A

NONDESCRIPT man in nondescript clothes, tall, gaunt, and so inconspicuous that he might pass you unnoticed a dozen times in a day walked rapidly along the avenue and turned in at the British embassy.

"I want to see the ambassador," he said to a clerk; adding, "at once, please. Just give him this."

In a few minutes the ambassador's secretary came forward. He said:

"You have no appointment?"

"No; but I shall have as soon as you take that letter in."

"I'm sorry, but-"and then something in the visitor's face caused him to change his mind, and he disappeared into an inner office.

When the ambassador had torn off the envelop and spread out the folded sheet, he read:

Dear Sir James:

This will introduce John Wilson of Providence, R. I. I don't know what he wants; but you'd better give it to him. He 'll get it, anyway.

Signed to this was the name of a local politician which made the interview an immediate certainty, yet at the same time cast a shade of suspicion on Mr. Wilson's character. The ambassador re-read the letter several times, puzzling over the last two sentences, and then, as if abandoning the problem, turned to his secretary.

"What sort of a man is he?"

"Very well; bring him in, please."

As Wilson came through the doorway, the ambassador's immediate thought was, "A preacher, not a farmer."

The one outstanding, disarming characteristic of the man's face was pure guilelessness, and it might have belonged to some kind of unimportant preacher or countryman, or to almost any one other than its real owner.

Wilson took the chair that was offered, and went straight to his business.

"You know about that?" he asked, and he handed the ambassador a newspaper clipping carrying the following head-lines:

DEUTSCHLAND ARRIVES AT NEW LONDON

GERMAN MERCHANT-SUBMARINE MAKES SECOND VOYAGE TO AMERICA

CAPTAIN PAUL KOENIG IN CHARGE

Then came half a column of talk and surmise, which added nothing to the meager news of the heading. Sir James read the clipping carefully.

"Yes, I had some such news this morning," he said, returning it.

"Three weeks ago," continued Wilson, "some one started shipping nickel and rubber into New London-tons and tons of it-and stored it on a pier controlled by a German syndicate. It 's my business to know those things, and it made me suspicious. Yesterday the Deutschland tied up at that pier."

Sir James nodded.

"Do you realize what that stuff means to Germany?" asked the caller.

"I do, indeed."

"You 've got a pretty fair notion, too, I reckon, that England would like to stop that sub from getting back."

"Yes, I rather think we should." "I rather think you would, too. Now look here, sir, I'm not going to waste my time or yours. I'm going to smash that boat, and I want help. Will England help?".

Sir James might have smiled at the extreme bluntness of the offer had it not been for his caller's very evident seriousness.

"My dear man, of course we'll help if there is any way of doing the thing; but we can't and won't violate American neutrality. You must understand that. I may tell you further that our people have already gone into the whole matter very thoroughly, and there is absolutely nothing which can be done. at this end.”

"Oh, is n't there? Now listen a minute, and remember that the less you know about certain things the better." Whereupon Wilson outlined a plan in which he so skilfully avoided reference to England, America, Germany, and the Deutschland that Sir James could not but appreciate his astuteness. When he had finished, the ambassador remained silent for several minutes, then asked:

"And what about Mr. Wilson? What -ah-honorarium, if I may term it so, will he look for if we should feel disposed to fall in with his suggestions?"

"Not a damned cent!" flared the answer. "Now get me, sir, and don't make any mistake. England has n't got enough money to hire me. This is my job, and if I should do it alone, you wouldn't get a smell of it. I'm giving England first chance, that 's all. What I get out of it won't come out of Eng

land's pocket and is n't any of England's business. So understand that."

The ambassador did not understand in the least, but the visitor was so manifestly and unmistakably in earnest that there was nothing further to be said.

An appointment was then made for the following morning, and as the man passed out, Sir James rang for the secretary.

"Henry," he said, and his voice was very serious, "telephone at once to Kelly of the Intelligence Department and ask him as a personal favor to get a report on John Wilson of Providence, and bring it here to-morrow at nine, please. Is Lieutenant Everett still in town? Well, find him, wherever he is, and have him here at the same hour. And keep all to-morrow forenoon clear for me."

