, 1912-02-08

work for me to do. in France. or else
where. Blu | am like ain old soldier
whose wound, twinging with rheu-
matism, the approach Of
damp weather have. then, monsieur.
q kind of psychological rheumatism;
precedence, bookmen call 1t. Presently
we shall lave damp weather"
"You speak with singular conviction.
I'm my time | have made very few
mistakes. You will recollect that.
Twenty years have | served France.
l was wrong to say hat this affair
does not oncern me. I'm Interested
to see he end"
"But will there be an endT" impa-
tiently. "If ! were certain of that!
But years, and still nc sign"
Monsieur, he is to be feared; this
Inactivity. to my mind, proves 1t. He
Is waiting; the m Is not ripe.
There are many sentimental fools In
this world. One has only to step N
the street and shout, Down with! or
Long live!' to bring these fools clatter-
ing about"
THAT is true enough" Tapping the
tails OF his coat again.
This fellow was born across the
Rhine. He has served in the navy; he
In a German. therefore we cannot
touch him unless he commits some
overt act he waits; there is where the
danger, the real danger, lies. He waits;
n 1t Is his German blood which gives
him this patience. A Frenchman would
have exploded inng since"
you have searched his Luggage and
his rooms times without number"
"And found nothing; nothing that |
might use effectively. But there is
this saving grace: he on his side knows
nothing"
Il would / were sure of that also.
Eth. well; l leave the affair In vour
hands, and they are capable ones.
When the time comes act. act upon
shall give no accounting to Germany"
-No, because what l do must be lone
secretly. 1t will not matter that Ger
many also knows and waits. But this
Is true; If we do not circumvent him
she will make use of whatever he
does"
cit has its whimsical side. Here il
a man who may some day blow up
France. and yet we cal put no hand
on him till he throws the bomb"
"But there Is always time to stop
the flight of the bomb. That shall be
my concern-that is. If monsieur is not
becoming discouraged and desires me
10 occupy myself with other things. I
repeat: l have rheumatism, | appre-
bend the damp, He will go to Ameri-
ca"
"Ah' 1t would be a very good plan
n he remained there"
The little man did not reply.
"But you say in your reports that
you have seer him going about with
some of the Orleanlsts. What is your
Inference therer"
81 have not yet formed one. 1t is a
bit of a riddle there. for the crow and
the eagle do 10 fly together"
well. follow him to America"
Thanks. The pay is good and the
work IL %congenial' The tom of the
little man was softly given to irony.
Gray haired. rosy checked. a face
bhlOOtu us u bpN >, lNlllhlllR eyes Dt
hind spectacles. he was one of the
most astute. learned, and patient Of
the French secret police. And he did
not care the dip of his strong brown
fingers for the methods of Vidocq or
Lecoq. His only disguise was that no
one of the criminal police OF the world
knew him or had ever heard of him;
and save his chief and three ministers
OF WARRIOR French cabinets are given
to change-his own immediate friends
knew him az II butterfly hunter, a
searcher for beetles aud scarabs, who,
indeed. was one of the first authorities
in France ON the subjects: Anatole
Ferraud. who went about. hither and
thither. with a little red button in his
buttonhole and a tongue facile in a
dozen languages.
very well, monsieur. trust that in
the near future | may bring you good
news"
He viii become nothing or the most