhaps I could

speak to his niece--Nurse Edith, did you say her name was?'

"But the doctor shook his head. 'I'm afraid that, too, is impossible. Nurse Edith

left with a patient to-night also.' 'I seem to be real unlucky,' I remarked. 'Have you

Mr. Whittington's address in town? I guess I'd like to look him up when I get

back.' 'I don't know his address. I can write to Nurse Edith for it if you like.' I

thanked him. 'Don't say who it is wants it. I'd like to give him a little surprise.'

That was about all I could do for the moment. Of course, if the girl was really

Whittington's niece, she might be too cute to fall into the trap, but it was worth

trying. Next thing I did was to write out a wire to Beresford saying where I was,

and that I was laid up with a sprained foot, and telling him to come down if he

wasn't busy. I had to be guarded in what I said. However, I didn't hear from him,

and my foot soon got all right. It was only ricked, not really sprained, so to-day I

said good-bye to the little doctor chap, asked him to send me word if he heard

from Nurse Edith, and came right away back to town. Say, Miss Tuppence, you're

looking mighty pale!"

"It's Tommy," said Tuppence. "What can have happened to him?"

Buck up, I guess he's all right really. Why shouldn't he be? See here, it was a

foreign-looking guy he went off after. Maybe they've gone abroad--to Poland, or

something like that?"

Tuppence shook her head.

He couldn't without passports and things. Besides I've seen that man, Boris

Something, since. He dined with Mrs. Vandemeyer last night."

The Secret Adversary