Middletown transcript., 1921-05-21
PROLOGUE

III
and on the very day that a British
cavalry division marched into Cologne
with flags flying and Dands playing
as the conquerors Of beaten nation
the manager of the Hotel Natlonale
in Rerne received q letter. Its con-
tents appeared to puzzle him some
what, for having read it twice ne
rang the bell on his desk to summon
his secretary. Almost Immediately
the door opened, and young French
girl came into the room.
"Monsieur rang?"
"Have we ever had staying In the
hotel man called lie Conte de Guy!
He leaned back in his chair ana
looked at her through his pince-nez.
The secretary thought for a mo-
ment and then shook her head. mot
as far as l can remember" she said.
"Do we know anything about him
Has he ever fed here, or taken prl-
vate room?"
mot that l know Of
The manager handed her the letter,
and waited in silence until she had
read it.
ut 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.
at can hardly be hoax" she re-
marked after q short silence.
"No." The manager tapped his
teeth with his pen thoughtfully. But
If by any chance it was, it would
prove an expensive one for us.
wish l could think who this Comte de
Guy is."
He took off his pince-nez and laid
them on the desk in front of him.
"Send the maitre d'hotel to me at
once"
Whatever may have been the man.
ayers misgivings, they were certainly
not shared by the head waiter as he
left the office after receiving his in
structions War and short rations
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 dhotel, and the secretary was
lowering around both. At five-and
twenty minutes past the first guest
He was a peculiar-looking man, in
big fur coat, reminding one ire
sistibly of Goldfish.
81 wish to be taken to Room x
The French secretary Stiffened invol
UNFAIRLY as the lhaitre d'hotel stepped
obscquiously forward. Cosmopolitan
rs the hotel was, even now she could
never hear German spoken without ar
inward shudder of digust.
"A Boche," she m,lrmured in disgust
Almost Immediately afterward the
second and third members of the par
ty arrived. They did not come togcth.
er, aud what seemed peculiar to the
manager was that they were evidently
strangers TO one another.
The leading One-a tall gaunt man
with a ragged beard and pair OF
pjercing 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
pcrceptibly. and shot birdlike glance
at the speaker.
Then in execrable French he toe
asked for Room X.
"Hes not French" said the secre.
tary excitedly to the manager. "That
Inst one was another BOche."
The manager thoughtfully twirled
his pince~ncz between his fingers.
"Two Germans and an American
He looked a little apprehensive. Let
MS hope the dinner will appease every
body. otherwise
But whatever fears he might have
entertained with regard to the furni
ture in Room X, they were not des
tined to be uttered. Even as he spoke
the door again swung open, and mar
with a thick white scarf around his
neck, so pulled up as almost com
Dletely to cover his face. came in. AL
that the manager could swear to as
regards the newcomers appearance
was pair of deer-Set. steel-gray eyes
which seemed to bore through him.
"YOu got my letter this morning"
"Msieur le Comte de Guy" The