The Washington times., 1922-04-09
By w. l.. George

convention, OF respect for statutes.
were producing In him the revolt.
the reaction which leads the baiked
adventurer to crime. He did not
think himself absurd now as he de-
veloped a cool and perfect scheme.
The game was SO serious that he
could not see its humor. 80, after
a while, he sent for taxi, which
took him to Caldecot's hotel. A
few minutes later he came down the
steps, aimless and defeated. Mr..
and Mrs. Caldecot, the reception
officer said, had left two hours be-
fore.
Stephen Brftford went to Scot.
land fortnight later; he flshed q
great deal and conversed with per-
feet common sense on butcher blue
or whatever might be the fly OF the
day; he appeared at Ballater with
a motor car. where people sat galdly
and found him good company. But
wherever he went, almost every
day there came for him plain en-
velope containing blue form. For
two months the form stated that
there was nothing to report, except
now and then that Mr.. So-andSo or
Miss So-and- so, associates OF Cal
decot, had been seen; the agency
could not discover the whereabouts
or Mr.. Caldecot. From time to time
Britford wrote a check. He did not
now despair of finding his indis-
pensible accomplice. The months
might pass, but the agency would
find Caldecot In the end. His asso-
ciates were we'll known; some
smart confidence trickster, some
booky or keep would yet establish
a link.
SO Britford was not surprised
when, a week after his return to
town, the agency informed him that
Mr.. Caldecot had returned to Lon.
don and was staying at q small
hotel near Sloane Square. The
agency presumed that Mr.. Britford
would be interested to know that
Mr.. Caldecot's present female com
panion did not correspond with the
description obtained from the hotel
In Kenslngton. They could assure
Mr.. Britford that this lady was not
the one who had accompanied Mr..
Caldecot in July. That did not In
terest Britford at all. He brushed
his hat carefully. and in few min
utes was waiting in a nasty little
smoking room fitted with bamboo
chairs. He had thought well not TO
give his name; instead he stated
himself as the representative of a
well-known nrm of advertising
bookmakers.
"Goshi" said Caldecot well.
Britford, you're the last man ]
should have thought would have
gone in for turf accountancy."
Pritford stared at him for a mo-
ment. Yes, Caldecot was getting
old, and yet he was only two years
his Junior. Getting very gray; and
those pouches under the eyes, that
was drink. Cuffs pretty frayed, too.
He'd be easy to manage.
want, to open an account for
met" asked Caidecot, jauntily.
'I've never dealt with your people %
Don't bother about that, Calde-
cot" said Stephen. That's only a
blind. want to talk to you"
Caldecot listened tosthe cad. He
was very surprised. oh, not sur
prised In general, of course; things
would have to go pink before he
was really surprised, but he wouldn't
have expected It of Britford.
Damn the surprised" said Brit
ford. "Will you do itf"
Caldecot hesitated for a moment
A vague idea Of fair play struggled
in his mind. II was less than three
q months since he got two thousand
quid of her, and now Besides,
II wasn't quite playing the game.
still, he was very hard up.