Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-08-06


Know, and one Of them Is that I DOM
sell books for a living. It's something
Of a side line with me-" He leaned
forward. u shall be quite frank with
you. sir. I am secret service man
Yesterday went through your effects
upstairs. and last night took the lib.
erty Of spying upon you. SO to speak
while You were q 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. I 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 I cheerfully place myself IN
your hands. Mr.. Barnes. You were q
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 impudence! -"
I"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 II you don't. Another
purpose. and the real one, is to secure
IL possible, your cooperation In beat
Ing the game up there. You can hell
me, and In helping me you may be In,
strumental In righting one OF thu
gravest wrongs the world has eve,
known"
'sWill 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 hi.
friends. You assume great deal
EXCUSE me, Mr.. Barnes. I'll admi,
that you don't know anything agains
them, but you suspect whole lot. II
begin with, You suspect that two mer
were shot to death because they wers
In wrong with someone at Greer
Fancy. Now / could tell you wht
these two men really were and why
they were shot. But I sha'n't do any
thing Of the sort-at least not at pres
emit"
Barnes was impressed. "Perhap.
you win condescend to tell me wht
You are, Mr.. Sprouse. ! am very muci
In the dark
" am special agent-but not &
SPY, sir-of a government that i.
friendly to yours. I am, known II
Washington. My credentials are mo-
to be questioned. At present It wouit
be unwise for me to reveal the namt
Of my government. ! dare say II !
can AFFORD to trust you. Mr.. Barnes
you can afford to. trust me. There b
too much at stake for me to take thu
slightest chance with amy man. an
ready to chance you. sir. Il you vii
do the same by me-"
"Well," began Barnes deliberately
II guess you win have to take &
chance with me. Mr.. Spr0use, for ] re
fuse to commit myself until ! know
exactly what you are up to-"
AIn the f1rst place, Mr.. Barnes" sale
Sprouse. sailing his eggs. 'you have
been thinking that I was sent dowr
from Green Fancy to spy on you
Isn't that sof'
II am answering no questions. Mr.
Sprouse." ,.
"You were wrong" said Sprouse, al
II Barnes had answered In the afhr
native. II am working on my own
You may have observed that I did not
accompany the sherifrs posse today
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 ceA4s. You
were under suspicion until I hung "
the receiver, may say"
"Jones has been talking to you.f
said Barnes. "But you said moment
ago that you were up at Green Fancy
last night. Not by Invitation, I take
It."
II invited myself" said Sprsuse sue.
cinctly. "Are you inclined to favor
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