The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-11-12
THE RED HERRING
Continued from Page SIX

"Screed!"
"a London detective, / believe" he
said with a smile. my word, you
have got your chance, to give me
away"
His GOODNESS had something sublime
in it, but l had no time to answer
him before Screed came across to the
lounge with exactly the same self-as-
sertiveness in which he always en-
tered Betty's teashop He shook hands
with Grant.
Congratulations" Mr.. Yates, he
said turning to me. "You seem to be
in clover here, and 1 was afraid you
were having very bad time"
81 have had a devil of time," l
answered, "and it is no thanks to you
that am out of it-for the time being
at any rate"
LET us hear all about it, that is if
Mr.. Grant doesn't object"
1t was an awkward predicament
Grant had behaved very decently to
me, and although I had no doubt he
was an accomplished scoundrel, the
sportsman in me was inclined to give
him chance.
"I will tell you the story in pri-
vate," I said.
81 should like to hear it." Grant
said.
"Out with it," said Screed. eft
should be interesting"
had given Grant chance, and if
he would not take it that was his look
out So told my tale, emitting moth
ing, not even the fact that Grant and
were waiting for the bully to join us.
"It was good idea of yours sug-
costing that the Bohemian might be
the man they were looking for" said
Screed. did you really think SO, or
was it bluff?"
II didn't think much about him
either way except as a means Of get
ting out of horrible hole. Your wits
get nimble when man is threatening
you with knife. The business end
of a revolver can look at fairly
calmly, but knife makes me feel sick
Constitutional weakness perhaps"
NASTY things, knives" Grant re-
marked.
what went wrong, Screed, that you
left me in the lurch?" I asked.
Things haven't gone wrong or you
wouldn't be here"
"By a happy chance"
mot quite that, Mr.. Yates" said
Grant. "You forget my friend"
"Pm inclined to think he won't turn
up, Mr.. Grant," Screed said. He is
otherwise engaged. In fact, all Mr..
Yates friends have been caught.
Someone forget to put a warning lamp
in a window, so they walked into a
trap where the police were waiting for
them"
you have got them ALI" I ex-
claimed.
every man jack"
Except me-" Grant laughed.
Cali in good time" was Screed' s
answer. you've heard Mr.. Yates
tale; perhaps you would like to hear
mine. You were right, Mr.. Yates, the
Bohemian was the bearer of most i'm
portant papers to Paris. 1t was
known both in London and Paris that
the most elaborate plans for intercept
ing these papers had been made, but
what these plans were or who was be-
hind them, could not be discovered
Elaborate precautions were necessary
and at the request of our government
I undertook the business / drew
red herring across the trail. You were
the red herring. 1 so arranged your
departure from London that the gang
should mark you down as the mes
senger, taking the bold risk that the
real messenger should travel to Paris
at the same time. 1 banked on you
attracting attention, and it has come
off. You could not have helped being
little self-conscious had you been in
the secret, so 1 told you nothing"
"And didn't worry what became of
me- said.
Il had to get the papers safely TO
Paris, and in big affairs of this kind
little matters have to side. did not
know who was in the gang, and l
didn't know how they had planned to
secure their victim, nor where they
would take him. You must appreciate
my difficulties. only knew one thing
for certain. A cosmopolitan scoundrel,
and, as he has done on former occa-
sions would only take control at the
last moment"
1.-THE bully?"
"That describes him very well. Elk
cont whom hA Ia On tho wor moth h .