Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-12-29

would have spent the night airing hi,
grievance. But sent him off"
Now, as between the two, BLACK
Humbert furnished evil and strength
Int 1t was the paIlid clerk who fur
nished the cunning. And now he made
Q suggestion.
at is possible" he said, "that he.
upstairs-could help"
"Adelbert? Are you mad?"
"The ether. He knows codes, II
was by means of one we caught him
I have heard that all these things have
one basis, and simple one."
The concierge considered. Then he
rose. sit is worth trying" he oh.
served.
He thrust the letter into his pocket
and the two conspirators went out into
the gloomy hall. There, on ledge
Law white tapers, and one he lighted
shielding it from the draft In the hoL
low of his great hand. Then he led
the way to the top of the house.
Here were three rooms, One, the
hest was Herman Spier's. a poos
thing at that. Next to 1t was old Adel.
bert's. At the extreme end of the mar.
row corridor, in passage almost
blocked by old furniture, was another
room, sort of attic, with a slanting
roof.
Making sure that old Adelbert did
not hear them, they went back to this
door, which the concierge unlocked.
Inside the room was dark. The taper
showed little. AS their eyes became
accustomed to the darkness, the out.
lines of the attic stood revealed, junk
| room, piled high with old trunks, and
| In one corner a bed.
Black Humbert, taper in hand, ap-
preached the bed. Herman remained
! near the door. Now, with the candle
near, the bed revealed man lying
on 1t, and tied with knotted ropes: q
young man, with sunken cheeks and
weary, desperate eyes. Beside him,
on chair, were the fragments of q
meal, bit of broken bread, some cold
soup, On which grease had formed q
| firm coating.
Lying there, sleeping and waking
and sleeping again. young Haeckel,
one time of his majesty's secret serv.
ice and student In the university, had
lost track of the days. He knew not
how long he had been a prisoner, ex.
cept that 1t had been eternities. Twice
day, morning and evening, came his
jailer and loosened his bonds, brought
| food, of Il sort, and allowed him, not
| out of mercy, but because 1t was the
committees pleasure that for time
he should live, to move about the room
and bring blood again to his numbed
! limbs.
The concierge united him, and stood
! back. "Now," he said.
| But the boy-he was no more-lay
still. He made one effort to rise, and
! fell back.
"Up with you'll" said the concierge,
and jerked him TO his feet. He caught
| the rail Of the bed, or he would have.
fallen. Newsstand like a man."
He stood then, facing his captorsS
without defiance. He had worn all
that out in the first days of his i'm
| prisonment.
"Wellf" he said at last. II thought
you've been here once tonight"
Fright, my cuckoo. But tonight :
do you double honor"
But seeing that Haeckel was sway
ing, he turned to Herman Spier. eco
down" he said. "and bring up some,
brandy. He can do nothing for us In
! this state"
He drank the brandy eagerly whsA
IL came, and the concierge poured him
a second quantity. What with weak
ness and slow starvation, it did whae
no threat of personal danger would
have done. 1t broke down his resist
ance. Not Immediately. He fought
hard, when the matter was frss
broached to him. But in the end he
took the letter and, holding 1t close TO
| the candle, he examined 1t closely.
His hands shook, his eyes burned
J The two terrorists watched him.
Brandy or no brandy, however, he
had not lost his wits. He glanced up
suddenly. Tell me something about
this" he said "And what VII you do
for me If decode it2"
The concierge would promise any.
thing, and did. Haeckel listened, ana
knew the offer of liberty was a lie
But there was something about the
story Of the letter itself that bore tbs
hall marks of truth.
You see," finished Black HUmoert
cunningly, "she-this lady Of the court
lis plotting with some one, or SO we
suspect. If 1t is only a liaison-E
He spread his hands. "If, as 10 pos
sible she betrays us to Karnla, that
we should find out. 1t is not" he
added, among our plans that Karni@
should know too much of u.s."
! The brandy was still working, but
the spy's mind was clear. he ASKED
for pencil, and set to work. After
all, II there was spy Of KarI's In tho
palace, 1t We're well to know 1t. he
tried complicated methods first, to fino