The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-15
vas too late. until the law had got

was 100 cate, until the law mao got
YOU"
Il will remember it, said the
Italian.
You will want a long memory. I
fancy. 1t may interest 20 to know
that L used the arranged signal only
a few minutes before you could arrive.
1t was all 1 had to go on. 1t Is not
like you. Moltadi. to go in for such a
big job with such fimsy knowledge
Big money and big people were too
much temptation, Ell? I'll tell you one
! thing. I do not think you were in
tended to get away alive afterward.
Your friends didn't trust you"
at was the same with me-" said the
italian fiercely. 1T was not knowing
the meeting place which has ruined
me. I know who was to see. Brandt
and Mcpherson and Costello. 1 knew,
but they did not know, knew. Kill
me, would they? We shall see.'
! IF we had not got them already you
would be a valuable witness" said
West.
! IT will say more when am asked"
| do, 1t may help you. We have al
| ready got the wires busy to several
continental cities this morning. Where
is his bag?"
Been taken to Scotland Yard, sir"
| SAID OIle Ol the l was
thought safer. 1t looked very much
like the one you've got there"
And inside. anything of this kind ?"
and West opened his suitcase and
drew out what looked like a partially
| tangled coil of rope. He shook the
end of it out. "A rope ladder. There
is great virtue in a rope ladder on
occasion. Get him away. There is a
taxi waiting
There Is also a bath waiting. sir
, said Amos from the doorway.
Good.
An hour later. a fair-haired. immac-
! ulately dressed young man entered the
sitting-room, lit a cigarette. and let
himself fall into big armchair.
, Almost"
, Almost as soon as he had called the
man stood before him.
Big business and not much to go
on, Amos, only the message that Mol
! tadi was coming armed with a sign
and was to be taken straight to the
: conspirators. Luckily for US they
, didn't tell him where he was to be
; taken. We got him. Under pressure
lac might have given his princapls
away. but I am not sure. 1 couldn't
depend on 1t. Amos. My way was the
, OILY sure measure of finding out. Too
, much secrecy has been their undoing.
, II any one of them had known Moltadi
well. Amos. you'd have had to look
out for another place. I'd be non est,
which in this case means a corpse. 1
never thought much of Sir Isaac
! brandt. but I'll let you into the secret.
Amos, 1 never suspected he was in
! this business Greatest surprise of my
life when 1 found myself in his house
and found him the leading spirit-and
he's q Privy Councillor. Amos Not
. quite enough care taken about these
, appointments. that's a fact. : Meyerson
I have. always suspected. did when
first knocked up against him in Berlin,
and I have always known there was a
wrong un somewhere in the Italian
Embassy. I might have suspected Co.'S
: tello had known more about him. II
was lucky I thought of the rope ladder
@ l could not have put anything more
q useful into the suitcase. 1t enabled
!, me to Go Romeo from a first floor back
window and telephone to you while
Brandt believed 1 was preparing
bombs. You did well. Amos. Pm pleas
ed with you. Wilton and Meyerson
were arrested as they left their club
4 and two others with Brandt this morn
! ing. 1 didn't know them. There is
another man who was at Hill street at
large. You found the note under the
cushion In the taxi after we had got
I out in Harrington street? That ar
. rangement over the phone was a good
I idea, Amos. There must be more than
I one empty house in the Strand and
: they wouldn't have known which one
to enter had they not been able to look
up for the one with a handkerchief
hanging over the coping"
Amos Free was used to being en-
ployed as a sort of sounding board for
, his masters reflections. He made no
, | comment, none was expected. He
, waited until West had finished. then
, crossed to the door.
. do you dine at home tonight. sir -
, mo. Amos, no. think not Play.
, ing part of a man like Moltadi Ia
, fatiguing. / shall honor the Carlton
, and afterward a play.