The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-02-07
The STORY OF
AMAROFF THE POLE
(Continued.)

| self, when one of the men knocked
over a brass candlestick which stood
| on the desk, so that it rolled to the
further side. With a grunt of annoy
ance, he stepped leisurely round and
dropped on his knees to recover it.
Once out of sight of his companions,
however. he whipped out square OF
wax from his pocket, and with extra
| ordinary rapidity took an impression
from key that he had kept con-
cealed in his hand. 1t was all over In
five seconds, and from the shelter the
desk gave to him, no one but myself
could have been the wiser. He rose,
replaced the candlestick, and con-
tinued his work
Whether the fellow had played his
companion a trick or not, | had no
desire to be caught acting the spy
| So, pulling the curtains aside, walked
into the room. They all turned quick
ly upon me, the black bearded man
staring hard as if attempting to re-
call my face. BUT Peace was the first
to speak.
| Good afternoon, Mr.. Phillips" he
said, as if were visitor he had ex-
| pected. "You are just in time to drive
me back Have you cab waiting?"
| mo" l hesitated.
tits of no consequence. We can
! find another at the top of the street.
And now, Mr.. Nicolin," he continued.
| turning to the big man, who had never
taken his eyes off me, ARE you quite
satisfied, or do you wish your men to
make further search?"
mo, Mr. INSPECTOR" he answered.
with heavy foreign accent. I'VE
are quite content. Noding more is
necessary"
"Shan you be wanting to come
AGAIN."
"No-for us it is sufficient. 1t is
for you to continue. Mr.. INSPECTOR.
You tink you will catch these men
who kill him. heinz"
1--WE shall try" said Peace, with a
modest droop of the eyes.
| "Ach-but where can there be GER
tainty in our lives? Come now, my
children, let us be going. Alexandra,
you have the door-key Of the studio;
| give him to the inspector here"
| So it was the door-key, thought /,
of which Mr. Alexandra obtained a
memento behind the roller-top desk!
| Peace gave a polite goodbye to his
companions on the step, locked up the
little green door, and then started
| cid do
'I had no business to come poking
my nose into your affairs" I said.
Anything you say I shall thoroughly
deserve"
Don't apologize" he smiled. II
was pleased to see YOU"
"And why?"
"You can do better things than re-
main a wealthy dilettante, Mr.. Phil
lips. You are too broad in the shout
ders, too clear in the head, for living
in the world that Is dead. Such little
incidents as these-they drag you out
of the she'll you are building about
you. That is why I was pleased to
see you. l have spoken plainly-are
you offended"
"Oh, no." / said, waving my stick
to a passing hanson, though I did
not refer again to the topic which l
foresaw was likely to become person
ally offensive to me.
He sat back in his corner of the cab.
filing his pipe with dextrous fingers.
while I watched him out Of the cor
ner Of my eye. When it was well
aHght, he began again on a new sub
ject.
"London's queer place." he said
though perhaps you have not had the
time to find it out. There are for
eign colonies, with their own religions
and clubs and politics. working their
way through life just as II they were
in Odessa or Hamburg or Milan.
There are refugees knows
how many. for we do not-that have
fed before all the despotisms that suc-
ceeded and all the revolutions that
failed from Siam to the Argentine.
Tolstoi fanatics, dishonest presidents
anarchists, royalists. Armenians.
Turks, Carlists, and the dwellers In
Mesopotamia-a finer collection than
even America itself can show. On
the Continent-wel, we should be run.
ming them in. and they would be
, throwing bombs. But here no one
, troubles them so long as they pay
i rent and taxes, and keep their hands
, out OF each others pockets or from
each others threats. They under-
stand us. too, and stop playing at ~