The Washington times., 1913-09-17

woman in my brief survey of the pair
The blunt brutality of his remark
piqued my curiosity. yet dared not Iooi
angry exclamation, which he echoet
with another laugh.
"Listen!" I heard him commanding
You can do 1t, and you've got to do It
It's your part Of the job. You locat.
Again her voice dropped too low 70,
me to catch the words.
Follow him." he was saying. "Speah
to him. Make his acquaintance. dom,
care how you do It. Get results: that's
II don't ike It." she T said. sad ZEE
somebody else. II it's got to be done"
NO; there'll be nobody else. You're
But you're sure-"
mysell.''
Here was news again! I had beer
watched the day before, by a person
whose very physique was calculated to
attract even an idler's attention. II
observation. or else the man himself
was an exceedingly clever and unob.
trusive sleuth.
IF you would only"
He interrupted her hesitating words
angrily, his voice rising slightly.
You've got your orders. Now, 20 to
It! And remember. I want to hear to-
night Work 1t any way you choose,
but don't fall: and don't pretend you
don't know whom mean. He's the man
with the checkered hat and the cane"
,Sheckered hat and cane! l was iden-
titled now beyond dispute. It had never
occurred to me when 1 purchased the
! hat that It was a particularly con-
spicuous affair; but evidently some per
son thought otherwise.
that 80
/ ne turned from her and disappeared
through the short corridor that leads to
the rotunda. Glancing warily up from
my pretended reading. I saw his tall
tured to look at the woman, but she
had turned toward me. and was EVIDENT
ly studying me. / resumed nv perusal
word.
Here was a woman set to the task of
Following me, OF making my acQuaint-
ance. Of finding out something that I
apparently knew What? And why ?
Certainly II was not objectionable Of
me to be curious. I was amazingly 80.
d.tective9 She was a detective. of
course; but why couldn't a man serve.
l wondered vaguely II looked impress
sionable. A reluctant woman. too.
which clashed strangely with my con-
ception of the detective profession,
several minutes. waiting to see what
she would dc. She also remained stand
ing where the tall man had left her.
The situation was quite new to me.
was consumed with a desire to learn
the outcome of ii, but did not know just
what ] was expected TO do under the
circumstances. Was il my first move,
or hers? How did she propose to go
about the business? Here again I was
utterly ignorant of the ways of pro-
fession that is popularity supposed to
be mysterious, and doubtless is 80 TO
most people.
Patiently 1 remained In my place.
watching her furtively, just raising my
eyes sufficiently from time to time to
make sure that she was there, yet at
no instant getting a full satisfying
glimpse Of her. / merely noted a rather
tall and slender figure. clad in brown.
But tnaction became tiresome after a
while: IL was apparent that ] was eX-
pected to do something. How could
be pursued, trailed. watched, have my
footsteps dogged. if i did not first take
the initiative OF flight? Evidently mine
WAS the first move. SO ] made it,
With studied unconcern--I tried not
TO make the act too. elaborate first
looked at my watch. II was o'clock i'm
the afternoon. For a quarter of an hour
/ had been waiting to keep an appoint
RaRt With q member Of the Naval AZ.