Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-30
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES

( rounded a corner and came upon a
very miserable figure. He was an old old
man with tinted spectaCles and long
white beard, and the raggcdest overcoat
] ever saw, and he was sitting on the
grass with his feet in the ditch appar
emily doing nothing but simply sitting
still. As l approached he pcered at
me as though he were more than half
blind, and then, in an extraordinarily
thin, high, piping voice he said:
"a fine day, mister !"
This time did the Teutonic bully.
II went horribly against the grain to
strafe such a miserable object, but with
no one looking on l thought that the
kind Of Hun was supposed to be would
probably treat worm like this TO
touch of the All Highest.
BE dashed and damned to you"
growled.
The old boy started perceptibly. and
In rather an eager voice he asked:
''Have you got a wax match mis-
ter?"
WAX match? No, and be con
founded !" said /.
f For the next quarter of a mile or so
contrite to think much about what the
old fellow had said, and then suddenly
II began to strike me that a wax match
was rather a curious thing to ask for.
A match was natural enough. but why
need it be wax?
And then I stopped, wheeled round
and walked back. I told myself that
/ was growing absurd and getting pass
words on the brain. Still. there seemed
no harm in exchanging a few more re
marks with the old man.
But when I reached the same spot on
the road he was gone. There were
one or two small houses not far away
and it was quite possible he had reached
them by now, especially if he wanted
his match badly; though it would mean
moving little faster than l had given
~-~him credit for. Or he might be lying
down out of sight having a nap, and
as the day was warm and he had appar-
emily nothing better to do. that seemed
very possible solution. Anyhow, there
was no sign of him, and if there had
been, told myself he would probably
have proved to be merely the island
patriarch with a seniIe fancy for wax
vestas, so i resumed my journey to the
big house.
As I topped another rise | got the
best view 1 had yet seen of the lay o
the island. A group of larger build
ings on another hillOck, still well Ovel
a mile ahead, was evidently the mansion
at last. Behind ne / saw the doctor,
house and noted with n nod unto mysel
that it stood distinctly in the yorthwes
district of the island.
It was no long walk from that bIeal
habitation to the Scollays' on the shore
And now ] addressed myself to
delicate question. If / were going +
keep up the part of suspicious strange
at the Rendalls, at all events to begil
with, what account of my arrival shou
give? 1t must be a tale plausibl
enough to keep them in doubt, for un
less the laird himself were actual
I, up to his neck in treason land though
was prepared for anything by this time
there were limits to the assumptions
ventured to make), he would certainI
wire either to the police or the navf
authorities and ] should immediatcl
become a mere spectator. In fact,
would probably not be allowed even
stay and look on.
And this was not mere selfish desir
for glory and excitement. l was quit
capable of seeing that my tale migi
not convince older and wiser people {
thoroughly as it convinced myself.
fact, ] felt a strong presentiment tn;
should merely be put down as bri
liant liar and the spy hunt would con
to an end-with the spy still in Il
island. That was where l still do thin
l was justified in playing the har
myself.
But what tale could I tell? TT
truth-that I had dropped out of
y balloon? Who would believe it for {
instant unless l produced the hidd'
parachute? And IL l unearthed Il
parachute, the whole island would kno
in a couple of hours and the people
was after would also be convinced. Al
Il would not be a conviction that l w
a fellow Hun.
And then ohanced to turn my hei
and l had an inspiration. About n
miles out to sea l saw ship, qui
distinctly enough to spot her as
cruiser of much the same type as t
ship had scared out of yesterday.
filed in the details Of the inspirat
as walked and when at last l saw b
head away into the far distance the fin
touch was given.
When / drew near the house I
road showed a tendency to meand'
and as was getting pretty hungry a
counted on luncheon with the laird,
he patriot or traitor, / left the hig
way and followed a path across
clover field. Though the house and
farm were so near and could see h
dozen other homesteads not far ava
vet there was not living soul in sii
or any sound, save from the peew'
and the gulls. don't know bow
convey the impression of out of Il
+ xorlduess aud back of -beycndness pl
auced by this sense OF silence and sp'
.rl by ehe look Of the house aud
&k,e sarroundings. The path slol
y 4. {. h fhrouSb grass paddock. rat
c. 4. II Al. I64 1I<>I-3 or \ IilI