Evening star., 1925-04-03

Your action was careless and un-
necessary" he continued: you will
do well in future to be less impulsive.
You appear to be, I regret to say.
much too liable to be moved by the
primitive instincts. You were right
in assuming that the man was spy,
but he was not really dangerous, and
you had received strict orders to re-
port to us here on the 9th of the
month and not to allow yourself to.
be delayed by any circumstances
whatever. Your behavior in that
affair was altogether contrary to the
spirit of your instructions. To ag-
gravate the offence, you left behind
you a sufficient numbers OF clues to
convict you ten times OVER
There's been a mistake I pro-
tested. "If you'd only allow me to
explain"
you are not here to EXPLAIN he
said with an air of tranquil authority.
You're here to receive orders. You
are already two days late, and, what
is worse, it will take the whole. of
our organization to get you safely
away from Geneva. 1t is solely due
to our vigilance that the complete
description of yeur- personal appearance
and the warrant for your arrest, which
have been forwa rded to Geneva by.
the Zurich police. have not yet reached
their destination.
He paused for the fraction of a
second.
"One moment" I interrupted; may
l be permitted to know who is ad
dressing me?" .-.
Our. names do not Immediately
concern you" replied the man with
the beard. For the moment 1 have
the honor tos be. your grandmother.
' and this gentleman" he continued,
indicating the man with the Mensur
scars, lis your Uncle Fritz, while on
my right sits your Uncle Uric.
You have received a certain ydocu-
ment," he resumed, before could
utter a word. "You will now. deliver
it to a person whose name for the
present we are instructed.to withhold.
| should prefer to send IL by a safer
messenger. Unfortunately, however
the person to whom you are going
is suspicious of strangers. He has
been told to expect Karl Won En-
n1erich, whom he trusts. and he is
not likely to welcome a substitute.
Luckily, SOME of our best men are
at present in Geneva. and it should
not be very difficult = to baff1e the
local police" -. at
He paused. but, before I could
take advantage of the fact, the man
with the Mensur marks abruptly IN.
tervened. -
Most deplorable" he said, in a
voice that had evidently done excel
lent service on parade. Like a lot
of nursemaids.a Finest organization
in Europe wasted in looking after q
young. blockhead, who goes and COM
mits a murder under the very eyes OF
the police
ITS true" suffered the bsld-headed
man, that Karl is a b-blockhead, but
they trust him in. Hanover, and he has
ggifts. When you s-send Karl, you
may be sure hen gget there :. :
Better give the young fool his
Instructions and get rid of him."
growIed the, man with the Mensur
marks. Il don't want him on eur
hands for another "a hours. I've got
picked men on every bridge in GEN
eva and on most of the main roads.
But can't keep up this sort of thing
indefinitely"
Evidently not" said the man with
the silky beard. There was a world
of unpleasant insinuation in his voice,
and his military friend. plethortc by
constitution, flushed a dull red. the
slack veins swelling visibly on his
temples.
You demand impossibllities. Herr
Professor" he said. The whole or
utmost, and this murder on the top
of everything else was the last straw.
I admit that the arrangements broke
down yesterday evening-but only for
a moment"
He regarded with his CLASSY stare
the man whom he had addressed as
Herr Professor lpresumably the pro-
fcssor to whom the pheasant feather
had alluded), but his eyes fell almost
Immediately before the mild scrutiny
which they encountered.
MY estimab}e Fritz" the Professor
kindly expostulated, 1T is not func.
ton of rganizations to break down
even for moment. During that mo-
ment our friend Adolf contrived to dis
appear completely. Perhaps Karl can
tell us something about that most I'M
fortunate occurrence
Il know nothing whatever about
it," said shortly. And 1 don't sup
pose you'd let me tell you if 1 did.