The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-09
ScOntsnuod.l


 Schwarze Stein.' It's like a penny novelette,. And all this stuff about Karolides-that is the weak part Of the tale, for I happen to know that the virtuous Karolides is likely to outlasi us both. There is no state in Europ< that wants him gone. Besides, he has just been playing up to Berlin agi Vienna and giving my chief some un easy moments. No; Scudder has gonC off the track there. Frankly, Hannay I don't believe that part of his story. ''There's some nasty business afoot and he found out too much and los his life over it.
 But I am ready to take my oatl that it Is ordinary spy work A cer tain great European power makes hobby of her spy system, and he methods are not too particular. Sine, she pays by piecework her black guards are not likely to stick at murder or two. They want our maya dispositions for their collection at tlf Marinamt, but they will be pigeon hole1, nothing more"
 Just then the butler entered tn. room.
 There's a trunk call from London Sir Walter It's MT. 'Eath, and he wants to speak to you personally" My host went off to the telephone. He returned in five minutes with Q whftfsh face. q apologize to the shade of Scudder," he said. HKarolides was shot dead this evening at a few min utes after 7!''
 came down to breakfast next morn ing, after eight hours of blessed sleep to find Sir Walter decoding a telegram tin the midst of muffins and marmalade. His fresh rosiness of yesterday seemed g thought tarnished
 1T had a busy hour on the telephone after you went to bed" he said T got my chief to speak to the first lord and the secretary for war, and they are bringing Rover over a day sooner This wire cIinches it. He will be in London at 5. Odd that. the code word for a sous-chef detat major general should be -Porker-'"
 He directed me to the hot dishes and went on
 Mot that I think 1t will do much good If your friends were clever enough to find out the first arrange ment they are clever enough to discov- CT the change. would give my head to know where the leak is. We believ- ed there were only five men in Eng land who knew about Royer's visit
  fewer in France, for they manage these things better there.'
 While I ate he continued to talk making me, to my surprise, g present of his full confidence.
 "Can the dispositions not be chang ed2 asked.
 "They could" he said. "But we want to avoid that if possible. Thes are the result of immense thought, anC no alteration would be as good Be sides, on one or two points change i simply impossible Still, something X could be done if it were absolutely nee essary. But you see the difficulty Hannay.
 aour enemies are not going to b such fools as to pick Royer's pocket o any childish game like that The. know that would mean a row and pu us on our guard Their aim is to ge the details without any of us knowin so that Rover will go back to Paris i tie belief that the whole business l still deadly secret. If they can't d that they fail, for once we suspect the know that the whole thing must be a tered"
 Then we must stick by the Frencl mans side till he is home again,''
 
 the information in Paris they wou1 try there. It means that they hay some deep scheme on foot in Londo which they reckon is going to wi out"
 ssRoyer dimes with my chief an then comes to my house, where fou people will see him-WhittaLc frol the admiralty, myself. Sir ArthJ Drew and General Wnstanley- IT. first lord is i'll and has gone to She rfns;lam At my house he will get certain document from Whitaker, an after that he will be motored to Port mouth, where q destroyer will tal him to Havre.
 His jo--rney is too important fl the ordinary boat train. He will ne CT be- left unattended for a Homel till he is safe on French soil. TT same with Whitaker till he mee Rover. That is the best we can d and it's hard to see how there can any miscarriage. But don't mind a hitting that I'm horribly nervous. Tn murder of Karolides will play u deuce in the chanceries of Europe"
 CHAPTER XII.
 At Scotland Yard.
 a FTBR breakfast he asked me
 I could drive car.
 "Well, you'll be my chau
 feur today and wear Hudson rig. You're about his size. You ha- a hand in this business and we are ta ing no risks. There are desperate n against us who will not respect t country retreat of an overworked o1 cfal-''
 When. Z-f1rst came to London I h. bought car and amused myself wi