Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-20

and warmth and cleanliness. At least
ten men assured me they would return
to Havre and across the street from
the examination shed start an all-night
restaurant. After a very few minutes
OF standing around in the rain it was
plan to get rich quick that would
nave occurred to almost any one.
Detects a Detective.
My number was 430. After seeing
only five people in one hour pass
through the examination room I APP
preached man of proud bearing. told
MIN l was detective, and that I had
detected he was from Scotland Yard.
He looked anxiously at his feet.
How did you detect that" he asked
our boots are all right" l assured
MN. It's the way you stand with
so Rr hands hand behind your back"
BY showing his hands into his peck
cts, he disguised himself, and asked
what l wanted. / wanted to be put
through the torture chamber ahead of
All the remaining passengers He ask ed
the letter that after weeks of expert
ment found of all letters produced
the quickest results. 1t is addressed
vaguely ITO His Majesty's Officers"
L call it Exhibit A.
l explained that for purposes of get
ting me out of the goods shed and on
BOARD the steamer he could play he
was one of his majesty's officers. The
idea pleased him. He led me into the
examination room. where behind long
table, like inspectors in a voting booth
on election day, sat French police Of
hcfals. officers of the admiralty, army
consular and secret services. Some
were in uniform. some in plain clothes
From above two arc lights glared down
upon them and on the table covered
with papers. They were examining in
two languages young English woman,
who was pale, ill and obviously fright
ene,l.
What is your purpose in going to
London?' asked the French official.
TO join my children"
Questioned by English.
To the French official it seemed
good answer. AS much as to say Take
the Witness" he bowed to his English
colleagues.
eff your children are in London" de-
manded one, what are you doing in
France
II have been at Amiens. nursing my
"Amiens is inside our lines. Who
gave you permission to remain inside
our lines?"
The woman fumbled with some pa
pers.
The officer scowled at the letter. Out
of the corner of his mouth he said.
Permit from the w. Q. Husband. cap
tain in the -shires. Wounded at
La Basse
He was already scratching his wise
W upon 81 her ! passport Ass AS he wrote he
IS ali Fgh h The Sa no
reply. She was SO long in answering
that they all looked up her She was
Chilled with waiting. IN the cold rain.
began to tremble. Meaning to hide
that fact. and with no intention of be-
ing dramatic. she raised her hand. and
over her face dropped a black veil.
You should have told US at once,
madam" he said. He jerked his head at
the detective and toward the door. and
the detective picked up her valise and
asked her please to follow. At the door
she looked back. and the row of Off
Gals. like one man. bent forward.
my passport. 1t had been vised by the
representatives of all the civilized
powers. and. except the Germans and
their fellow gunner. most of the UNI
with it. appealed TO him like a jig
saw puzzle. He turned it wrong side
up and sideways. and took SO long
about it that the others. hoping there
was something wrong. in anticipation
scowled at me. But the officer disap-
pointed them.
very HiteIeStln. ne SAID ~ GU ought
to frame it,
The Resourceful Messenger.
Now that ] was free to leave the de-
tention camp. 1 perversely felt a de-
sire to remain. The sight of all the
other passengers kicking each others
heels and being herded by Tommies
gave me a feeling of infinite pleasure.
l tried to express this by forcing money
on the detective. but he absolutely re-
fused it. So instead 1 offered to in
troduce him to kings messenger. We
went in search of the kings messenger.
/ was alarmed lest he had lost him.
self. Since we had left the Balkans
together. he had lost nearly every
thing else. He had set out as fully
equipped as the white knight, or a
temp. sec lieutenant" But his route
was marked with lost trunks. travel
ing bags. hat boxes. umbrellas, and
receipts for reservations on steam
ships, railroad trains. in wagons Its
and dining cars. A kings messenger
always has been to me a fascinating
figure. In fiction he is resourceful,
daring, ubiquitous. He shows his sill
yer staff, with it's running greyhound,
which he inherits from the days of
Henry VIII. and all men must bow be-
fore it, To speed him on his way. rail.
road carriages are emptled. special
off only when he arrives. So when
found for days was to travel in COM
pany with a kings messenger | fore
saw for myself journey of infinite
ease and comfort. 1t would be a royal
progress. I would share his special
trains, his suites of deck cabins. But
it was not like that. My kings mes
senger was not that kind of a kings
messenger. Indeed. when he left the
Levant, had 1t not been for the man
from Cooks. he would never have found
his way from the hotel to the right
railroad station. And that he now is
safely in London is partly. because at
Patras we rescued him from a boat
man who had placed him unresisting
on a steamer bound for Australia
I pointed him out to the detective. He
recalled him as the gentleman who had
blocked the exit gate at the railroad
station. I suggested that that was
probably because he had lost his ticket.
Lose his ticket! A kings mes
senser" The detective was indignant
with me. Impossible, sir!"
Tickets Can Be Lost.
7 told him the story of the drunken
bandsman returning from the picnic.
"You can't have lost your ticket" said
the guard
Cant II" exclaimed the babndsman.
1--WE lost the bass
drum"
Scotland Yard reproved the K N.