The Tomahawk., 1916-11-02

the government pays you
"Your lead sounds ominous,' said
the young special agent who had
free and easy way with him even at
the Washington headquarters. IF /
say yes, you will hand me large
piece of hard woE1. If I say no, will
be counting discharge. I select the
lesser Of two evils. confess to de-
sire to earn my money
1T is like this" said the chief. I'VE
suspect that there is leak in the COL
lection of sugar duties. You know the
possibilities. If ship comes to port
with 10000 tons of sugar from Cuba, it
pays duty that depends on the purity
of the cargo. If that sugar is graded
at 90 per cent pure it gets in half
cent a pound cheaper than if it IS
graded 96 per cent pure. The differ
ence in duty received by the govern
ment on such a cargo might, theo'
retically, amount to 100000
III catch three ships" unused Gard
half to himself II have earned my
salary for the rest of my life and won't
have to work any more
IT wouldn't just say that" respond
ed the chief, "but if you saved the
government half a cent a pound on all
the sugar imported, you would bring
into the Golfers a round two million
a year. That would be a fair accom-
plishment for a somewhat amateurish
detective.''
Sustained by the flattery of my SUI
perior," said Gard, II am ready to
rush into any mad undertaking. What
are the orders?"
"You will be assigned to one of the
great sugar ports. We do not even
know that any fraud is being prac-
ticed. You are to find out. If there Is
fraud you are to determine the method
of it.. The criminals, particularly the
big ones, are to be apprehended. The
government would like to know how
these frauds may be prevented in fu-
ture. Tho work need not be COM
pleted tomorrow or next day. You may
have any amount of help. But we must
know that sugar duties are honestly
paid"
It was a week later that William H.
Gard sent in his card to Henry Got
trell, president of the Continental Re-
filming company, one of the greatest
importers of raw sugar in the nation.
According to this card Gard was a
writer of magazine stories. He had
explained in asking for an interview
that he was assigned to write an ar
ticle on sugar ships" which should be
yarn of color and romance in a set
ting of fact.
When the special agent entered the
Office of President Gottrell, large and
forid and radiating geniality. he found
his plan OF approach somewhat inter-
fered with by the presence Of a third
party. Seated at the elbow Of the re-
finer was one of the most striking
young women he had ever seen. Corn
colored hair gone mad in its tendency
to curl made a perfect frizzle about
her face. A flock of freckles, each
seemingly in pursuit of it's fellow just
ahead, were hurdling the bridge OF
somewhat pug nose. Blue eyes that
danced and a mouth that responded
to the racing thought Of an active
brain gave life to the face. And as
she arose the slightest movement OF
her slim. well-rounded form suggested
fast work on tennis court.
Henry Gottrell presented his daugh-
ter.
"She always looked like Swede,"
said the big man, 80 we call her
Thelma."
And Mr.. Card" she dubbed forth.
81 have so wanted to know what
writer did when he went for an inter-
view. May stay and see?'
1T will destroy a romantic Illusion
If you do" said Gard. "Are you will
ing to pay the price,"
IT can't believe that" she said. do
let me see how it is done! Don't
leave out single thing
1.-THE interviewer begins" said the
special agent, "by seating himself, as
/ am doing, in an uncomfortable chair
which has been arranged with the idea
in mind of preventing him from stay
ing too long The gentleman being in
terviewed always reaches into the
right hand drawer of his desk, as your
father is doing, and produces box
of very excellent cigars. Then the in
terviewer explains the idea that is on
his mind that requires calculation. Has
the man being interviewed anything
on hand, already prepared, that covers
the ground. Maybe he has made
speech at a convention, or something
of that sort. The idea is to save labor
for both. Mr.. Gottrell is now looking
for the report of his testimony before
the committee on tariff revision. He
will probably produce three reprints
that will contain much matter that l
want. 1 ask if he will provide con-
versational escort to conduct me over
one of his sugar ships, if I may talk
to his captains. He agrees. You see
him doing it. The interview is at an
end The foundation has been laid for