The Washington times., 1919-05-08

faced American had preceded him
on legs that still Wabbled with
seas1ckness.
There were no Pullmans attach.
ed 70 the train, only the usual hrst.
second, and third class carriages
with compartments; and q new style
corridor car with central aisle and
lettered doors to compartments
holding four
Into one Of these compartments
Neeland stepped, hoping for secIu-
sion, but backed out again. the
place being full OF artillery officers
playing cards.
In vain he bribed the guard,
who offered to Go his best;
but the human contents OF
Channel passenger steamer had un-
willingly spent the night in the
quaint French port, and the Paris
bound train was already full.
The best Neeland could do was
TO hnd a seat in q compartment
where he interrupted conversation
between three men who turned sui
len heads TO look at him, resenting
in silence the intrusion. One OF
them was the fox-faced man he had
already noticed on the PACKET, ten
der, and customs dock.
Unnecessarily Polite.
But Neeland. whose sojourn In .
raw and mannerless metropolis had
not blotted out all memory Of gent
Ter cosmopolitan conventions, lift
ed his hat and smilingly excused
his intrusion in the fluent and
agreeable French OF student days,
before he noticed that he had to DO
with men Of his own race.
None Of the men returned his sa-
lutte; one OF them merely emitted an
irritated grunt; and Neeland recog-
nized that they all must be his own
delightful eountrymen-for even
the British are more dignihed h
their stolidity.
A second glance satisfied hfm
that all three were undoubtedly
Americans; the cut OF their straw
hats and apparel distinguished them
as such; the nameless grace OF
Mart, Haffner and SHARK marked the
tailoring OF the three; only Honest
Werner could have manufactured
such headgear; only New York such
footwear.
And Neeland looked at them once
more and understood that Broad
way itself sat there in front or
him, pasty, close-shaven, furtive.
sufien-eyed, the New York Paris
Herald in its seal-ringed fingers; its
fancy 'waistcoat pockets bulgIng
with cigars
Sports" he thought to himself;
and decided 20 maintain incognitO
and pass as q Frenchman, IL neces-
sary, to escape conversation with
the three tired-eyed ones.
So he hung up his hat, opened his
novel. and settled back to endure
the trip through the rain. now be-
ginning to fall from a low-sagginE
cloud of watery grey.
No Political News
After a few minutes the train
moved. Later the guard passed and
accomplished his duties. Neeland
inquired politely Of him in French
whether there was any political
news. and the guard replied polite
ly that he knew Of none. But he
looked very serious when he said II
Half an hour from the coast the
rain dwindled to a rainbow ana
ceased; and presently a hot sun was
gliding wet green fields and hedges
an gfistening roofs which steamed
Vapour from every wet tile.
Without asking anybody's opin-
ion, one Of the men opposite raised
the window. But Neeland did nOS
object; the rain-washed air was de-
liciously fragrant; and he leanea
his elbow on his chair arm and
looked out across the loveliest land
in Europe.
Say. friend" said an East Side
voice at his elbow, docs smoking
go:"
He glanced back over his shoul-
der at the speaker little. pallid.
sour-faced man with the features
of sick circus clown and eyes like
two holes burnt in a lump of dough.
Pardon, monsieur" he said po-
litely.
cant you even pick a French
man. Benz sneered one Of the men
opposite square. smoothly Bhaven
man with slow. hcavy-lidded eyes OF
a greenish tinge.
The fox-faced man said:
"He had me fooled, too. Eddie.
tt Ben StulI didn't get his num-
Der il don't surprise me none.
becuz he was on the damn boat
crossed n, and ! certainly picked
him for New York.
cav" said the pasty-faced little
man referred II as Ben Stull, Ed
die knows it all. He never makes
no breaks, of course. You make
'em, but he doesn't. That's why me
and him and you is travelling here
this minute-because the great Ed
die Brandes never makes no
breaks
GO on and smoke and shut up"
said Brandes, with a slow, sidewise
glance at Neeland. whose eyes re-
mained fastened on the pages OF
Les Bizarettes.' but whose ears
were now very wide open,
smoke" repeated Stull, when
this here Frenchman may make a
holler?"
wait till I ask him." said tbe
man addressed as Doc, with dignity.
And ~ .S"eland:
"Pardong. musseer, perTr.Sty vous
moi de funny ung cigar
"Mais comment, done, monSieurf
Je vous en- prize
He, says politely" translated
Doc, that We can smoke and be
damned to us"
They lighted three obese cigars:
Neeland. his eyes on mis- page, liz
tened attentively and stole glance
at the man they called BrandeS
So this was the scoundrel who
had attempted to deceive the young
girl who had come to him that
night in his studio. bewildered with