The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-11-08

time. He was very thick With the
man who runs the place. Greatnan.
as he calls himself They tell me Ahat
Greatman sat as model for some
statue he was doing. back in July. II
must have been funny sort OF statue.
for Greatmans weedy little Pole.
and drinks like a fish,"
For some time the inspector sat In
silence, drawing circles on the floor
with the point of the light cane ne
carried. The bartender dropped
glass, swore, and then. with stare
at us, retreated into a little cage he
had at the back Of his domain. Doubt
less the presence of detectives was no
incentive to trade in the bars Of Mai
den Square.
"This Greatman-what more do you
know of him?"
1--WE have had nothing against him
before; but all the same. it's his pri-
vate room that has the sanded floor"
The inspectors prophecy of the pre-
vious night came back to me with
sudden remembrance: "Amaroff was
murdered in a room with a sanded
floor, probably at no great distance
from Leman street, seeing that they
carried him there in a coster's bar
row." began to understand the NOR
bid significance of the private room
in this little foreign club.
We were drawing nearer to our
game; the scent was growing strong
err. Addington Peace leant little for
ward, with twist in his jaw that
raised ripple of muscles under the
skin.
Continue. il you please" he said.
"The room is at the rear of the club,
and there is a back staircase to yard
behind, where costers store their bar
rows when not in use. 1t fits in with
what you told us to inquire for, don't
1t, sir?"
eyes"
The inspectors stick recommended
its interlacing circles on the floor:
and we sat and watched, as If thereby
he were disentangling his sordid story.
So still were we all that the bartender
poked his luminous nose from his cage
in the hope that we had gone. He
withdrew 1t with remarks on the POI
lice force which were distinctly audi
BILE. and opposed to the complimentary.
Suddenly the inspector turned to me
. with motion of half-apology, as IL
at the neglect of guest.
"There are times, Mr.. Phillips" he
said, when evidence runs in absurd
contradictions. Observe the present
case, in which you are SO good as to
interest yourself. We have it from the
Russian police that Amaroff is their
man, and that in their opinion-they
being we'll qualified to judge-he was
murdered by Nihilists. We now learn
that he was apparently on intimate
terms with Nihilists, and We have
good reason to believe that he was
strangled in one of their clubs. What
do you gather from that?"
"They discovered his treachery, and
took an excusable revenge" said I.
"a sound conclusion. And now let
us suppose that Arnaroff was not po-
lice spy at all; being, in fact, dan,
gerous Nihilist: What then?""''-
why set yourself such a puzzle?"
mot for amusement" he said, with
his quiet smile. "And now propose
a little experiment You must intro
duce us to this club, Jackson; the
door-keeper will know you, and pass
us in. Afterwards you will go to the
back entrance I'm the yard you spoke
of, and wait. 1t should be easy to
conceal yourself"
Eyes, sir. Am to stop Greatman
IL he comes out?"
''No. Stop nobody. We had better
be going" uH
The square lay desolate and lonely
in the bleak moonlight. We crossed
It, and stopped at a house in the
shadows Of the farther side. At our
knock slide flew back, and, in the
gush Of light, hairy face examined
us curiously.
"Vat is et?" he said.
The serjeant stepped forward and
whispered. The man was sufficiently
satisfied, for he dropped the slide at
once, and the door swung back to ad-
NIT us; the hairy-faced porter bowling
a welcome in polite submission. The
inspector led the way up the stairs,
and followed at his heels. The ser.
jeant had disappeared.
1t was broad, low room In which
we found ourselves, the rafters of the
roof unhidden by the plaster of CELL
ing. Round the walls on benches rang.
ed behind tables a dozen men sat
smoking and drinking. The chatter
of talk faded away as we entered. In
silence they stared at us, calmly, judi
ciously, without fear or curiosity. I
could not have imagined a more COM
posed and resolute company. I felt
that carried myself awkwardly, as an
impertinent intruder should; but the
inspector sauntered across the room
to bar on the further side as calmly
as IL he were the oldest and most
valued member in the club.
A pale-faced man with stained and
yellow beard rose from his seat be-
hind the glasses. His eyes were fixed
on Peace with a weak, pathetic ex-
preston like dog In pain.
Good evening. Mr. Greatman," said
the inspector. Can I have word