The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-05-07

police lay off the Volhynia's port;
Neeland's steamer trunk was al
ready in it: and now the captain
accompanied him to the ladder,
where a sailor took his suitcase and
the olivewood box and ran down
the landing stairs like a monkey.
Good luck" said the captain OF
the VoIhynia- "And keep 1t in your
mind every minute that those two
men and that woman probably are
at this moment aboard some Ger
man fishing craft. and headed for
France.
Watched BY Eager Eyes.
Remember. too, that they are
merely units in a vast system; that
they are certain to communicate
with other units; that between you
and Paris are people who will be
notified to watch for you. follow
you. rob you"
Neeland nodded thoughtfully.
The captain said again:
Good luck! l wish you were free
to turn over that box to US. But
il you've given your word to deliver
il in person, the whole matter in
wolves, naturally, a point OF honor"
Yes. / have no discretion in the
matter, you see" He laughed.
You're thinking. Captain West.
that L haven't much discretion any
way"
Il don't think you have very
much admitted the captain, smil-
ing and shaking the hand which
Neeland offered. We'll, this is
merely one symptom of a very ser
ious business. Mr.. NeeIand. That
an attempt should actually have
beed made to murder you anu to
blow me to pieces in my cabin is
a slight indication of what a cata-
clysmic explosion may shatter the
peace OF the entire world at any mo-
ment now. Good-by And I
warn you very solemn1y to take this
affair as a ueadly serious one and
not as a lark"
They exchanged a firm clasp:
then Neeland descended and enter
ed the boat; the inspector OF police
took the tiller; the policemen bent
to the oars. and the boat shot away
through a mist which was turn
to golden vapor.
1t was within a few boat lengths
OF the landing stairs that Neeland.
turning for a last look into the
steaming golden glory behind him,
saw the most splendid sight Of his
life. And that sight was the British
Empire assuming sovereignty.
"Ruler of All Waters"
For there, before his eyes. mill
tant, magnificent. the British fleet
was taking the sea. gliding out. to
accept its fealty, moving majestic
ally in mass after mass of steel I'M
IL f. Of
the phantom battle flags whipping
aloft in the binding smother OF
mist and sun and the fawning cut
water hurrying too, as though even
every littlest wave were mobiliZed
and fastening seward in the serv-
ice OF its mistress. Ruler of all
Waters, untroubled by a man-made
KieI.
And now there was no more time
to be lost: no more stops until he
arrived in Paris. A taxicab rushed
him and his luggage across the al
most empty city; a train, hours
earlier than the regular steamer
train, carried him to London, where,
as he drove through the crowded,
sunlit streets, in a hanson cab, he
could see news vendors holding up
strips of paper on which was print
ed In great, black letters:
THE BRITISH FLEET SAILS.
SPY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Charles Wilson. VI. p. Accused
Missing Member Supposed 10 Be Karl
BresIau, International Spy.
And he noticed knots OF people
pausing to buy the latest editions
Of the papers offered.
But NeeIand had no time to see
much more OF London than that
glImpses of stately gray buildings
and green trees; of monuments and
palaces where soldiers in red tunics
stood guard: the crush of traffic In
the city: trim. efficient police. their
helmets strapped to their heads. dis
changing the streams of vehicles,
hating. directing everything with
calm and undisturbed precision; a
squadron of cavalry in brilliant uni
forms leisurely emerging from some
park between iron ratings under
stately trees: then the crowded con-
fusion Of a railroad station, but not
the usual incidents OF booking and
departure, because he was to travel
by a fast goods train under tele-
graphed authority Of the British
government.
And that is about all that Neeland
saw of the mightiesJ city in the
world on the even of the greatest
conflict among the human races that
the earth has ever witnessed, or
ever shall. D. V.
Takes Passage On FreiEhter.
The flying goods train that took
him to the Channel port whence a
freight packet was departing Of
fered him the luxury of a leather
padded armchair in a sealed and
grated mail van.
Nobody disturbed him, nobody
him: the train officials
were civil and injurious, and went
calmly about their business with all
the traditional stolidity of official
John Bull.
NeeIand had plenty OF leisure to
think as he sat there in his heavy
chair. which vibrated but did not
sway very much; and his mind was
fully occupied with his reflections,
for so far. he had not had time to
index. and arrange them
in proper order. so rapid and so
startling had been the sequence OF
events since he had left his studio
in New York for Paris. via Brook
hollow. London. and other points
east.
One thing in particular continued
10 DprDleN and sstOniSh him; the
identity of a member Of Parliament.
known as Charles Wilson, suddenly