Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-28


Again there was long silence
whilst the man at the table rumin-
ated.
Where do you liver" he asked.
"On the fourth floor Of small
house in Bloomsbury" replied Pol
tavo.
The yelled figure nodded.
when did you come to this coun-
try?"
six mnths ago"
"Why?"
Poltavo shrugged his shoulders.
"Why?" insisted the man at the
table.
"A slight matter of disagreement
between myself and the admirable
chief OF police of sans Sebastian"
he said o. airily as the other.
Again the figure nodded.
III you had told me anything else.
| should not have engaged you," he
said.
"Why?" asked Poltavo in surprise
Because you are speaking the
TRUTH" said the other coolly. "Your
matter Of disagreement with the po-
lice in Sans Sebastian was over the
missing of some money in the hotel
where you were staying The room
happened to be next to yours and
communicating. II one had the In
genuity to pick the lock Of the door
Also your inability to pay the hotel
bill fastened your departure"
what an editor!" said the other
admirinSly, but without showing any
signs Of perturbation or embarrass-
ment
1T is my business to know some
thing about everybody" said the
editor. by the way, you may call
me Mr.. Brown. and If at times may
seem absent minded when I am so
addressed you must excuse me. be-
cause IT 10 not my name. Yes. you
are the kind OF man / want"
1T is remarkable that you should
have found me" said Poltavo. THE
cutting'--he indicated the newspaper
clip sent to me by an un.
known friend"
Il was the unknown friend" said
"Mr. Brown" do you understand the
position?"
.Poltavo nodded.
Il understand everything" he said.
except the last and most important
OF all matters: namely, the question
Of my salary"
The man named sum--a sener-
Gus sum to Poltavo, and Mr.. Brown.
cycling him keenly, was glad to note
that his new assistant was neither
surprised nor impressed.
You will see very little of me at
this office" the editor went on. IF
you work well, and can trust you.
I will double the salary am giving
you; il you fail me, you will be
sorry for yourself"
He rose.
| That finishes our interview. You
will come here tomorrow morning
and let yourself in. Here IL the key
OF the door and key to the safe in
which I keep all correspondence. You
will find much TO incriminats So
ciety and precious little that will In
criminate me. expect you to de-
vote the whole Of your attention to
this business" he said slowly and
alphabetically.
"You may be sure" began Pol
tavo.
'Wait. have not finished. BY de-
voting the whole of your attention to
the business, mean want you to
have no spare time to conduct any
Investigations a. to my identity. BY
Z method which will not trouble to
| explain to you am able to leave
this building without any person be-
ing aware Of the fact that I am the
editor Of this interesting publication.
| When you have been thru your let
ters / want you to translate those
which contain the most important
particulars and forward them by a
messenger who will call every eve
ming at 5 o'clock. Your salary will
be paid regularly. and you will not
be bothered with any editorial du-
ties. And now. II you viii please 20
into The outer room and wait few
moments. you may return in five
minutes and begin ON this aceumula-
ton Of correspondence"
PoltAvo, With . little bow, obeyed,
and closed the door carefully behind
him. He heard . click, and knew
that the same electric control which
had opened the outer door had now
closed the inner. At the end OF flve
minutes, an near az he could Judge,
he tried the door. It opened readily
and he stepped into the inner office
The room was empty. There was q
door leading out to the corridor, but
something told the new assistant
that this was not the manner OF
egress which his employer had
adopted. He looked round carefully.
There was no other door, but behind
the chair where the yelled man had
sat was large cupboard. This he
opened without. however, discovering
any solution to the mystery Of Mr..
Browns DISAPPEARANCE. for the cup
board was filled with books and sta
tionery. He then began 4 Systematic
| search of the apartment. He tried
all the drawers of the deak and found
they were open. whereupon his inter
est In their contents evaporated.
since he knew gentleman Of Mr..
Browns wide experience was hardly
likely to leave important particulars
concerning himself in an unlocked
desk. Poltavo shrugged his shout
ders, deftly rolling q cigaret, which
he lit then pulling the chair up to
the desk he began to attack the pile
OF letters which awaited his atten-
ton.
For six weeks Mr.. Poltavo had
worked with painstaking thorough
ness In the new service. Every FRI
day morning he had found on his
desk an envelope containing two
bank notes neatly folded and ad-
dressed to himself. Every evening