Middletown transcript., 1921-08-13

| England, answered HUGH, Stlll SAih
ming. "We may be crude in our
methods, Mr.. Green, but you must ad-
NIT we do our best. Incidentally, II
| you want to know, your friend Mr.
Potts is at present tucked between
the sheets at that very house. he
went there by airplane this morning"
He waved a hand toward Jerry. HE
was the pilot"
| The American was shaking his head
a little dazedly. "We've got to get
busy on what your friend Peterson's
little worry is; we've then got to stop
it some old how. Now, does moth
ing sort of strike yOu?" He looked
keenly at the soldier. Revolution
aries, Bolshevists, paid agitators last
night; international fnanciers this
evening. Why, the broad outline OF
the plan is as plain as the nose on
your face; and it's just the sort OF
game that man would love.
The detective stared thoughtfully at
the end of his cigar, and look OF
comprehension began to dawn on
Hugh's face.
Great Scott! Mr.. Green" he said,
I'm beginning to get you. What was
defeating me was, why two men like
Peterson and Lakington should be
mixed up with last nights crowd"
"Lakington! Who's Lakington?
asked the other quickly.
Number Two in the combine" said
Hugh, "and a nasty man."
"Well, We'll leave him out for the
moment" said the American. Doesn't
it strike you that there are quite
number of people in this world who
would benefit if England became a
sort Of second Russia? That such
thing would be worth money-big
money? That such thing would be
worth paying through the nose for?
It would have to be done properly;
your small strike here, and your small
strike there, amt no manner of use.
One gigantic syndicalist strike all over
your country-that's what Peterson's
playing for I'll stake my bottom dol
lar. How he's doing it is another mat
ter. But he's in with the big finan-
ciers: and he's using the tub-thump-
ing Bolshies as tools. Cad! It's a
big scheme he puffed twice at his
cigar-"a burned big scheme. Your
little old country, captain, is, saving
one, the finest on Gods earth; but she's
in a funny mood. She's sick, like
most of us are; maybe she's little
bit sicker than good many people
think. But 1 reckon Peterson's cure
won't do any manner of good, except
ing to himself and those blamed cap
italists who are putting up the dol
lars"
Then where the devil does Potts
come in" said Hugh, who had lis
tened intently to every word the Am
erican had said. "And the duchess of
Lampshire's pearls?'
"Pearls!'' began the American, when
the restaurant door opened suddenly
and Ted birmingham emerged. He
seemed to be in hurry, and Hugh
half rose in his chair. Then he sat
back again, as with miraculous rapid
ity a crowd Of infuriated head walters
and other great ones appeared from
nowhere and surrounded birmingham.
Undoubtedly this was not the way
for a waiter to leave the hotel-even
if he had just been discovered as an
impostor and sacked on the spot. And
undoubtedly if he had been waiter,
this large body of scandaliZed beings
would have removed him expeditiously
through some secret buttery-hatch,
and dropped him on the pavement out
of a back entrance.
Just opposite Hugh he halted, and
in clear voice addressed no one in
particular:
you're spotted. Look cut. Legder
at Godalming."
Then, engulfed once more in the
crowd, he continued his majestic pro-
gress, and finally disappeared little
abruptly from view.
"Cryptic," murmured the American,
"but some lad. Gee! He had that
bunch guessing"
1.-The ledger at Godalming," said
Hugh thoughtfully. II watched Peter
son, through the skylight last night,
getting gay with that ledger. I'm think
ing We'll have to look inside it, Mr..
Green. What about little dinner at
Maxim's? I'm thinking we've found
out all we're likely to find, until we
can get to that ledger. And thanks
to your knowing those birds, Mr..
Green, our trip to Paris has been Of
considerable value"
The American nodded.
81 guess I'm on," he remarked slow
ly; "but, if you take my advice, cap
tain, you'll look nippy tonight. 1
wouldn't linger around corners admir-
ing the mud. Things kind O. happen
at corners"
But on this particular evening the
detective proved wrong. They reached
Maxim's without mishap, they enjoyed
an excellent dinner, during which the
American showed himself to be born
conversationalist, as we'll as a shrewd
man of the world And over the cof-
fee and liquors Hugh gave him brief
outline of what had taken place since
he first got mixed up in the affair.
The American listened in silence,
though amazement shone on his face
, as the story proceeded. Only when
Hugh had finished, and early arrivals
, for supper were beginning to fill the