Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-13
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
A Detective Story by J. S. Fletcher

ihueeu what they want IN Market
Milcaster is new times"
Spargo pricked up his ears.
well, but it's rather interesting to
hear old fogies talk about old times,
he said. IL love it!'
Then you can get as much Of it
as ever you want here" remarked the
barmaid. Look in tonight any time
after eight o'clock, and il you don't
know more about the history of Market
! Milcaster by ten than you did when
you sat down, you must be deaf. There
are some old gentlemen drop in here
every night, regular as clockwork,
who seem to feel that they couldn't 60
to bed unless they've told each other
stories about old days which l should
think they've heard thousand times
already!''
Very old men?'' asked Spargo.
Methuselahs," replied the lady.
There's old Mr.. Quarterpage, across
the way there, the auctioneer, though
he doesn't do any business now--they
say he's ninety, though I'm sure you
seventy. And there's Mr.. Lummis,
further down the stretches eighty
one. And Mr.. Skene, and Mr.. Kaye
they're regular patriarchs. I've sat
here and listened to them till / believe i
could write history of Market Mill
caster since the year One"
II can conceive of that as pleasant
and profitable occupation" said
Spargo.
He chatted while longer in fash
ion calculated to cheer the barmaid's s
spirits, after which he went out and
strolled around the town until seven
o'clock, the Dragons hour for din
ner. There were no more people in the
big coffee room than there had been
at lunch and Spargo was glad, when his
solitary meal was over, to escape to
the bar -parlor, where he took his coffee
in a corner near to that sacred part
in which the old townsmcn had been
reported to him to sit.
"And mind you don't sit in one OF
their chairs" said the barmaid, warn :
ingly. "They all have their own spe :
cial chairs and their special pipes there
on that rack, and I suppose the ceiling
would fall in il anybody touched pipe or
chair. But you're all right there, and
you'll hear all they've got to say"
To Spargo, who had never seen any :
thing of the sort before, and who,
twenty four hours previously. would
have believed the thing impossible, the
proceedings of that evening in the bar :
parlor of the Yellow Dragon at Mar
ket Milcaster were like sudden trans
ference to - the eighteenth century.
Precisely as the clock struck. eight and
bell began to toll somewhere in the
recesses Of the High street, an old
gentleman walked in, and the barmaid,
catching Spargo's eye. gave him
glance which showed that the play was
about to begin.
Good evening, Mr.. Kaye said the
barmaid. You're first tonight
Evening" said Mr.. Kaye and took
seat, scowled around him, and be-
came silent. He was tall, lank old
gentleman, clad in rusty black clothes
with a pointed collar sticking up. or
both sides of his fringe of gray whisker'
and voluminous black neckcloth
folded several times around his neck
and by the expression of his counte
nance was inclined TO look on life Sc.
verely. Nobody been in yet"' asked
Mr.. Kaye.
mo, but here's Mr.. Lummis anc
Mr.. Skene,' replied the barmaid.
Two more old gentlemen entered thu
bar parlor. Of these, one was little
dapper figured man, clad in clothes o.
an eminently sporting cut, and of yer!
loud pattern.
He sported a bright blue necktie, ;
flower in his lapel, and tall whit
hat, which he wore at rakish angle
The other was big, portly, bearded
man with a Falstaffian swagger and
rakish eye, who chaffed the barmaid a
he entered, and gave her good -hu
mored chuck under the chin as h
passed her These two also sank int
chairs which seemed to have been spe
cially designed to meet them, and tn
stout man slapped the arms of his a
familiarly as he had greeted the bar
maid. He looked at his two cronies.
"Well?" he said. Here's three o
us. And there's a symposium"
"Wait bit. wait a Bit" said th
dapper little man. Grandpa II be herr
in minute. Wen start fair"
The barmaid glanced out of the win
dow.
There's Mr.. Quarterpage coming
across the street now," she announced
Shall I put the things on the table,"
"Aye, put them on. my dear, put
them on!' commanded the fat man
Have all in readiness"
CONTINUED TOMORROW