Evening star., 1917-09-23


wise man bided his time.
That was II: to bide ones time! That
was what Waring would do. He prayed
that those watching in the bank had not
noticed MalColms nod, tribute to q
very slight acquaintance, or that, IL
they had noticed it. 1t had been set down
to mere acknowled edgment by the banker
of the fact that Conybear had COM
panion.
Waring stole another glance at Cony
bear; the old man was leaning back now,
his eyes half closed. dreamily. II Cony
bear could be calm. sell sslf-containsd. so
would have little freedom soon, free
dom TO summon the police.
Police? The militia, the regular army.
maybe. Bergson was not so destitute of
daring followers as ''P. r." had thought.
There were plenty of men. dozens surely,
scores probably and hundreds maybe.
who would die in executing the commands
of Bergson. chief Of the Inner Council.
The Inner Council, Inner Council of
what? Waring reviewed all that had hap
pened since he had mounted the steps
ut II Hancock square. He had rung the
bell; = suspicious-eyed man-who was
called Ranny, he now knew-had admit
tea him. He had given this man his let
ter. Then he had been taken to "A room
on the ground floor. where his letter had
been read by a slnken-eyed. predacious-
nosed. frail-seeming old man. That man
had been Simon Bergson.
That was yesterday. And today he wa q
one of BerEsor's band. band whose OBJ
iect was to-what? Bewildered, dazed
by the sudden transition from amateur
sleuth to amateur criminal Wartng tried
to iternize the various things that had
led TO this transition.
First of course. there was his deter
Inination to in1personate Carva jal. second
he had impersouated Carvajal: third. he
had met BergSon and been accepted at
his face value: fourth. Bergson had not
asked him anything about P- h. for
tunately enough. And as to the name
that those initials stood for. Waring had
only learned, from BergSon's remarks.
that the first stood for Peter" Fifth.
Bergson had explained to his new ally
that there would be immediate work for
him on the morrow; sixth. the pseudo
Carva jail had dined with Bergson and
several other men. whom Bergson had
designated members of the Inner
of which "CarvataP' would learn more
later on seventh after a long cross
examination as to his life in Paris, from
which. thanks to a ready imagination,
than the letter of Introduction contained.
and a really wide knowledge OF Paris.
Waring had emerged triumphant
Eighth item: night of sleep that
followed some hours OF wondering IL
he had enough evidence against Berg
son to cause his arrest and the conclu-
sion that he had no evidence at all.
Ninth. the astounding information that
one else in the world. he had heard.
was prisoner in this very house, and
that it was designed to visit one of
the banks where Conybear had de-
date expenses of the society" Tenth
less than thatmthat "carva5ai." bs.
cause he was an absolute stranger in
Conybear's companion in the visit to
the bank. Eleventh. Warnings quick
suspicion that Bergson was not the
trustful person that he seemed. but
watched closely as was the fnancier
himself. Twelfth. Warnings further un-
derstanding that he was chosen for
this delicate mission because Bergson
planation of this twelfth item was that
Bergson was the sort OF person who
would stake much on single chance.
At least. go he seemed to Waring.
For the man who had obtained al
most million and half from Carey
Haig, and who held Burton Conybear
a prisoner, was surely not going to be
content with pitiful twenty-five
thousand from the fnancier. There
fore. Bergsons demand upon conybear
that the latter cash a check for twenty
five thousand was but preliminary,
feeler. If bergson could get away with
this, without arousing suspfcion-Berg
son must have something tremendous
on the tapis. something whose execu-
ton he dared not attempt until he had
received previous assurance that he
could essay it in safety. This bank
matter would be that assurance If 1t
succeeded.
And 1T only went to prove that what
had just tra1spired was but a minor
incident in the ventures planned by
Bergson. Had it been big thing, of
Importance. Bergson would have Sc
lected for its execution only true. tried
followers. Bergson. then, must have
looked. not too unwillingly. at the pos
s.bility of the violent death of Cony-
bear and the equally violent death OF
"CarvajaL" If Conybear proved re-
calcitrant. If "Carvatar' proved treach-
erous-Bergson's watchers in the bank,
in the automobiles that followed War
ing and Conybear. on the sidewalk,
had had their instructions, beyond a
doubt
Waring dismissed all his theorizins.
Facts were the only things that count
ed. And the facts were these: In
pursuance of his plan to find out some
thing about Bergson that would return
to him the money got from Carey Haig,
Waring had let himself in for some-
thing tremendous. He had become.
apparently. one OF Bergson's society"
had assisted in crime-had. there
fore, evidence against Bergson Now
the only thing that remained to be
done was to present that evidence to
the authorities. His own part in to-
days crime--making Conybear draw
money under threat of death-coUld
be explained satisfactorily. Conybear
would bear no grievance against the
man who had held an automatic on
him this afternoon.
Waring smiled grimly as a traffic
policeman held up the for n mo-
ment. One word to the officer He
shook his head He did not propose
TO die just yet awhile.
The car rounded a corner into Han
cock place. 1t stopped, and Waring
nf had al
stopped. one fifty feet west, the other
a dozen yards to the east. Any llnker-
ing notion that he might tell Conybear
his true position left Warnings mind.
\ false gesture. even, and those watch
crs might suspect. ." He gently
impelled Conybear through the gate,
along the path and up the stoop In
moment they found themselves inside
the house.
Bergson. his lips curled in a malig-
nant smile. met them IN the hall
Take Mr. Conybear to his room,"
he said; then come to me-"
Wait a minute" said Conybear
I'd like TO talk this matter over with
you~
Bergson's smile broadened You're
willing to make certain pledRes--about
turning over your property to the
society,""
Don't talk fooIishness, But I'm
willing TO settle-right. And to give
guarantees OF immunity-what do you
say to miIlion-cash7''
What do l say? Well, Mr.. Cony-
bear, If some one offered you a small
fraction OF what You might have by