Nor
was it Nur-el-Din; for she had never met Bellward, either.
Who was it, then?
CHAPTER XIV. BARBARA TAKES A HAND
"No luck, Mr. Marigold," said the Assistant Provost Marshal, "I'm
sorry, but there it is! We've made every possible inquiry about
this Private... er..." he glanced at the buff-colored leave pass
in his hand, "... this Gunner Barling, but we can't trace him so
far. He should have gone back to France the afternoon before the
day on which you found his pass. But he hasn't rejoined his unit.
He's been posted as an absentee, and the police have been warned.
I'm afraid we can't do any more than that!"
The detective looked at the officer with mild reproach in his
eyes.
"Dear, dear," he replied, "and I made sure you'd be able to trace
him with that pass!"
He clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his head.
"Dear, dear!" he said again.
"What's the feller been up to?" asked the A.P.M. Detectives have
a horror of leading questions, and Mr. Marigold shrank visibly
before the directness of the other's inquiry. Before replying,
however, he measured the officer with his calm, shrewd eye. Mr.
Marigold was not above breaking his own rules of etiquette if
thereby he might gain a useful ally.
"Well, Captain Beardiston," he answered slowly,
I'll tell you because I think that you may be able to help me a
little bit.
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