Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-21
CHAPTER TX (Continued)

N'Ns',' ". ''N
CHAPTER TX (ContinueD
TT was Peter, then, who made the
impcssible possible, who wore good
clothes and did not have his boots
patched who went. rumor SAID TO the
opera now and then. and followed the
score on his own battered copy.
How?
Herman Spier had suspected him OF
many things: had secretly audited nus
cash sljps: md watched him for sur
rentitious narcels of silk. once he had
thought he had him. But the package
cf Lyons silk, opened by the proprietor
Mt Herman's suggestion, proved TO be
material for a fancy waistcoat, and paid
for by Peter Niburgs own hand.
with what? Herman stood confused,
even confounded, but still suspicious,
And now. this very day. he had stumbled
on something. a great lady IRON tne
court had made n purchase, and mad LETT,
under a roll OF silk, letter There was
no mistake. And Peter Niburg had put
away the silk, and poclteted the letter,
after a swift glance over the little
shop.
An intrigue. then. with Peter Niburg
as the go-between, or-something else.
Something vastly more important, the
discovery of which would bring Herman
tain secret order TO which he belonged
In a way, he was n stupid man, this
pale-eyed clerk who sold the quaint red
and yellow cottons of the common peo-
pie side by side with the heavy linens
that furnished forth the tables of the
rich. But hatred gave him wits Gave
him specd, too. He was only thirty feet
behind Peter Nburg when that foppish
gentleman reached the corner.
Herman WAS skilled In certain mat
ters He knew, for instance, that "A
glance into Il shop window. IL matt TO
tie a shoe, may be II rusc for passing a
paper to other hands. But Peter did
not stop lie went. not more swiftly
than usual, to his customary restaurant,
one which faced over the square ana
commanded view of the palace. And
there he settled himself in a window
and ordered his dinner
From the outside Herman stared In
Ike did not dine there. 1t was, for one
thing, a matter Of bitterness to see sit
ting at>the cashiers high desk the lit
tie Marie, grown somewhat with flesh, II
is true, but still lovely to his eyes
IT made Herman vince. even now, &c
SEQ through the window that her nus
band patted her hand as he brought hei
money TO be changed
He lurlxed in the shadows outside, ant
watched. Peter sat alone. lie hac
bowed very stifily to Marie. and haC
passed the desk with his chest out
She had told him once that he had Il FINE
figure.
Peter sat alone and stared out. Her
man took shelter and watched. Blu
Peter Niburg did not see him. His eye
were fixed on the gloomy mass across
shot wiAl small lights from deep win
dows, which was the palace.
pE,rEp,S MISSION
Peter was calm. He had carrie
many such letters as tho one nov
hidden in his breast pocket. No con
science stirred in him. If he did no
do this work. others would. He shrugged
his shoulders. He drank his brandy an,
glanced at Mario. He found her eye
on him. Pretty eyes they still were
and Just now speculative. He smiled a
her, but she averted her head, an
colored. Many things filled Peter Nj
burg's mind. II now she was not happy
what then? Her husband adored he,
it was fatal A woman should not b
too sure of her husband And probabl
he bored her. Another six months. an
perhaps she would not turn away he
head.
lie had until midnight. At that hou
messenger would receive the lette
from him in the colonnade of the cathe
dral. on, this night, each week. tn
messenger waited. Sometimes there wa
letter. sometimes none. That wa
all. 1t was amazingly simple, and fo
1t one received the difference betwee
penury and comfort.
Seeing Peter settled, a steaming plat
ter before him, Herman turned and huI
ried through the night This which h
had happeped on was n big thing. to
better than one. He would take &C
vice.
on the main avenue he fell into
smart trot. The color came to HI
pale cheeks. A cold sweat broke OF
over him. He was short of wind froi
many cigarettes. But at last he reache
the house. 1t was near the park a
though the season was early spring an
there was more than a hint of winte
in the air. the Scenic Railway. he PEI
ceived. was already open for bushes
Certainly the Americans were entel
prising.
The double doors of the tall gloom
house on the Road of Good Chidre
were already closed for the evenin
AS he stood painting after h. had run
the bell, Herman Sper could loo
across to that remote and unfashionab
end of the great park where the peop
played on pleasant evenings, and whel
even now, on the heels of winter, Il
Scenic Railway made a pretense at sun
mer.
The sight recalled that other vlsio
Of Marie and Peter Niburg, snugly Sc
tied in car. Marie a trihe pale an
apprehensive. Herman swore softly, an
opened the DOORS
Black Humbert was not in his burea
behind the grating. With easy faml