The Broken Thread By William Le Queux Published by Ward, Lock and Co, Limited, London, Melbourne, and Toronto. This edition dated 1917. The Broken Thread, by William Le Queux. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ THE BROKEN THREAD, BY WILLIAM LE QUEUX. CHAPTER ONE. CONCERNS A GIRL IN BLACK. "No. I mean the girl in black. The one leading the pom." "By jove! Yes. She's uncommonly smart, isn't she?" "Her friend isn't half bad-looking, either?" "I don't think so very much of her, Raife. But Southport at this time of year is always full of pretty girls." "Not one of them can compare with the girl in black--she's ripping!" declared Raife Remington, a tall, well-set up, dark-haired, hatless undergraduate, who, in grey flannels, was walking beside his college chum, Edward Mutimer, at whose father's house he was staying during the vac. Both were at Trinity, Cambridge, and both, being in their last year, were reading hard for their degrees. Each morning in those warm August days by the summer sea they came out for a stroll on the seafront; bright with movement and gaiety, taking an airing before settling down to their studies for the day. On this particular morning, about ten o'clock, the seafront was already full of men in flannels and lounge-suits, and women in garments of muslin and other such flimsy materials usually affected at the seaside, for stifled and jaded Londoners had flocked down there, as usual, to enjoy the sea air and all the varied attractions which Southport never fails to offer. Raife Remington and his friend were strolling along, chatting about their old college days, idly smoking cigarettes, when they came up behind two well yet neatly-dressed girls, one about twenty, in a white pique coat and skirt with large pearl buttons, cut smartly; the other, about a couple of years her junior, who was fair-haired, very beautiful, and led a little black pom by a silver chain, was in dead black with a neat, close-fitting hat, with a turquoise blue band. Her skirt was short and well adapted for walking, displaying neat ankles encased in black silk stockings, and she wore white kid gloves; yet the only touch of colour was the hat band and the bow of bright cherry ribbon upon the collar of the little black pom. In every movement, in her gait, in the swing of her carriage and the way she carried her well-poised head, there was ineffable, unaffected grace. Narrow-waisted, slim, delicate, she was the very incarnation of exquisite daintiness and high refinement. Little wonder, therefore, that Raife Remington should have singled her out as the prettiest girl he had ever seen.