Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-27
Chapter VII-The Red Whiskcrcd
Man.

tall, dilapidated house in the jewish
quarter of Amsterdam. In front OF
which he stopped Scarlet Runner
Christopher. who by special ar.
rangement and extra payment mad
brought the motor across from Eng
land on the night boat to the Hook Of
Holland. had spun along good clinker
roads, bowling his car and his one pas
senger into Amsterdam in time for
late breakfast. That meal he had TAX
en- at a hotel, while his employer
unknown to him q few days before)
had driven off in a cab to the house
Of a relative. who was expected to Join
the party for a weeks run through
Holland Instructions were that, after
breakfast and a couple Of hours rest,
Christopher was TO call at a certain
address.
Here he was then in front Of the
house. an ancient. secretive-looking
building that nodded forward as II Its
time to tumble into ruin might come
at any moment; and vague suspicion
Of mystery in his GRAND suddenly
stole into Christopher's mind.
The young man with the features.
bearing and manner Of an English
man, the accent Of oxford, and the
name of q Dutchman, Van Cortlandt
had seemed frankness itself. He had
insisted (as he was stranger to
Christopher and the car was to be
taken out OF England) upon paying
fifty pounds In advance. He had been
an agreeable companion during the
run, showing himself cosmopolitan
In knowledge OF the world. OF litera-
ture and of drama Christopher was
inclined to like and admire his pas
senger, and fancied that the Dutch
cousin to be visited In Amsterdam
would turn out merchant prince. Yet
this was the cousins house: the hour
appointed had passed. and young Mr.,
Cortlandt seemed In no hurry to ap-
pear with his relative.
II was a house, Christopher told
himself, where things might happen;
and wasn't 1t. now he came to think
Of It, little odd that Van Cortlandt
had asked him to wait without send
ence In any way?
When he had sat In front OF the
house for a quarter Of art hour, Chris
TOPPER stopped the motor, and II was
Just after he had done this that the
door opened and girl came out. She
wore a blue tissue veil draped over
her hat, and the long ends fiuttered
gracefully behind her In the slight
breeze. She was dressed In a neat,
inconspicuous tailor suit Of dark gray,
and carried In her hand a roll Of
music in a leather case, Perhaps II
was vanity on Christopher's part, but
he fancied that the large eyes glim-
mering alluringly through the veil
rested upon Scarlet Runner with in
terest and even curiosity. He watched
the girl as she walked to the corner,
and at the end Of the street saw her
hail n cab. Immediately afterwards
a man who had been staring aimlessly
at the bottles in a cheap hairdressers
shop on the other side of the way be-
came abruptly aware that he had
been wasting time. He hurried off
In the direction the girl had taken and
also found cab, so promptly as to
suggest the idea that IL had been
waiting his orders.
Doesn't look like the sort Of fell
low who could afford to drive" Chris
topher said to himself. family inter-
ested, and so forgetting his own AFFAIRS
for the instant that II was a surprise
suddenly TO see Mr.. Fan van Cort-
landt standing In the street,
How he had got there Christopher
was not sure. but one thing was GER
tain: he had not come out Of the
building In front Of which Scarlet
Runner had been waiting for nearly
half an hour. There was vague sus-
picion In the mind OF Scarlet Run
ner's owner that his employer had run
down the steps of house two doors
farther on. but his thoughts had been
so occupied with the doings Of others
at the instant that he could not have
sworn to this had It been to save his
own life or Van Cortlandts.
Sorry to have kept you waiting"
- uAL l1at ~
He paused for a moment, evidently
having something more he wanted to
say and not knowing how best to say
It.
And I'm sorry, too" Mr.. van Cort-
landt went on, that all my plans are
changed. My cousin, who was to have
gone with me on this motor trip, can't
gc-family affliction. something quite
sudden; and that being the case.
feel II would be hard-hearted, as well
Ms gloomy, to make the tour without
him. However, you shan't suffer In
any way by the change, Mr.. Race. for
matters between us shall stand exact
~ as II I'd been using your car for
the next week, as arranged; but I've
made up my mind to turn round and
40 back to England today, after ALL"
Christopher was surprised. but he
showed no establishment. He merely
regretted, civilly. that there was trou-
BILE In Mr.. van Cortlandts family and
disappointment for Mr.. van Cortlandt
himself.
Nothing could have been pleasanter
or more friendly than the manner OF
the two young men In discussing the
situation; nevertheless, Christopher
had strong IL inexplicable convic-
ton that, in some way and for some
reason thus far incomprehensible. he
had been a tool in the hands of the
other; that no sudden affection had
befallen the Amsterdam relatives of
Mr.. van Cortlandt; and that Mr., van
Cortlandt had never really intended
to take the trip he professed to ADAM
don with SO much reluctance,
I'VE will go back now to your hotel.
and pick up the suit case which /
asked you to leave there until my
plans were settled" said Van Cort-
landt There ought to be time for
lunch, too; but as we have to arrange
for the shipping Of the car tonight ]
don't want any contretemps, and
think we had better order plenty OF
food and drink to take on board the
car, and eat by the way whenever we
feel Inclined
Christopher turned the proposal over
In his head. but could make nothing
mysterious Of It; nor had he got hold
Of any further clue by the time Scar
ct Runner had landed them at the
door Of the old-fashioned Bible hotel.
When they arrived there, he ex-
pected his passenger to go in and see
10 the fetching OF the suit case, when
rom the first, Christopher had ven-
ured to think father scanty provision
~ weeks tour, But Van Corf-
nd had different idea. He suggest
%. that as Race had arranged for the
disposal Of the luggage, he had better
ha thu nfla To aak far II nnur. nfhae