Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-05-11
CHAPTER vi.
Eerret.

1@C 49,
~ before ever the train from
Ramleh pulled into the Alexandria sta
ton. That elusive country of foun-
tains, incense and rose dreams which
can only be approached through the
neck of a bottle spread itself before
him alluringly, inviting him to forget
fulness. And Capper answered the call.
From the railroad station he set
his course through narrow villainous
streets Down to the district on Pharos,
where the deep water men of all the
world gather to make vivid the nights
of Egypt. Behind him was the faith
full shadow, Caesar. DR.. Koch's man.
The Numidian trailed like a panther.
Sinking from cover to cover, bending
his body as the big cat does to the ac-
commodations of the trails blinds.
Once Capper found himself in a blind
alley, turned and strobe out of it Just
In time to bump heavily into the I'M
suspected pursuer. Instantly a hem
of the Numidian's cloak was lifted TO
screen his face, but not before the
sharp eyes of the Englishman had seer
and recognized it. A tart smile curled
the corners Of Capper's mouth as he
passed on down the bazaar lined street
to the Tavern of Thermopylae, at the
next corner. So old Koch was taking
precautions, eh? Well, Capper, for one
could hardly blame him. Who wouldn't
under the circumstances?
The Tavern of Thermopylae was
built for the Billy Cappers of the world
"a place of genial deviltry where ev-
cry mans gold was better than his
name and no nan asked more than to
see the color of the strangers money.
Capper called for an absinth drip
per and established himself In a de-
serted corner of the smoke filed room.
Sip-sip. A soothing numbness came
to the tortured nerves. Sip-sip. The
clouds Of doubt and self pity pressing
down on his brain began to shred
away. He saw things clearly now.
Everything was as sharp and clear as
the point of an icicle.
He reviewed with new zest his re-
SCnl tApC1ituIcS, Hull LuO Al5nl bC
met Louisa In the Cafe Richie up to
his interview with DIR. Koch. Louisa,
that girl with the face of a fine ami
NAL and a heart as cold as carved
amethyst-why had she been SO will
ing to intercede for Billy Capper with
her superiors In the Wilhelmstrasse
and procure him d number and a mis-
it,, - AJ-o,-1rs, q ~. It, lf .r
ton regarding the A~nglo-Belgian un-
Outstanding? But she paid for that.
The deal was fairly closed with 300
marks. Did Louisa go further and
list him in the Wilhelmstrasse out Of
the goodness of her heart or for old
memory's sake? Capper smiled wryly
over his absinth. There was no good
ness in Louisa's heart, and the strong
est memory she had was how nearly
Billy Capper had dragged her down
with him in the scandal of the Lord
Fisher letters.
How the thin green blood of the
NORWOOD cleared the mind, made 1t
leap to logical %reasoningl
Why had Louisa instructed him to
leave Marseilles by the steamer touch
ing at Malta when a swifter boat
scheduled to go to Alexandria direct
was leaving the French port a few
hours later? Was 1t that the girl In
tended he should get nc farther than
Malta; that the English there should
Capper laughed like the philosopher
who has Just discovered the absolute
of life's futility. The ticket-his ticket
from the Wilhelmstrasse which Louisa
had procured for him; Louisa wanted
that for other purposes and used him
as the dummy to obtain 1t. She want
ed it before he could arrive at Malta,
and she got it before he left Marseilles.
Even Louisa the wise had played with
out dlscOunting the double co. OF
the wheel-fate's percentage In every
game. She could not know the Ven
dee would be warned from lingering
at Malta because of the %eXigency of
war and that Billy Capper would reach
Alexandria, after all.
The green logic in the glass carried
Capper along with mathematical exact
ness of deduction. As he slipped his
mind became IA thing detached and,
looking down from somewhere high
above earth, reviewed the laundering
course of Billy Capper's body from
Berlin to decentralization poor deluded
body of a dupe. With this gertrude of
logic came the beginnings of resolve.
Vague at first and intangible, then,
helped by the absinth to focus, was
this new determination. Capper nurs-
ed it, elaborated on it, took pleasure
in f%orecasting its outcome and viewing
himself in the new light of a humble
hero. 1t was near morning, and the
Tavern of Thermopylae was well nigh
deserted when Capper paid his score
end blunGered through the early morn
ing crowd Of mixed races to his hotel.
His legs were quite drunk, but his
mind was coldly end acutely sober.
Every drunk. III ter," vas the report
Caesar the %ulliltan. delivered to DIR