The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-07-24
CHAPTER XII.

After thrashing about lii his bed for
seven sleepless hours, Barnes arose
and gloomily breakfasted alone. He
was not discouraged over his failure
to arrive at anything tangible In the
shape Of q plan Of action. It was in
conceivable that he should not be able
In very short order to bring about the
release OF the fair guest Of Green
Fancy. There was not the slightest
doubt In his mind that international
affairs Of considerable Importance
were involved and that the agents OPP
Grating at Green Fancy were under
definite orders.
MI. Sprouse came into the dining
room as he was taking his last swal-
low of coffee.
"Ah, good morning." was the bland
little mans greeting. up with the
lark, / see. Mind If I sit down here
and have my eggs?" He pulled out a
chair opposite Barnes and coQlly sat
down at the table.
""You can't~sell me a set Of Dickens
at this hour Of the day. said Barnes
sourly. Besides, I've finished my
breakfast. Keep your seat.."hHe start
ed to rise.
"Sit down. said Sprouse quietly.
Something in the mans voice and a
ner struck Barnes as oddly compelling.
He hesitated a second and then re-
snmed his seat. Tive been investi-
eating you, MI. Barnes" said the little
man, ~unsmilingly. Don't get sore.
There are q lot of things that you don't
know, and one Of them is that l don't
sell books for a living. It's something
of q side line with me-" He leaned
forward. ST shall be quite frank with
you, sir. ! am a secret service
Yesterday / went through your effects
upstairs, and last night I took the lib
erty OF spying upon you, so to speak,
while you were a guest at Green
Fancy"
1.-THE deuce you say!" cried Barnes.
I'VE 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 at
Green Fancy last night. So was I.
You had an advantage over me, how
ever, for you were on the inside and
/ was not"
"Confound your impudence! T."
"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 if you don't. Another
purpose, and the real one, is to secure,
IL possible, your cooperation in beat
ing the game up there. You a help
me, and in helping me you may be in
strumental in righting one Of the
gravest wrongs the world has ever
known"
"Will you be good enough, Mr..
Sprouse, to tell me just what you are
trying to- get at? I know nothing what
ever against MI. Curtis and his
friends. You assume a great deal
Excuse me, Mr.. Barnes. I'll admit
that you don't know anything against
them, but you suspect a whole lot. To
begin with, you suspect that two men
were shot to death because they were
In wrong with someone at Green
Fancy. Now I could tell you whe
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. perhaps
you win c~ondescend to tell me who
you are. Mr.. sprouse. I am very much
In the dark"
Il am q special agent-but not 9
spy, sir-of a government that is
friendly to yours. I am known n
Washington. Ny credentials are not
to be questioned. At present It would
be unWise for me to reveal the name
Of my government. I dare say II
can afford to trust you, MI. Barnes
You can afford to trust me. There Il
too much at stake for me to take the
slightest chance with any man. I am
ready @ chance You, SIR, II You will
do the same ~ me"
Well began Barnes deliberately,
II guess you win have to take q
chance with me, MI. sprouse, for I 30.
fuse to commit myself until / know
exactly what you are up to.
TN the first place. Mr.. Barnes" said
Sprouse, sailing his eggs, you have
been thinking that l was sent down
from Green Fancy to SPY on y0u,
Isn't that sol"
II an answering no questions, M,
Sprouse."
lyon were wrong" said Sprouse, a.
if Barnes had answered IN the AMIR
native. II am working on my own.
You may have observed that ! did not
accompany the sherif's posse today,
1 was us IN Hornville getting the fnal
word from New York that You were on
the ievS. / telephoned to New York.
Meyeng dollars and sixty Co.. You