new-comer. A half whimsical thought
flashed across the Premier's mind. "My successor, perhaps!"

"We've had a letter from young Beresford," said Mr. Carter, coming to
the point at once. "You've seen him, I suppose?"

"You suppose wrong," said the lawyer.

"Oh!" Mr. Carter was a little nonplussed.

Sir James smiled, and stroked his chin.

"He rang me up," he volunteered.

"Would you have any objection to telling us exactly what passed between
you?"

"Not at all. He thanked me for a certain letter which I had written to
him--as a matter of fact, I had offered him a job. Then he reminded
me of something I had said to him at Manchester respecting that bogus
telegram which lured Miss Cowley away. I asked him if anything untoward
had occurred. He said it had--that in a drawer in Mr. Hersheimmer's room
he had discovered a photograph." The lawyer paused, then continued:
"I asked him if the photograph bore the name and address of a
Californian photographer. He replied: 'You're on to it, sir. It had.'
Then he went on to tell me something I DIDN'T know. The original of that
photograph was the French girl, Annette, who saved his life."

"What?"

"Exactly. I asked the young man with some curiosity what he had done
with the photograph. He replied that he had put it back where he found
it." The lawyer paused again. "That was good, you know--distinctly
good. He can use his brains, that young fellow. I congratulated him. The
discovery was a providential one. Of course, from the moment that the
girl in Manchester was proved to be a plant everything was altered.
Young Beresford saw that for himself without my having to tell it
him. But he felt he couldn't trust his judgment on the subject of
Miss Cowley. Did I think she was alive? I told him, duly weighing the
evidence, that there was a very decided chance in favour of it. That
brought us back to the telegram."

"Yes?"

"I advised him to apply to you for a copy of the original wire. It
had occurred to me as probable that, after Miss Cowley flung it on the
floor, certain words might have been erased and altered with the express
intention of setting searchers on a false trail."

Carter nodded. He took a sheet from his pocket, and read aloud:

"Come at once, Astley Priors, Gatehouse, Kent. Great
developments--TOMMY."

"Very simple," said Sir James, "and very ingenious. Just a few words
to alter, and the thing was done. And the one important clue they
overlooked."

"