The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-11-11


 strange faces aroused distrust. HAw be hated it all, this life of his! How like he was to that pasty faced boy at school who was forever running with tales to the teacher!
 X sneaz,l so whispered his pride and breeding; an honest competence, spoke his manhood. Cheats, liars and thieves And, his business was to watch them, warn the government and take his tithe of the spoiIs.
 It was the tithe which had the acid bite. If only he were doing it for th3 sport, the adventure! But no; he want ed money and the good things money bought. His friends? Many a time over coffee they had confided to him how neatly they were going to banl- boozIe Uncle sam when they landed. In honor he could not warn them to be still; in honor he had to make known their childlike confessions. This kept his spirit writhing always. More than { once he had been tempted to take a plunge in Wall street. One throw of the dice-riches or beggary. And he hadn't had the nerve!
 Between him and his prodigal grand father stood the memory of that bull Wark of caution-his father. Having his father as an example, he became all caution, caution; hesitated when op- portunity knocked and lost many chances to fe-establish the fortunes of the house of Cranford
 He qzItted life with exactly what he had begun with. The grandson had just enough to weather his club dues and his tailors, with little left over i for his fishing trips.
 he cr1tf beginning to tell. His bank account was growing and growing. In three i or four years he would have enough to ! live on comfortably.
 | Marriage was, however, an utter inn possibility, for he was determined nev- CT to marry "a woman whose income was greater than his own, and he knew that he could never be happy with one who was not his equal in breeding and education. Blame en- vtronment for this fallacy! Describe him"
 Slender, rather dark, medium height good hands, clean shayen, with a little i white scar on the left side of his chin.'' Cranford unused for space. r
 Cant place him. Oh, well, it doesn't matter. Maybe nothing at all If he has a letter of introduction- Dash it, Warren, you and are beginning to be suspicious of everybody"
 well, sir, we can't afford to. be i careless now that you've started to break up the gang. ''
 ;, 'sI don't think they'll bother me se- I riOusly on this side of the water. It's the only thing that makes the game possible-the> real smuggler, with his 1 ramihcations that reach into the heart of India4 It's good sporting proposi- l ton to lay those fellows by the heels 1 Their ingenuity is remarkable. Smead 1 was held up yesterday. Broke his leg in Paris Mahogany crutches. Hollow shaft, twenty diamonds worth eight thousand. His leg was really broken, l and I suppose that gave him the idea Of utilizing the crl1tches Bought the 1 gems in Rotterdam. The crutches stuck in my mind. My room was next to his in the Continental in Paris. It was 1 only guesswork on my part. I didn't know for certain. We'll, I'm off. I'll wear this suit on the train. Don't for get my pipes. See you at the station f< Cranford went to his club for dinner.
 He found three or Your lonely bach eIors-old friends-and they sat at the same table. Talk ran into every con- ceivable channel--w omen. horses, the light operas then going, boating, box ing and even the discontinue of the famous gambler, Smead, who. had been caught finally with the goods on his re- | turn from Europe. Cranford's coffee tasted bitter.
 Before going to, the station he went into the bar of one of the nearby ho- te1s for some cigars. He was leaning against the cigar stand next to the bar, when two strangers at his side clicked their glasses and spoke phrase which puzzled and surprised him. '.Pidgin island!''
 Square away!''
 II The two men drank and departed. ! Pidgin islandl Cranford turned.
 They had paused at the cashiers desk. One was tall. thick set, gray ] haired. ruddy faced, with an air of prosperity. His companion was short and ~wiry and taciturn of expression. His lip was adorned by a cropped mus tache, which stood out like the bris- ties of toothbrush.
 Cranford laughed silently.
 Fishermen like himself, for only a bass fisherman would ever mention I such a spot as Tidgin island. Doubt less he would see them again.
 Rs the ticket booth he met Warren.
 1Ae man W1Lh Ine scar mas been wandering about. have an idea that he's been following me-
 I Did he get ticket?'
 Takes the Montreal express
 <'I'd like to have a good look at him. 1t might come in handy some day. N But still 1t may be some one I met in the smokeroon coming over.''
 Your train leaves in twenty min utaS sir Y01I caT1 % aboard T,ovvz if you wish. Suppose we wander out to the gates. You go ahead and I'll fol low with the porter. If I see him I'll tip you off, sir 1 Good idea!''
 l Warren loitered about the stairs CThe terminal had not been finished at ft,is -tir1oo EIc -roar,n,nc +l,o fel,l,e.. of