The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-08-02

naembered now that she was rich and | that he had sent her Rfcicufously ex- ! pensfve present and a congratulatory cablegram at the time of the wedding.
 The Londoner did not respond to the innocuous query He merely stared in ] preoccupded determined manner at the succeedtngs etages as they slipped l downward. At the. fourth floor they disembarked, and Brock led the way to his rooms, overlooking the inner court Once inside with the door clos ed he turned upon the Engnshman. s'No7x, what's up, Rox2 Are you in l troubIe9'' he demanded.
 l "Are we quite a1oneT' Medcroft glanced significantly at the transom and the haaf closed sbashroom door With a laugh Brock. led him into the bathroom and out and then closed the 1 transom.
 "You're darned mysterious" he said, pointing to a oi2afr near the window. Medcroft drew. another close up and seated himself.
 Brock be said, lowering his voice and leaning forward impresstzely, ~I want you to go to Vienna in my place 2 Brock stared hard t'You4 are a god send, old man. You're just in time to do me the greatest of sfavors. sTts iut- l teriy impossible for me to go to Vienna as hadtplannsd, and yet it is equally unwise for me to give. up the project You see, Eve. Susti got to Joe in London and Vienna atsthef same t4me.''
 "It win require son1etf1fng more than a stretch of the. e.tmag7natfonz to do that, old man.. But I'm. game, and my plans are sucllf that they can be changed readily to sobl1ge a friend. shan't mind the. trip 8n' the least, and I'll be only too happys to help you, out GadI I thought byEyour manner that you were in some afrfghtfu1 dif1cu1ty.'' l tfBy love, Brock, you're a brfeki" cried Medcroft, shaking the others hand vigorously. At the same time his face expressed considerable uncer- tainty and no nkfle doubt as to the future weIfare of hiss as yet partially l divulged propositi0n-
 'It,s easy to be a brick, my boy, if ! it involves no more than the changing of single letter in one's name. I'd like to attend the convention anyway" said Brock amEably.
 'sWeu, you-see, Brock said Medcroft Iamely. "If fear. you don't quite appre- ciate the situation I want you to pose as Roxbury Efedcroft"
 You What do-you meanT'
 CT thought you'd fnds that facer. That's just it You are toago to Vienna as RoTbury Medcroft. not as yourself Ha, hal Ripping, eh7''
 s'''Pon mysseul; Rox, you are nOt~in earnestT'
 Never more so"
 'But, my dear fe71ow''-5
 ''Youswon't, do+ftq That's what your tone means,'' fn;despair. 7.
 +'Tt isn't that and Syou~ ~knowsit. Eve got nothing to lose. It's you that will have to suffer. You're known all over Europe. What w1I1!fbe said when the trick is Discovered? Cad mane'
 '@Then syou will go?'' with beamfng eyes. T knew itNwould appeal to you as an Am erican."
 'sWhatsd does it all meanT'
 ''It's all very simple, if one looks at l 1t from the right angie, ,sBrock. Up to last night Twas bl4ssful1y committed to the most delightful of. outings, so to speak At 10 o'clock everything was changed. Mrs. Medcroft and sat up all night discussing the situation with the messenger solicitor, by the way The Vtenna9 trip } is out of the | quest1on, so faraas Fam concerned It IS of4v42al 1mpoFtsnce.tha should re- turn to London tonight but it is even more vftaIly. important thats the world should say that T. am in Vienna. See what 'meanT'
 "<No, Ism hanged ifY1 do.'
 "what-I. have just heard from Lon 1 Hon makes me shudder to think of the consequences, if I go on east tonight may, as well tell you that there is a 1 plot on foot to sperpetrate gigantic fraud against the people. The county councfIs is to be hoodwinked out and outA1ntoSuoEing forward certain build ing projects, involving millions of the peoples money. Our firm has opposed a certain band of grafters, and, when | I left England gittwas pretty we'll set tied that we had4 blocked their game. They have learned of my proposed ab- sence and intend to steal a march on us while am away. Without assum- | ing too much credit to myself, may l say that I, your old friend, Roxbury, am the one man who has proved the I real thorn in the sides of these scoun- drels. With nae out of the way they I feel that they can secure the adoption 1 of all these Infamous measures. My I partners and. the leaders on our side | have sent for me to return secretly. l They won't bring the matter to issue if t they find that I've returned. It would I be suicidal Therefore it is necessary | that we steal a march on 'em. know 1 the inside workings of the scheme. 1 If can steal back and keep under l cover, as an advisory chief, so to speak
 we cam well afford to let 'em rush the i matter. through, for then we can spring I the coup and defeat them for good and all But, don't you see, old man, l unless they know that I've gone te
 Vienna they won't undertake the thing To Ina C.nntinuad