The Washington times., 1919-01-22

70 see you Wen, Okewood. dear
old boy, here we are again swhatf
Herr Julius Zimmerman -
and he broke into German, "es freut
mich!"
I could have killed him where he
stood, manned though he was, for
his fluency in the American and
English idiom alone.
Search him, Schmalzw command
ed Clubfoot curtly.
Schmalz ran the fingers OF his one
arm over my pockets. flinging my
portfolio on the billiard table to-
ward Clubfoot, and the other ar
ticles as they came to light
my pistol watch, cigarette case
and so forth onto a
leather lounge against the wall. In
his search he brushed me with hts
severed stump ugh, IL was
horribIe!.
Clubfoot had snatched up the
portfolio and hastily examined IL.
He shook the contents out on the
billiard table and examined them
carefully.
Not therew he said. run him
upstairs. and we'll strip him." he
ordered, "and let not our clever
young friend forget that I'm behind
MIN with my little toy!
SchmaIz gripped me by the collar,
spitefully digging his knuckles into
my neck. and propelled me out OF
the room and almost into
the arms OF Monica.
She screamed, and, turning, fled
away down the passage. Clubfoot
laughed noisily. but reflected
mournfulIy that in my present sorry
nli0hf "a -on1 In
filthy clothes, hailed along like a
common pickpocket, even my own
mother would not have recognized
me.
There was a degrading scene in
the bedroom to which they dragged
me, where the two men stripped me
TO the skin and paved over every
h single article OF clothing I possessed.
Physically and mentally I covered
in my nudity before the unwhole-
some gaze OF these two sinister
cripples. or all my experiences in
Germany. still look back upon that
as almost my worst ordeal.
or course, they found nothing,
search as they might. and presently
they flung my clothes back at me
and bade me get dressed again, "for
you and 1, young man." said Club
foot. with his glinting smile, have
got to have a little talk!'
When I was once more clothed
"You can leave us, Schmalz-
commanded Clubfoot, "and send up
the sergeant when i ring: he shall
look after this tricky Engiishman
whilst we are at dinner with our
charming hostess"
Schmalz went out and left US
alone Clubfoot lighted a cigar.
He smoked in silence for a few
minutes. ] said nothing, for really
there was nothing for me to say.
They hadn't got their precious doc
ument. and ii was not likely they
would ever recover ii now.
feared greatly that Francis in his
loyalty might make an attempt to
rescue me, but I hope, whatever
he did, he would think first of put
ting the document in a place OF
safety. was more or less resign
ed to my fate. was in their
hands properly now. and whether
they got the document or not. my
doom was sealed.
Il will pay you the compliment
OF saying, my dear Captain Oke-
wood" Clubfoot remarked in that
urbane voice OF his which always
made my blood run cold, ''that new
er before in my career have I de-
voted so much thought to any sin
gle individual. in the different
cases I have handled, as ] have to
you. AS an individual, you are q
paltry thing; 1t is rather your re-
markable good fortune that inter
ests me as a philosopher OF sorts
- assure you il will cause me
serious concern to be the instru-
nent OF severing your really ex-
traordinary strain OF good luck. I
don't mind telling you, as man to
man. that I have not yet entirely
decided in my mind what to do with
you now that I've got you!"
] shrugged my shoulders.
You've got me. certainly" re-
piled. but you would vastly prefer
to have what / have not got"
Let US not forget to be always
content with small mercies," answer
ed the other, smiling with a gleam
OF his golden teeth that is 4
favorite maxim OF mine. As you
truly remark, I would certainly
prefer the . the jewel to the
infinitely less precious and
interesting casket. But what
have, I hold. And I have you
- and your accomplice as we'll"
81 have no accompIice." / denied
stoutly.
Surely you forget our gracious
hostess. our most charming count
ess? Was it not thanks to the In
terest she deigned to taken in your
safety that I came here? Had n
not been for that circumstance. I
should scarcely have ventured 70
intrude upon her widowhood ."
"Her widowhood?" I exclaimed.
Clubfoot smiled again.