Evening star., 1917-10-07

be waiting for you. commissioner"
Herkomsr hung up--fairly ran to the
car awaiting him.
It was very nervous Dan 0rimfel
somewhat different from the blustef-
ing blackmailer that had talked with
Phil Waring, who met Commissioner
Herkomer at the desk Of the Plutonia
Herkomer did not have to ask for the
man. Grimfel approached. salutinG
clumsily before the commissioner could
speak to the clerk
you wanted q little talk with me
commissioner said Grimfel.
you're Grimfel. eh? Tho man that
cashed q check drawn by Philip War
ing. this morningr'
''Sh-shr" Grimfefs eyes pleaded. The
curious clerk. recognising Herkomer-
the commissioner was no stranger Ia
the hotel-drew q little nearer. Couldn't
you come down to the grill, commits
sioner? There's nobody there this
time O. mornin'."
Herkomer nodded. He had no par
ticulAr desire to have his conversa-
tion overheard.
''wenr' he said as with the house
detective he sat down at q table IN the
grill room. He waved away q hover
ing waiter.
"Y'see. commissioner" began Grim
fel. they're a nosy bunch up At the
desk. and I thought maybe you might
Il have. When did Waring give you
that checkf"
Grimfel was of the evasive kind, the
Kind that believes that words hide
meaning. But he could not be a house
detective in a hotel like the Plutonia
slight knowledge Of human nature. He
saw that Kerkomer was in no mood
to be trifed with. And yet he could
not for the life Of him see why the
commissioner Of police should take an
interest in the check given to q house
detective by a swell young plute," as
Grimfel inwardly denominated waring.
Unless Waring had told the police
that he had been blackmailedi But
that wasn't probable; the police COM
missioner himself would hardly handle
personally a case Of blackmail Grim
would be wise not to give himself away
until he had to.
why. he gave It to me last night,
commissioner" answered the house
detective easily.
What time last nightr' asked Her
komer.
''Oh. guess It was about o'clock"
And what did Waring give you the
check for?''
"Welr - Grimfsl shruggsd his
shoulders and nodded his head from
side to side-.r Amt on trial. am I.
commissioner
What do you mean?" demanded Her
komer.
Why commissioner. there Amt any
harm In q couple Of gentlemen maxim
= harmless little bet with each other.
.'Not At all. erimfei. That's how 1t
happened. chr
with. yelled contempt. For Herkomer
was rising from the table as though
That ali. commissioners question:
ed Grimfel.
'Yes-here." replied Herkomer. but
l want you to ride downtown with
"Eh7 But got my job here. COM
Not any more, Grimfel," said Her
koiner very kindly. there's a nice
little ti cell down ct headquarters whore
His voice was suddenly crisp ana
hard. Grimfel stared ct him. But
Herkomer smiled.
You see. Grimfel. it's very impor.
It's possible for me to acquire And I
must acquire 1t in about Ave minutes
i've seconds. II possible. You're in a
mood to lie. Grimfel: I'm in the mood
to hear the truth. I won't change my
onr
But Kelcey knew the Grimfel char
acter. and had not erred In his descrip-
tfon thereof Grimfel seemed physical-
ly to curl up.
"sit down, commissioner" he said
huskily: He had been fooled; Herko-
mer had not been fooled.
And Grimfei told the truth. the whole
truth and nothing but the truth. Her
komer listened. The contempt that he
inf Al 0k fhA la
he hid. A man low enough to commit
blackmail IL low enough to be immune
to contempt: why waste 1t on him?
You'd better stay around here; I
may want you" was all his response to
stairs and telephoned Keicey 10 come
at once to the Plutonia. That matter
attended TO-, ana fortified by Kelcey's
assurance that he would be at the
hotel as soon as the swiftest police
Herkomer turned his attention to the
tion.
He found the name -Jacques Pelle-
tier There was no question in Her
komer's mind as to the truth Of Grim
Iefs story. A man does not confess
blackmail unless he IL telling the truth.
jacques Pelletier" was Philip waring.
And Grimfel had said that the girl
whom he had seen in Warnings room
Doris Ma-chant."
Little as one man may know Of an
others life. especially when the two
are not tntimates. not acQuaintances
even: Herkomer knew enough Of Philip
to be quite certain that this
was no vulgar intrigue in which War
ing had been caught by Grimfel. It
stood to reason that q man playing the
desperate game that Waring was play
Ing, q game in which millionaires had
been kidnapped and policemen and a
Jap servant murdered. would not be In
dulgtng in liafsons st the very moment
when his crimes were nearing their
OF course. men differ But
Warnings sort Of man runs pretty close
y to form. True. Waring was not run
hing true to form in what he had been
ioing lately. but still-ali the more
proof that Grimfel had erred in his es-
innate Of the situation. For Waring
belonged to the second class of GRIM
nails. the class that lead biameless
ives until the grand coup 10 ready for
,xecution. Such Q criminal brainy, an
lrtist. would not be mixed up in q sor-
lid affair of petticoats at this time.
Then why the girl? She was no
onger in the hotel That much Grim
el had told h''n. and he verified this
10 baggage. stating. a. she registered
she had paid In advance for her
her baggage and her maid
would be along In an hour or SO,
The night room clerk was not on
luty. but he had told his relief this
much. The Plutonia was not modern
nough to have floor clerks-which ac-
ounted for Claire's ability to proceed
!nQuestioned to Warnings room-but