THE burly Kelly entered the office at nine sharp.

"Say," he said as he greeted Sir James, "how many John Wilsons do you think there are in Providence, anyway?"

"Really, I never thought of that," apologized the ambassador. "When I talked to the man, I somehow felt there could be just the one."

'Well, there's eight of 'em, but I kind er got a hunch which one you 're after. He's here in town, ain't he?” Sir James nodded.

"Thought I seen him. Ain't that your friend?" Kelly drew a photograph from his pocket.

"Why, of course. Where in the world did you get that at such short notice?" "Borried it off the Rogue's Gallery." The life seemed to go out of the ambassador's face.

"Then he 's-some kind of criminal?” "Well, kind of, yes; that is, he 's a newspaper man-Providence "Ledger" -and he just naturally lands in jail wherever he goes. I've pinched him twice myself personally so far this year. He's one of the best friends I got, too. He-"

"You know him personally, then?" "Oh, sure. And he looks like you could use his mouth for a butter icebox, don't he?"

"Is he reputable?" asked Sir James as he puzzled over the reference to the ice-box.

"Oh, sure. Say, you ought to know him better 'n us fellers. Remember the time Lord What 's-his-name came to New York and would n't stand for an interview? And some guy chlorofor ed his valet and bust into their suit, in the middle of the night and stuck a gun into the old bird's ribs and made him talk for an hour? Sure you do. Well, that 's our friend. And only last month right here in Washington he-"

"You need n't go further," said Sir James. "If he 's the man who interviewed Lord Howse, that 's all I need to know. It took me eighteen months— oh, well, it does n't matter. But tell me, what has he against England?” "Nothin' that I know of.' "Is he pro-British, then?" "No, he ain't for nor against." "Well, is heah-somewhat pro-German?"

"Go on," said Kelly, grimly. The ambassador saw:

Wilson, Master John, Jr., Providence, R. I.

Wilson, Miss Ethel H., Providence, R. I.

Wilson, Master Harry S., Providence, R. I.

"That's all," said Kelly-"the whole damn' family. Enough, ain't it?"

Sir James thumbed over the pages of the report in search of another list. Kelly interrupted him.

"You need n't bother lookin'," he said gruffly. "They ain't any-any Wilson -in that other list."

FOLLOWING the program which had

been determined upon, Lieutenant Everett discarded his naval uniform and proceeded to New York, where he went at once to an address in West Thirtieth Street. He entered the building a somewhat dapper-looking young man, and emerged three days later an unshaven, unwashed, unkempt, greasyoveralled mechanic of third or even fourth class. On leaving Washington he had been followed by one of Bernstorff's agents,-purely on principle, for they suspected nothing, and the house in New York had since been under a constant surveillance. But so thorough was the transformation that when he passed out the lieutenant did not draw more than a casual glance from the watching agent.

Walking slowly to the Grand Central, he purchased a ticket to a point a few miles west of New London, and found Wilson waiting with an automobile at the station when he left the train. Less than an hour's run brought them to the outskirts of New London, and a few minutes later the car entered a stable attached to a most disreputablelooking hotel. Wilson led the way to a large room at the very top of the building. Two of the three cot-beds which it contained were somewhat disordered, and though the whole place was rank with tobacco smoke and untidy, it did not seem unclean. On the wall was a telephone.

"By George!" exclaimed Everett, "it looks like a thieves' den!"

"Just exactly what it is," said Wilson, "and we 're going to live in it for the next couple of weeks; so better make yourself at home.'

Spread out on a table was one of the ingenious German-made “suitcase" wireless outfits that later were detected frequently in the baggage of certain foreign-born commercial travelers. The antenna stretched diagonally across the ceiling, and the ground wire was looped across the floor to a convenient waterpipe. Seated at the table was a boy of perhaps twenty.

As Wilson started to speak, the boy held up his hand for silence, and for perhaps ten minutes gave all his attention to the apparatus. When he threw off the head-gear, Wilson introduced