The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-12-21
CHAPTER XIII.


house at No. % Rue de Santin was a
short, dumpy man, of the name OF Gug-
hatof. Though he spoke French fluent
ly, even with the accent of a native, his
high Tartar cheek bones, his oblique
eyes, and gutteral intonation when unduly
excited, sufficiently attested his Russian
origin.
In Gughatof, the Russian, M. Cas-
sagne found he had a far more difficult
person to deal with than the little laun-
dress, plant by reason of her excessive
greed. With Gughatoff, whose political
opinions now constituted his whole life
motive, mere gain was secondary con-
sideration. He devoted all his spare time
which was considerable, as his wife did
most of the work, to the discussion of
politics. He was one of those men of
whom people say HE would sooner talk
politics than eat"
The Partisan detective now felt that
while his progress so far had been salts
was necessary. He had seen the most
likely cases ruined by too hasty conduct. !:
He did not suffer himself to be unduly
elated by the extremely satisfactory out
come of his interview with Mime. Beau
santin. He went about his work with the
greatest elaboration. A man less a mas
ter of his difficult profession would have
at once excited suspicion, which would
have resulted in the Russians closing
his mouth forever. NJ. Cassagne avoided
this fatal error by the very deliberation
with which he went about his work. His
first step was to find out the kind of man
he had to deal with. In two days, he
had possessed himself of all necessary
information. On the third he continued
to ingratiate himself with the janitor, in
regard to whose antecedents and pecu-
iarities he had been SO careful to make
himself acquainted.
On the fifth day the morning train bore
the detective away from Blois, the richer
for some very important information. He
had shown the portrait in the locket to
Gughatoff, and the concierge, like Nine.
Beausantin, had declared it to be the
portrait Of the American Henry Graham.
In addition he had actually persuaded
Gughatof that he had been all the time
entertaining in Henry Graham spy of
the Russian government; that he, Cas-
sagne, belonged to friendly circle OF
French cooperative Nihilists having its
headquarters in Paris; that Graham had
been at one time member of the circle.
and that he was about to betray his late
comrades. Gughatoff, to. whom a SPY
was as red rag to bull, had q eedily
swallowed this remarkable fairy tale of
the detectives, especially when. the latter
had produced skillfully prepared docu-
ment in Russian which not only COM
mended him to the Offices Of all good Nj
hilists, but even gave distinct account
Of the object of his mission and minutely
described his person for purposes Of iden-
tifcation.
True, Cassagne was the author himself
Of this useful paper and had forwarded it
two days previously to DAuburon In
Paris, where It had been translated into
Russian before being returned to Blois.
But happily the concierge was ignorant
Of this deceit, and the plan had therefore
succeeded perfectly. Burning with hatred
for the supposed spy, Gushatof had told
al he knew Of his late guese which wa
. follows:
Henry Graham had resided n Biois
some nix Or seven years, during which
time - had had corrs1pondencs utth Two.