The Washington times., 1918-12-10
The Club-Footed Man
A NEW SPY SERIAL BY VALENTINE WILLIAMS
Mention of Franz Schratt Gains. Ac-
cOmmOdatiOn For Desmond in
Little German Hotel.

faded red curtains and mahogany
bedstead with vast edredon
a giant pin-cushion. Ny candle.
gluttering wildly in the unaccus-
toned breeze blowing dankly
through the chamber. was the sole
illuminant There was neither gan
nor electric light laid on.
The house had relapsed into quiet.
The bedroom had an evil look and
this. combined with the dank air
into her head to toddle along up
somber tinge.
'well,v said to myself. Hyou'rs
a nice kind OF asst Heye you are.
a British officer. posing as a broth
er Hun in a cut-throat Hun hotel,
with a waiter who looks like the
oncial Prussian executioner. What's
going to happen to you, young fell
Ter, my lad, when Madame comes
along and finds you have British
passport? A very pretty kettle Of
nsh, 1 must say
And suppose Madame" takes II
into her head to totddle along up
here tonight and calls your blum
Fritz or whatever that ruffianly
and settle your hasn't What sort
Of fight are. you going to put up
in that narrow corridor out there
with a Hun next door and proba-
bly, on every side. OF you, and no
one viii be a penny the wiser it,
you vanish on ths- face OF the
earth - at any rate no
one on this this Of the water"
Starting, to uAdress. noticed Z
little door on the left-hand side OF
the bed. / found II opened into
small cabinet de toilette, q narrow
slip of a room with q wash
stand and very dirty window cow
cred with yellow paper. I pulled
open this window with great dini-
culty-it cannon have been opened
for years-a9d found Il gave on 70
a very small and deep, interior
court, Just an air shaft round
which the house was built. At the
bottom was q tiny paved court not
more than five feet square, entirely
isolated save on one side where
there was q basement window with
a flight of steps leading down from
the court through an iron grating.
From this window o faint yellow
streak Of light was visible. The,
air was damp and chill and horrid
odors OF a dirty kitchen were
waited up the shaft. So I closed
the window and set about turning
in.
1 took OF my coat and waistcoat
then bethought me OF the mystic
rious document ] had received from
Dicky. Once more I looked at those
enigmatical words:
o lakewood, o lakewood tfor
that much was clear, e,
How empty are thy leaves.
Like Achilles with one III in
the tent.
When two people fall out
The third party rejoices.
What did IL all mean? Had Fran
els fallen out with some confeder- .
ate who, having had his revenge
by deeouncing my brother, now
took this extraordinary step to an
nounee his victims fate to the lat
ter's friends? Like Achilles in the
tent" Why not 'in his tene'f
A curious choking noise, the
sound of a strangIed cough. SUI
denly broke the profound silence
of the house. Ny heart seemed 10
stop for a moment. hardly dared
raise my eyes from the paper
which I was coming. leaning over
the table in my shirt and trousers.
The noise continued. a hideous.
deep-throated gurgiing.S Then L +.
heard a faint football in the eorrt-
dor without ~ sF
raised my eyes to the door.
Some one cor something was
scratching the panels; fuEiously'.
fantically. -
The door-knob was ratified loud
ly. The noise broke In raucousiy
upon that horrid gurgling sound
without. 1t snapped the spell that
bound me.
/ moved resoIutely towards the
door. Even as i stepped forward
the gurgling resolved itself into q
strangled cry.
ZACH! ich sterbe" were the words.
I heard.
Then the door burst open with
crash, there was a swooping rush
Of wind and rain through the room,
the curtains tapped madly from the
windows.
The candle fiared up wildly.
Then IL went out.
Something fell heavily into the
room.