The Washington herald., 1912-06-30

uiySSiI Dy anOIleT man name. i. 8Ol
introduced to a somewhat exclusive
club there. My assumed name was .
good one-it was the name, in fact, oi
relative whom somewhat resembled
1 was accepted without question.
played cards, and lost somewhere
about 1900 francs"
"A sum-" Peter Ruff remarked
which you probably found it inconven-
lent to pay.
There was only one course" Sir
Richard continued, "and l took it. ]
went back the next night and gave
checks for the amount of my indebted
ness-checks which had no more chance
of being met than If were to draw
tonight upon the Bank of England for
a million pounds. went back, how
ever, with another resolve. / was con-
sidered to have discharged my liabili-
ties, and we played again. rose a
winner Of something like 10000 francs.
But / played to win, Mr.. Ruff Do you
know what that means?"
You cheated| Peter Ruff said, in
an undertone
Quite true" Sir Richard admitted.
Il cheated! There was a scandal, aud
l disappeared. ! had the money. and
though my checks for 1900 francs
were met, there was a considerable bal
anee in my pocket when l escaped out
of France. No one ever associated me
with the imposter who had robbed
these young French noblemen-no one,
that is to say, except the person who
passes by the name of Teddy Jones.
How did he get 10 know" Peter
Ruff asked
THE story wouldn't interest you,
Sir Richard answered. "He was in
Paris at the time-we came across one
another twice. He heard the scandal,
and put two and two together. l ship
ped him off to Australia when l came
into the title He has come back. Late
", ! can tell you. he has pretty well
now. He looks after his health. There's
scarcely week l don't hear from him.
He keeps me pauper. He has brought
me at last to that state when feel
that there must be an ending"
You have come to seek my help
Peter Ruff said, slowly. From what
you say about this man, | presume that
he is not to be frightened"
Not for a single moment" Sir Rich
ard answered THE law has no ter
rors for him. He has his story pat. He
even has his witnesses ready"
He is not to be bluffed, Peter Ruff
said, slowly; he is not to be bribed
What remains 7"
q have come here" Sir Richard said,
"for your advice, Mr.. Ruff"
The blackmailer," Peter Ruff said,
He is a scoundrel!" Sir Richard as
sented
He is not fit to live" Peter Ruff re-
He contaminates the world with
every breath he draws!" Sir Richard
assented.
Perhaps" Peter Ruff said, you had
better give me his address, and the
name he goes under"
He lives at clearinghouse in Rus
sell Street, Bloomsbury Sir Richard
said 1t is Mrs. Bognor's boarding
house. The number is T."
You had better leave the matter in
my hands for a few days" Peter Ruff
said Il will have talk with this gen.
tleman and see whether he is really so
unmanageable If he is. there is, of
course. only one way, and for that way,
Sir Richard, you would have to pay a
little high"
IF / were to hear Tomorrow" Sir
Richard said quietly. that Teddy Jones
was dead, | would give 5000 pounds
to the man who brought me the infor-
mationw
Peter Ruff nodded.
7. L.. A.. " k,a LII
quite! will drop you ling in the
course Of the next few days"
Sir Richard took up his hat and de-
parted Miss Brown turned around in
her chair.
Don't you do it. Peter" she said
The time has gone by for
that sort Of thing The man may be
unfit to live, but you don't need to risk
as much as that for a matter Of 5000
pounds"
Peter Ruff nodded.
Quite right" he said; quite right,
Violet At the same time, 5000 pounds
is an excellent sum. We must see what
can be done"
Peter Ruff's method of seeing what
could be done was at first the very OBJ
vious one of seeking to discover any
incidents in the past of the person
known as Teddy Jones likely to reflect
present discredit upon him if brought
to light His researches proved that
the gentleman in question had resorted
to many questionable methods of OBJ
tanning living. At the same time.
there was nothing which Peter Ruff
felt that the man might not brazen out
His present mode Of life seemed-on
the surface, at any rate-to be beyond
reproach. There was only one associa-
ton which was distinctly questionable,
and it was in this one direction, there
fore, that Peter Ruff concentrated him
self. The case interested him so much
hat he took close and personal inter
est in it, and he was rewarded one day