Middletown transcript., 1920-05-29


ments. The guards from the outer
edges of the garden had clambered
down and they gathered about US as I
began questioning Dutch.
Dutch, undoubtedly enjoying his vic
torious encounter, was tearing opel
the PROSTATE captive's collar to give
him air and with his knees clamping
the mans body was disposed to delay
the story of his adventures to increase
its dramatic effect.
ut happens this evenin'." he began.
spouting water. ''that I seen Elsie,
who's been sneakin' me meals to the
old stables, an she says to me-:
Dutch she says, 'they's all asfn us
here, callin' us Huns, an we gotta
show 'em we's good Americans, she
says. An she tole me feller been to
see 'er at wanter 'er to rob the house
fer i'm, he thinkin' 'er likely to do ut
fer love o. the kaiser. She said as 'ow
she'd nail i'm when he comes tonight
to git fan she's promised to lift fer
i'm. She said that'd prove she wasn't
no Dutchwoman and recommended II I
got the chance to do the same. !
thought nothin' wuz goin' to happen
an wuz sleepin' on me bench here IN
the garden when the hollerin' at the
garage woke me up. sits quiet, lis
TENN an this guy drops into the gar
den an wuz crawlin' past me bench
an l pinches i'm. He wuz fer havin'
| q fight an we knocks over one OF the
big urns an lit in the tank. He says
it's thousand bones an ye turn me
loose, he says, an soused i'm agin
| fer that"
| The man was still choking from the
sousng ard Dutch turned him over
and pounded him vigorously on the
back, assisted by Zimmerman. the
obliging valet, who had seized the oc-
casion to show his hand on the side OF
the allies. "Shall I telephone for the
Barton police, sir?" asked Antoine,
with an extreme exaggeration Of his
professional manner.
This was obviously the thing to do
but I feigned not to hear the question
while 1 debated the matter. It was
plain that many things relating to the
capture were yelled in mystery; that
If Mrs. Bashford and her companion
were involved in an international tan
gle and had in their possession some
thing that vitality concerned the ma,
tions at war, common chivalry demand.
ed that handle the arrest Of Monta'
MIS- agent in such a manner as Ia
shield them. I was thinking hard and
in my perplexity even considered
sending a messenger to Terrence; but
he was already suspicious and would
be very likely to summon Raynor i'm
mediately and precipitate q crisis
was not prepared to face. To invit:
the attention Of the American state de
partment to the increasingly complex
situation would not be giving my aun1
the chance l meant she should have tt
clear herself.
The captive had got upon his fee
and stood dazedly staring ut us. He re
fused to answer my questions, ever
when I suggested that If he could give
satisfactory account Of himself h
would be released. He only doggedl!
shook his head. When asked if h
had been hurt in his bout with Dutcl
he smiled and extended his arms IL
denial He was very decent-lookinl
fellow, blue-eyed and smooth-shaven
who seemed to accept his plight will
degree of good humor.
l decided that as nothing would b.
gained by sending him to the Bartol
calaboose that night, would ASSUME
the responsibility Of detaining him un
til had groped my way through tn
haze of suspicious and circumstance
that enveloped him.