The Argosy, Vol. 81, No. 4 — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

698 able to certain governments, Now, Lansing, you did us out of them last night. It is up to you to help us get them back.” “Why don’t you seize Apponnetti and this mucker Rimini, and the rest—except- ing the girl?” asked Lansing. s “What could we prove?” grimaced Gris- com. “As I told you, our witness in Castle Williams—the man who stole the plans in the first instance—is gone. It would not be so bad, but he dealt with parties whose names he did not know. What we intended to do was to get the party with the goods on and then have Private Kranich confront them.” “What was the idea of their meeting down at Francois’s last night?” Lansing wanted to know. “Because they supposed it to be an out- of-the-way place. They suspected they were watched, and didn’t mind much until the time came to turn the papers over to the accredited agent sent for them, Baron Rimini. Had they not had the papers in their possession last night they never would have run away as they did.” “May I ask how you knew they had the papers last night?” Lansing inquired. “Vou may ask, but I’m sorry I am not at liberty to tell you.” Griscom shrugged his shoulders apologetically. “It was one of those curious cases where we knew all about who had the plans for hours before an attempt was.made to deliver them. But we could not lay hands upon the parties until just before the dinner party started, and then we decided to clean up the whole gang with the raid. And you—” “T know,” sighed Lansing, ‘‘I messed up the whole thing. Well, is there anything I can do to atone?” “There is.” Griscom spoke decidedly. “There is a lot you can do, and I think I have the right to insist that you do it. For one thing you can locate Miss Granger for us, get yourself on a friendly footing and—”’ “You want me to spy upon her!” blazed Lansing. _ “JT want you to keep her straight, if you can; if she doesn’t keep straight, I want you to keep us advised. It is up to her; if she is worthy of your confidence you will have no disagreeable duty to perférm. If she isn’t you ought to be patriotic enough- not to hesitate to help us in the interest of the government.” Griscom paused. THE ARGOSY. “T may advise you,” he resumed “that your share in last night’s proceedings was not altogether well advised, and that despite your position in society and the prominence of your father, we could make more trouble for you than you might care for.” “{ suppose you are right,” agreed Lan- sing ruefully. “Well, then, help us out. I have an idea you know where that girl is and that you'll be with her soon. It’s one of those affairs you know, where both are interested at first sight. As a matter of fact, there may be nothing for you to do. I may as well in- form you, too, that your activities at the Granger flat last night helped us a lot. The noise of the fight was heard in various apartments .and: the police were summoned. Apponnetti tried to explain that the noise was a family row, but the police insisted upon entering the apartment and found Ri- mini still dozing from that dent in the fore- head you gave him. Mrs. Granger and Apponnetti squared things somehow, so that no arrests were made, but Rimini had to go to the hospital—there was nothing to a “He will not die!” cried Lansing. “He won’t, no thanks to you,” laughed Griscom. ‘Well, anyway, Apponnetti kept trying to get something from Rimini’s pockets while they waited for the ambu- lance, but the cop wouldn’t let him near.” ‘Wes Pp” “And so Rimini was taken to the hospi- tal and the plans with him. He’s there now —pretty sick, and the plans—” Griscom took a package from his pocket—“the plans are here—all except the first two sheets.” “T see.” Lansing’s face, however, was puzzled in its expression. “But how did you suspect the two missing sheets might be in that waiter’s jacket?” “That,” replied Griscom, “opens up a new service you did for us. That waiter was a spy we had been after for months. When you knocked him out and roped him you did us a great turn. If you had pre- vented Apponnetti from abstracting the papers he has you would have done us still better.” “Then,” cried Lansing, smiling in relief, “T am not going to get in trouble with the police for manhandling that waiter?” “Not you,” Griscom asserted. “We have him under lock and key. You did a mighty good job there.” : COPMICLOOOL< (E©)