Evening star., 1923-07-01
On News Mission to Portuguese Prisons After Manuels

cuse me. but isn't your name Jones7
I think had the pleasure Of meeting
you in London, some months ago?"
"A mistake" L said, civilly; my
name is. not Jones'"
He looked disappointed when ]
showed no signs of desiring further
conversation. and went away. But
presently. after studying the hotel
list Gas I have no doubt). he re-
turned. and with Svery genial smile,
said "Oh, forgive me! I made
mistake in the name. You are Philip
Gibbs, l believe. ] met you at the
Savage Club"
l knew he was lying, for seldom
forget a face, and not such a face as
his, very powerful and arresting, but
as ] was bored with my own COM
pany, I gave him a little rope. We
took coffee together, and talked
about the affairs of the world and
the countries in which we had wan
dered. He had been to South Amer
lea and other countries. and told me
some very amusing yarns I was
| much taken with this man, who was
certainly well educated and a bril-
liant talker.
The mystery appeared when he
tapped at my door next morning and
said he desired to ask a favor.
i expected him to borrow money.
but what he wanted was less expen-
sive and more extraordinary. He
wanted me to go to the seashore
near Cascaes and bring back to him
handful Of pebbles. AS he could
| not pay for such service from a
man in my position, he would gladly
make me a friendly gift of anything
| that might strike my fancy in the
shops of Lisbon.
No questioning Of mine as to the
meaning of this extraordinary re-
| quest brought any explanation. He
regretted that he could not enlighten
me as to his reason, but for him the
matter was of vital Importance.
utterly refused to fetch the pebbles
or to go anywhere near the seashore.
| 1t flashed across my mind that this
very handsome. English looking gen
tleman might be a police spy set to
dog my footsteps. He certainly
dogged me all right. l could hardly
| get away from him, wherever 1 went,
4
| him at the open-air cafes.
One night when we sat together in
Black Horse Square, he became un-
easy, and kept glancing over his
I shoulder at the crowded tables.
Presently he rose and said: Let us
take a stroll" I agreed, and was
quickly aware that we were being
followed by three men,
| I spoke to him.
"One of us IS being Swallowed. Is it
you or me?"
ME" he said "As long as you stay
with me, I am safe. Let US slip into
this place"
He pushed open the swing door Of
a wine shop, and we went inside. He
ordered bottle of cheap wine, and
before 1t had been brought. three men
entered and sat near the door
! * y II y
MY strange acquaintance slipped a
WI little wine, spoke to me loudly in
English about the weather. and whis-
pered the words, Follow me quickly!'
He rose from the table and went
rapidly out Of the back door OF the
restaurant into the courtyard, and
out through a side door into the
| street by which we had entered. 1t
was dark. but as we walked we saw,
at the end of the street, under q
lantern, three men standing motion
less.
! HE'LL" said my acquaintance.
He plunged into a narrow alley
and then through labyrinth Of little
streets until suddenly we emerged
on the square opposite our hotel.
'How's that for geographical knowl-
edge?" ne asked.
| Good" I said. But after this
do not desire your company. don't
understand why these men followed
you, and I don't like the game, any
| how"