Evening star., 1925-04-05

%HE sergeant peered over the
tops of his steel trimmed spec
tacles. He twirled the huge
4 blotter around on the slant
ing desk before him. and dip
ped his pen in the inkwell.
His bushy eyebrows drew together
in portentous frown, which could
not, however, entirely hide the good
humor in his blue eyes,
What's the charge against the
prisoner" he asked.
Officer Mccarthy grinned. There
amt none, Sergt. Ryan"
"Ah, the gentleman dropped in for
a little social relaxation? Or is he
here to make complaint against some
one else? Introduce US, officer Nc
Carthy."
That's just it, said the policeman.
"He don't know who he is"
Sergt. Ryan adjusted his glasses.
lie shifted in his chair that he might
get better view of McCarthy's COM
panion. He saw a well built man of
medium height, with extremely keen
gray eyes. They were deep-set below
well shaped forehead. above which
grew black hair that was as straight
as an Indians. Indeed, the sharp
edged, high bridged nose and the
high cheek bone bore out the i'm
preston that here was some one in
whose veins ran the blood of the
American aborigines. His mouth,
though wide enough for good humor,
was thin-lipped. His chin was bony
and aggressive. And his skin had
that leathery look which comes to
those who live and labor out of doors
But his clothing seemed to have
nothing to do with the plains or hills
from which he might reasonably have
been assumed to come. For an ex-
pert tailor had cut the blue flannel
lounge suit which he wore; an Eng
lish tailor. Sergt. Ryan decided. And
the slightly brogued low tan shoes
could have come from the British
Isles. The hat which swung from his
hand was a gray felt of delicate and
expensive texture. His scarf was a
golden brown, and beneath it Ryan
could see a shirt of soft, fine linen.
The sergeant added the face and the
clothing together and reached the
sum Wealthy sportsman, English"
so you don't know your name?"
he said wonderingly.
The stranger laughed embarrass-
edly. Sounds jolly rot, doesn't it?"
x x x
SERGT. RYAN mentally compli-
~ mented his own shrewdness. He
had guessed the mans nationality
correctly, for his accent was indis-
putably British.
We'll, 1t does seem strange for
young fellow in the pink of condition,
like you seem to be, to forget who
he is. You talk like an Englishman.
l don't know how it is in dear old
Lunon, but it amt exactly healthy to
spool the police over here. Not in
my precinct, anyway. So, just out of
the kindness of my great big gen.
erous heart, I'm telling you that If
you came here for a laugh you pick
ed the wrong spot"
The stranger smiled deprecatingly.
IF there's any laugh in this, it's on
me, not you. l assure you I never felt
less like laughing in my life"
We'll, it's a tough position you're
in, young man." he said. It'd give
me the willies."
TT makes>me feel little ga-ga,"
said the young man.
"'Ga-ga'? Now, that's a new one
on me. Does it mean the wiuies?"
The stranger smiled. Something
like that 1 imagine"
We'll. 1 don't. blame you" said the
sergeant. But suppose you tell me
the whole story
The stranger shrugged his well
knit shoulders. There's very little
to tell. 1 suddenly found myself walk
ing on a broad avenue along the
edge of park. I didn't know how
got there, where 1t was, or who I
was" He smiled rather winningly.
It's a dreadful sensation"
Il believe YOU" declared the ser
geant with emphasis. You don't sup
pose you'd been drinking little boot
leg liquor? 1t does strange things to
people, you know"
Now, that's a funny thing" re-
piled the stranger. while l don't
know my name, or where l come from,
] do remember many things. For in
stance, I know that / never drink,
and smoke only occasionally. No, it
wasn't liquor
What did you do when you found
out your memory'd gomez" asked the
sergeant.
The stranger looked embarrassed.
''Well, at first I went into a state of
panic. Then I said to myself, Look
here, old man. this will never do.
Won't get you anywhere except com
pletely ga-ga'"
That 'ga-ga' is a grand word"
commented the sergeant. GO on"
Well, across the park L could see
tail buildings, bigger than anything
that I'd ever seen in London"
You remember London, them" in
terrupted the sergeant.
Il seem to know, somehow, that
London is my home. But where I
lived there l couldn't possibly tell
you. Also, 1 remember Paris and