Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-11-05
THE MAN WITH THE CLUB FOOT
BY VALENTINE WILLIAMS

tho unacrustomcd breeze blowing daul,lv
through the chamber. was the sole iiluminaut
Thcr, was neither gas nor electric light laid
on
Tho house had rcapscd into quiet. The
bedroom had AN evil look and this. COM
hiucd with the dunll air from the canal, gave
nay thoughts "a sumbcr tinge.
"W"N.' ! said To- myself. you're a nice
i,ud Of ass Here you are, a British officer
posing az "a brother Hun in a cut-throat Hun
hotel, with waiter who looks like the OFF,
vial Irussiuu oNccutiouCr. What's going 60
happen 90 you, young Teller my lad, when
Madam" comes along and finds you have n
British passport? \ very pretty kettle Of
fish, I must say!
And suppose Madame takes 1t into her
mead To- ,oddlc along up here tonight and
rd.0 your bluff aud summons the gentle
Hans or Fritz or whatever that ruiIiauly wait.
'fS nam" Is to come upstairs ana settle your
hash What sort Of Nsh' are YOU going
20 pW up in that narrow corridor out thero
with % Hun n"At door and probably on every
sld' Of you, and no exit this end? You don't
know a living soul in Rotterdam and no one
WA he 20 penny the wiser IL you vanish of
'N' face Of the earth At any rate no
ono ou this side of the water"
Starting 90 Uudrcss, ! noticed q little door
OLD the Ieft-haud side Of the bed I found i'
|. "h"n'd into small cabinet d, toilette, q
""'I," SIP OF room with a wash-haud
stand and very dirty window covered with
l'"f''r DuIl'h open lllN WINDOW WIN
great difficult VT cannot have boon opened
Tor years and found it ravc on 70 very
SlnaII and deep interior court Just an air
smart round which the house was built A.
n' bottom was tiny paved court not moro
'N'' NNu foot square, entirely isolated saw
"N one side where thcr, was IL basement
""H"N with flight of steps leading down
rom IN" court through an iron grating From
inns window a faint yellow streak Of light
was ''Nlhl" The air was damp and chill and
Loo .F ~ IL.
"I' '"' NN"i' So ] closed the window aud set
about turning in
TOOK Oft nay coat and uaistcoat. then be-
'''1snt m' Of the mysterious document
",' received from Dicky. Oncc more look
=" ''t those 'uigmatical words:
was clcarD ''' '''. '""e'
row emptr are thy leaves
,,,.Ne N'hiles with one "r) IN the tent
Nhen two people fan out
M me 'hlrd party rejoiccs
N"'t' did II All mean" Had Francis falcr.
OUT with some confederate who hn,.ir,, h,d
'', re-, ,vhGo by deEouncing my brother nov.
l"oh ihiF extraordinary step TO announr, his
,,r.in iate TO the latters friends "rfIo
tcnt a' n tnc tent, ~ Why not in his
''lI' surely I"
\ curious choking noise. the sound Of q,
i,,'' ''u cough. suddenly broke the profound
',"'r "l the house. My heart seemed tn
P lor q moment. | hardly dared rails,
H.. .'S from the paper which / was coming,
''u'hE over the table in my shirt and
trousers ' ''"' """
ne mons" continued. q hideous dccp-
,""li"o grslihg. Then heard "A faint
'"1' -I"lI IN ih" corridor without.
raised my eyes to the door
someone or something was scratching tho
panels. turtOusly. frantcalIv
moved resoiutciy towards the door Even
as stopped forward the gurglng resolve
Itself into a strangled cry.
Ayb i,h
Ih'n the door burst open with a crash
ih'ft was n swooping rush Of wind gnd
rain through the room. the curtains flannel
Hadly from The windows
The candle nared up wildly.
Then it went out
Something fen heavily into the room
lTp BIZ CONTINUED TOMORROW