The Glenwood post., 1919-06-28
c.sprts's b. Doda Mood ..s cs~,..s. h.
eating you, Mr.. Barnes" said the little


man. unsmilingly. "Don't get sore.
There are lot of things that YOU don't
know, and one of them is that 1 don't
sell books for living. It's something
of side line with me-" He leaned
forward. 81 shall be quite frank with
you, sir. l am secret service man.
Yesterday I went through your effects
upstairs, and last night I took the lib
erty of spying upon you, so to speak,
while you were a guest at Green
Fancy"
"The deuce you say!" cried Barnes.
1--WE will get right down to tacks."
said Sprouse. 'My government
which isn't yours, by the way-sent
me up here five weeks ago on a GER
tain undertaking. l am supposed to
find out what is Matching up at Green
Fancy. Having satisfied myself that
you are not connected with the gang
up there l cheerfully place myself in
your hands, Mr.. Barnes. You were at
Green Fancy last night. So was I.
You had an advantage over me, how
ever, for you were on. the inside and
I was not"
"Confound your impudencel L"
"One Of my purposes in revealing
myself to you, Mr.. Barnes is to warn
you to steer clear of that crowd. You
may find yourself in exceedingly hot
water later on If you don't. Another
purpose, and the real one, is to secure,
II possible, your cooperation in beat
ing the game up there. You can help
me- and in helping me you may be in
strumental in righting one of the
grnvest wrongs the world has ever
known"
! "Win you be good enough, Mr.
Sprouse, to tell me Just what you are
trying to get at? know nothing what
ever against Mr.. Curtis and his
friends. You assume great deal"
Excuse me, Mr.. Barnes. I'll admit
that you don't know anything against
them, but you suspect a whole lot. To
begin with, you suspect that two men
were shot to death because they We're
in wrong with someone at Green
Fancy. Now 1 could tell you who
these two men really were and why
they were shot. But sha'n't do any
thing Of the sort-at least not at pres
ent."
Barnes was impressed. "Perhaps
you will condescend to tell me who
you are, Mr.. SprOuse. I am very much
In the dark"
~ am special agent-but not
spy, sir-of n government that Is
friendly to yours. I am known in
Washington. My credentials are not
to be questioned. At present 1t would
he unwise for me to reveal the name
of my government. I dare say If
can afford to trust you, Mr.. Barnes,
you can afford to trust me. There is
too much at stake for me to take the
slightest chance with any man. am
ready to chance you, sir. If you will
do the same by me-"
"Well," began Barnes deliberately,
81 guess you will have to take a
chance with me, Mr.. Sprouse, for I re-
fuse to commit myself until I know
exactly what you are up to-"
"In the first place, Mr.. Barnes" said
Sprouse, sailing his eggs. "you have
been thinking that was sent down
from Green Fancy to spy on you.
Isn't that so?"
II am answering no questions. Mr..
Sprouse."
"You were wrong" said Sprouse, as
If Barnes had answered in the affir-
native. IL am working on my own.
You may have observed that I did not
accompany the sheriff's posse today.
I I was up in Hornville getting the final
word from New York that you were on
the level I telephoned to New York.
Eleven dollars and sixty rsa+s You
were under suspicion until I hung up
the receiver, may say"
Clones has been talking to you"
said Barnes. "But you said moment
ago that you were up at Green Fancy
last night. Not by invitation, / take
it."
81 invited myself" said Sprssse sue
cinctly "Are you inclined 10 favor
my propositions"
"YOu haven't made one"
"By suggestion, Mr.. Barnes. It IL
quite impossible for me to get inside
that house. You appear to have the
entree. You are working in the dark,
guessing Mt everything. / am guess
ing at nothing. BY combining forces
we should bring this thing to n head,
and"
"Just moment. You expect me to
abuse the hospitality Of"
II shall have to speak plainly, I
see" He leaned forward, fixing
Barnes with h pair OF steady, earnest
!, eyes. "Sx months ago n certain royal
+, house in Europe was despoiled Of Its
, Jewels, Its privy seal, Its most precious
state documents and its charter. They
have been traced to the United States.
/ am here to recover them. That is
the foundation of my story. Mr..
Barnes.
"Without dIvulging the name Of the
house will say that its sympathies