The Washington herald., 1914-11-22

nnd the authorities there nave never
heard of me-"
Then why will it be otherwise in
twelve hours timer"
Because by that time I shall have
asked you to take a message from me
to certain man"
picked up the second note he had
laid on my desk, and this time l found
it was one for 5000 francs.
Every we'll. will hide you," I said.
"But I don't promise to take your mes
sage till know what it is"
Ny client bent his head with an in
scrutable glance. / had given way to
him twice; and no doubt he felt assured
as to the next time.
To my surprise l found that he had
nowhere to go while was arranging a
retreat for him. He denied possessing
any luggage, and evaded any explana-
tion of the circumstances under which
he had arrived in Paris.
In the end / was obliged to leave him
in my Office to await my return.
First changing my appearance so as
to resemble one of those penniless art
lists and journalists who drift into Paris
from all the corners of the earth, l
went off to the Latin Quarter, as the
neighborhood in which strange comers
excite least remark.
Passing along the Boulevard St.
Michel l caught sight of the familiar
placard, Chambre a Louer, projecting
from tall, narrow house half way up
the Place de la Sorbonne. On inquiry,
the room to let proved to be on the
fifth floor, overlooking the place and
not easily penetrated by inquisitive eyes
from across the way.
1t was a typical students den. The
last tenant had left some scarlet run
ners growing on the leads outside the
window, which formed partial screen,
and it needed only a pair of cheap cur
tains to make the room one of the most
private retreats in Paris.
The rent was $50 francs a year,
which 1 paid in advance, giving my
name to the concierge as William Ar
buthnot, from San Francisco.
Knowing that the first step of the
police would be to make round of the
lodging-houses and examine all new ar
rivals, made a point of consulting the
concierge as to my arrangements, as
though I were stranger to Paris. She
gave me the card of secondhand fur
niture dealer in the Rue Gouffroy, from
whom l ordered in about S. worth of
rubbish, and also that of neighbor-
ing restaurant willing to send in meals
at a fixed tariff. The concierge advised
me to go out for my pension; but l ex-
planned that l was under a pledge
never to take my meals on premises
where intoxicants were sold.
l obtained the address of femme de
menage to clean the room, whom, of
course, l had no intention OF employ
ing. By way of final corroboration l
volunteered the information that l was
a newspaper correspondent on the staff
of the San Francisco Globe, and that
my movements would be, therefore, ir-
regular.
l stayed on the premises till the fur
niture had arrived, nailed up a pair of
curtains myself, and then locked up
the room and came away, having ar
ranged that the. first dinner be sent
round at O'Clock that evening.
1t was past 4 by the time l got back
to my office, which was then on the
Boulevard Malesherbes l explained
my arrangements to the Oriental.
You will come round to the house
at 6:3o this evening, and walk straight
upstairs. If the concierge should no
tice you, which is unlikely, she will be
unable to tell what floor you are going
up to, and it will be quite impossible
for her to know that you have not gone
away again later on. For greater Sc
curity 1 will give you coat and hat Of
my own.
81 shall be there to let you in when
you arrive, and from, that moment you
will not go out again.
81 shall come to the room twice
day, before the meals arrive from the
will have to make
your own coffee when you get up-and
remain till they are taken away again. |
OF course, my own meals will have to /
be taken elsewhere Every time the
door has to be opened you will conceal
yourself behind a curtain which is sup |
posed to serve the purpose-of ward
robe. When l come away l shall lock |
the door after me, and you must not
open it, on any pretext whatever. |
$50 far as can judge, this will pre-
vent any one having the slightest sus-
picion that there is any, occupant in
the room except myself. And if any
one is inquisitive enough to want to
see Mr. William Arbuthnot they will
find him there, innocently eating his
dinner"
My clieAt listened carefully to these
explanations He made only one re-
mark