The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-12-09
The Club-FOOted Man
A NEW SPY SERIAL BY VALENTINE W LLLAMs
Desmond Finds Dick in Internment
Camp and They Discuss Disappear
ance of Francis.

the old hynheer was the first to
see, EichenhoIz translated into Eng
lish is 'Oak-tree' or 'Oak-wood,--
in other words, Francis"
Then. Dicky"- interrupted.
"Just a minute" said Dieky, put
ting up his hand II confess /
thought, on frst seeing this mes
sage or whatever IL Is. that there
must be simply . coincidence OF
name and that somebody's idle
scribblinE had found its way into
old van us invoice But now that
you have told me that Franeis may
have actually got into Germany.
then, must say, II looks as II this
might be an attempt of his to COM
rnunicate with home"
where did the Dutchman's pack
ct OF stun come from?" asked.
From the Berlin Metal Works in
Steglitz. a suburb Of Berlin; he has
dealt with them for years"
But kthen what does all the rest
Of Il mean all this about
Achilles and the rest?"
'Ah, Desmond was Dicky's re-
ply, that's where you've got not
only me. but also Mynheer van
Urutius.7
go oakwoodi o oakwood, how
empty ARE thy leaves"
That sounds like a taunt. don't you
think, Dieky?- said l.
"or a confession or failure from
Francis . =" 20 let us know
that he has done nothing. adding
that he is accordingly sulking like
Achilles in his tent"
But. see here. Richard Allerton."
said. Francis would never spell
Achilles with one Il
now, would her
by Jovei" said Dicky, looking at
the paper again, nobody would
but a very uneducated person
know nothing about German, but
tell me. Is that the hand OF an edu-
Gated German? Is 1t Francis hand
writingT"
Certainly. Il Is an educated
hand" I replied. "but I'm dashed II
i can say whether 1t Is Francis
German handwriting: 1t can scarce
ly be because, IS have already re-
marked, he spells Achilles with
with one Il"
Then the fog came down over ~
again. We sat helplessly and
gazed at the fateful paper.
There's only one thing for IL.
Dicky." said finally, I'll take the
blooming thing back to London
with me and hand. it over to the
Intelligence. After ALI Francis
may have a code with them Pos
sibly they will see light where we
grope In darkness"
Desmond" said Dieky. giving
me his hand. that's the most sensi-
BILE suggestion you've made yet.
Go home and good luck TO YOU
Bat promise me you'll come back
here and tell me II that piece Of
paper brings the news that dear
old Francis Is alive
So left Dicky, but I did not go
home / was not destined to, see
my home for many a weary week
CHATTER Ill
A Visitor In the Night.
A volley OF invective from the
box of the cab-had language in
Dutch is fearfully effective
aroused me from my musings. The
cab, a small, uncomfortable box
with a musty smell, stopped with .
jerk that flung me forward From
the outer darkness furious alterca-
Of the rain. / peered through the
streaming glass of the windows.
but could distinguish nothing
save the yellow blur of a lamp.
Then a vehicle of some kind seemed
to move away in front Of US, for
heard the grating Of wheels
against the curb, and my cab
drew up to the pavement.
On alighting, I found myself IN
a narrow. dark street with high
houses on either side. A grimy
Lamp with the word Hotter in
half-obIlterated characters painted
on It hung above my head, an
nouncing that I had arrived at my
destination. AS I paid OF the cab
man another cab passed. 1t was
apparently the one with which my
Jehu had had words, for he turned
round and shouted abuse into the
night
Ny cabman departed, leaving me
with my bag on the pavement at
my feet, gazing at narrow dirty
door. the upper half of which was
Allied in with frosted glass I was
at last awake to the fact that /, an
Englishman, was going to spend
the night in a German hotel to
which 1 had been specially recon-
mended by a German porter on the
that l was a Ger
man. knew that, according to the
Dutch neutrality regulations, my
passport would have to be handed
in for inspection by the police and
that therefore could not pass
myself OF as a German.
-Bahr' said to give myself
courage, "this is free country. a
neutral country. They may be- Of
fensive, they may overcharge you.
in a Hun hotel, but they can't eat
you. Besides, any bed on a night
like this"' and I pushed open the
door.
Within, the hotel proved to be
rather better than 1t uninviting ex-
terror promised. There was a small
yestibule with a little glass cage OF
an office on one side and beyond
it an old-fashioned flight OF stairs.
with a glass knob on the post at
the foot, winding to the upper
stories.
At the sound of my footsteps on
the mosaic flooring, a waiter
emerged from a little cubby-hole
under the stairs. He had a blue
apron girt about his waist. but
otherwise he wore the short coat
and the dicky and white tie of the
Continental hotel waiter. His
hands were grimy with black marks
and so was his apron He had ap-
parently been cleaning boots.
He was a big, fat blonde man
with narrow cruel little eyes His
hair was cut so short that his head
appeared to be shaver. He ad-
vanced quickly toward me and ask
ed me in German in a trucuIent
wal-. that wSanNaH