Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1938-07-21
CHAPTER IContinued
,

3
If I did not like Percy's portrait,
the moment saw him that evening
liked him less. Not at all re-
sembling his uncle, he was tall,
dark man, overdressed and scented,
old for his age.
I had been something surprised
that such man as he should choose
a hotel, but saw that he sat at
the table of one of the residents-a
quiet, sad-faced old fellow, whose
name I knew to be Inskip, who used
to go up to London twice in the
week. The two spoke hardly at all,
and I had no doubt that business
was to be done.
When Winter called me that morn
ing, I asked him if he could tell me
what Inskip's profession was; and
he said at once that he was dia-
mond merchant and added that he
had heard say that he was ga very
big man."
Winter was the valet who always
attended to me. He was an excel
lent servant, quick and deft and
willing and very quiet. He did for
me much that could not be called
his duty, and, because he was so
pleasant, had come to- know him
better than anyone else I had met
since Gering died.
That day went to London myself
with a'vague idea of engaging a
private detective to shadow Percy
Virgil and follow him out to Brief:
but, instead, I purchased some Aus
trian ordnance maps and then, on a
sudden impulse, walked into mo-
tor car dealers and bought Rolls
Royce.
From this it will be seen that
was as good as half way to leaving
for Brief myself.
And then another thing happened.
Winter did not call me next morn
ing-for the first time for nearly six
months. AS the man who had taken
his place made to leave the room
"Where's Winter?" I said. "He's
not ill?"
"He's gone, sir. He left last
night"
"Gone?" said I.
'That's right, sir. He's-left the
hotel"
After breakfast I asked the porter
for Winters address, and fifty min
utes later I ran my friend to earth
at his sisters home.
When I asked him why he had
left, he looked distressed.
81 lost my temper, sir. That's
one of the things servants paid
not to do. In a sense it wasn't my
fault, but the manager couldn't pass
it. If I'd been placed like him, I
wouldn't have passed it myself"
I babe him tell me the facts.
''It was that foreign gentleman,
sir. Mr.. Virgil, I think was his
name. He was to have left this morn
ing. I expect he's gone. He's-he's
not a nice way with servants. I
waited upon him as well as ever I
could, but-well, don't think he
fancied me and I really believe he
set out to twist my tail. He rang
for me seven times in the same
half-hour. DO this he'd say, and
stand there and watch me do it: and
when I was through, DO that And
at last turned. DO it YOURSELF I
said, and be damned for the cad
you look.
81 don't blame you at ALL" I said.
"Would you like to be my servant?
I'm going abroad"
I took with me the maps I had
bought and two powerful binoculars;
and a certain bank in Innsbruck
was ready to honor my checks. And
that, think, was all-except that I
carried two pistols, in case of acct
dents.
l crossed the Channel by night,
and before the next day was over
had come to Basic. There I lay at
a well-known house on the banks of
the Rhine, and, liking the look of
the place, decided to spend a day
there, before going on.
I could speak no language, except
my own. My helplessness shook me.
In this uneasy mood I presently
repaired to the garage in which the
Rolls was bestowed, to have word
with Winter-to whom, may say,
the curse of Babel seemed to be
matter for n1irth-and see that the
car was no worse for her full day
run.
AS walked into the place, saw
a nice-looking fellow half-sitting on
the wing of Lowland, with his
hat on the back of his head. He
was very plainly English and might
have been thirty-fve: his merry
face was belying his injured air.
The moment he saw me he smiled
and put up a hand. Then he touched
the proprietor's arm and pointed to
me.
"There you are" he said. using