Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-11

had always been dressed in sober black
from head to foot--he was one of those
men who affect a precise and prim
style of attire and looked as If every
thing about him from his broad-nrlm-
med hat to the square toes OF his shoes
was carefully calculated to impress
everybody with this probity and pro-
"And now here he was before AaeAin
a checked tweed suit--Norfo1k ticket
and knickerbockers- gayo5aEyfn-
downs to his stockings, light-c0Eered
necktie, a rakish cap ] saw his pur-
pose as soon as / set eyes on him
Sadler, wherever he was going, meant
to be taken for tourist, pedestrian.
On chair at the side of the room into
which was looking lay a big, old
fashioned portmanteau, open; on an
other, close by, lay a knApsacS. Tc was
transferring certain articles from port
manteau TO knapSack. Clearly ne was
going to carry the knapsack on ms
Shoulders; indeed, as soon as he had
packed it to his liking, he adjusted it
on his back and tried the straps. And,
while he busted himself in that fashion,
I glanced more particularly round the
room.
1T was so big that the further parts
of it were lost in gloom. But in the
center was a table, laid for supper
I could see. what was on It; a pig
piece of cold beef at one end; O. ham
at the other; there was half q cheese.
bread and butter, and bottle OF picked
onions. I was near enough to see that
knives and forks were laid for three
persons; evidently Sadler was one, Set
tie a second. But who was the third?
whoever he might turn out to be,
was already certain of this-these three
men were going TO clear out PROBABLY
as soon as they had supped.
"a door opened in the rear OF the
room and Settle came into view. Sadler
said something to him; Settle jerked
a thumb toward the door by which he
had lust entered. And a moment later
another man appeared, and had my
second surprise Of the evening; Ine
burgh draper and Sadler's fellow magis-
trate-and also fellow-director Of the
Northern g. Imperial Mutual Beneflt
| Society,"
Il was familiar enough with Brat
| tens appearance, though I had never
held any conversation with him. He
was a big, rather hulking, horid-faced
| fellow not at all the sort of man that
you would expect to ind handling drap-
cry goods. But, as matter Of fact,
he owned the principal drapery estab-
| lishment in Barowsburgh, and had q
branch of 1t in Harrington. remem-
bered that last fact as looked at him
now, for an idea suddenly flashed into
my mind considering all that I now
knew, and all that was rapidly learn
| ing, was Bratten the man whom San
derson fetched from Harrington on the
night of Col. Engleden'S murder, the
man spoken of by Oates, but whose
| features Oates never saw? It was likely
anyway. His mere presence in this
place, with Settle and Sadler, proved
conclusively, to me at all events, that
Bratten had some share in the doings
of which now was convinced Sadler
was handspring.
Like Sadier, Bratten was dressed
in what you might call tourist fashion;
like Sadler he had a knapSack. He was
carrying it in his hand when he came
into the room, and he laid IL down
by Sadler's. Clearly each man had
some pedestrian venture In prospect
my notion was that they meant to make
their way on foot across the Yi1oors
and hills toward some seaport, probably
to Liverpool That was determined
to clrcumvent and had already begun
cudgeling my brains as to the best
way of doing SO when, with Settle, they
sat down to supper. =
And now luck came my way. The
three men had scarcely begun eating
when Sadler. turning and pointing to
the window. made some remark which
caused Settle to rise and approach 1t.
feared that he was about to draw down
the blind and close the shutters and thus
cut me on from all further observation;
instead. he threw open the window, top
and bottom, and returned to his seat
at the table with some Jest at Sadier's
liking for fresh air.
az could hear the rattle Of knives and
forks now, but I meant TO hear more
than that And once more dropping
on hands and knees made my way
out Of the protecting shadow Of the
shrubs and got under that Of the house
wall and so came close beneath the
window, and there, getting my head as
close to the window sill as dared, tried
to catch whatever vas said within
the room"
ITO be continued1