Washington telegraph., 1921-07-08
PROLOGUE

In the month of December, 1913,
and on the very day that a British
cavalry division marched into Cologne,
with flags flying and bands playing
as the conquerors of a beaten nation,
the manager OF the Hotel Rationale
In Bene received letter. Its con-
tents appeared to puzzle him some
what, for having read It twice he
rang the bell on his desk TO summon
his secretary. Almost Immediately
the door opened, and a young French
girl came into the room.
Monsieur rangT"
Have we ever had staying in the
hotel man called lie Comte de GuyT'
He leaned back in his chair and
looked at her through his pince-nez.
The secretary thought for a mo-
ment and then shook her head. mot
as far as can remember" she said.
''Do we know anything about himf
Has he ever fed here. or taken a pri-
vate roOmT ..-
mot that l know Of"
The manager handed her the letter.
and waited in silence until she had
read 1t.
at seems on the face OF 1t a pecu-
liar request from an unknown man."
he remarked as she laid it down. "A
dinner of four covers; no expense to
be spared. Wines specified and If
not in hotel to be obtained. A private
room at half-past seven sharp. Guests
TO ask for room X"
The secretary nodded in agreement.
ut can hardly be a hoax" she re-
marked after short silence.
"No." The manager tapped his
teeth with Sis pen thoughtfully. "But
II by any chance 1t was, it would
prove an expensive one for us.
wish ! could think who this Comte de
Guy is"
He took Off his pince-nez and laid
them or the desk in front OF him.
"Send the maItre d'hotel to me at
once"
Whatever may have been the man
ayers msgivings, they were certainly
not shared by the head waiter as he
left the Office after receiving his in
structions. War and short ratlons
had not been conducive to any partic-
ularly lucrative business In his
sphere; and the whole sound of the
proposed entertainment seemed TO him
TO contain considerable promise.
And so at about twenty minutes
past seven the maitre d'hotel was
lowering around the hall-porter, the
manager was lowering round the
maitre d'hotel. and the secretary was
hovering around both. At fiye-and-
twenty minutes past the first guest
He was a peculiar-looking man, in
a big fur coat, reminding one IRE
slstibly of a Goldfish.
81 wish to be taken to Room y"
The French secretary stiffened invol-
unfairly as the maitre dhotel stepped
obsequiously forward. Cosmopolitan
ms the hotel was, even now she could
never hear German spoken without an
inward shudder Of digust.
"A Boche," she murmured in disgust.
Almost Immediately afterward the
second and third members of the par
ty arrived. They did not come togeth-
er, and what seemed peculiar to the
manager was that they were evidently
strangers to one another.
The leading one-a tall gaunt man
with ragged beard and a pair of
piercing eyes-asked in a nasal and by
no means an inaudible tone for Room
Y. As he spoke a little fat man who
was standing just behind him started
perceptibly, and shot a birdlike glance
at the speaker.
Then in execrable French he too
asked for Room Y.
"He's not French" said the secre-
tary excitedly to the manager. THAT
last one was another Boche.'
The manager thoughttully twirled
his pince-nez between his fingers.
two Germans and an American"
He looked q. little apprehensive. Let