Taxi drivers have such experiences now and then. It means a pretty girl, or perhaps a fashionable married lady—anyhow, some sort of adventure. The driver leaped into action, and presently they were weaving their way through the traffic, Lanny peering ahead, to pick out one cab from all the others. He made sure he had it, because he could see through the rear window the passenger’s gray fedora, which had been a part of the image stamped upon his mind in one quick flash.
VI
They had turned onto the Boulevard Haussmann, with much fast traffic, so there was nothing to do but follow; meanwhile Lanny had a chance to think, and get the aspects of this problem sorted out in his mind. Kurt in Paris, wearing civilian clothes! He couldn’t be on any official mission, for there were no enemy missions in France; there had been a lot of talk about having the Central Powers represented at the Peace Conference, but the talk had died down. Nor could Kurt be here on private business, for no enemy aliens were being given passports into France. No, his presence could mean only that he was here on some secret errand, with a false passport. If he were detected, they would try him before a military court and stand him against a wall and shoot him.
Lanny’s next thought was that he, a member of the Crillon staff, had no business getting mixed up in such a matter. He ought to tell his taxi driver that it was a mistake, and to turn back. But Lanny hadn’t learned to think of himself as an official person, and the idea that he couldn’t speak to Kurt just didn’t make sense. Whatever his friend might be doing, he was a man of honor and wouldn’t do anything to get Lanny into trouble.
Kurt’s cab turned off the boulevard, into the Neuilly district. “I can drive up alongside him now,” said Lanny’s driver; but Lanny said: “No, just follow him.” He would wait until Kurt got out, so that they could meet without witnesses.
Watching ahead, Lanny saw the passenger turn round; evidently he discovered that he was being followed, for his cab began turning corners rapidly, as no sane taxicab would have done. Lanny could imagine Kurt saying: “Ten francs extra if you shake off that fellow behind us.” Lanny said: “Ten francs extra if you don’t let that fellow get away from us.”
So began a crazy chase in and about the environs of Paris. Lanny’s driver had been a dispatch rider on the upper Meuse front, so he called back to his passenger; he looked like an apache, and behaved like one. They turned corners on two wheels, and Lanny leaned out of the window to balance the cab. They dashed through cross-wise traffic—and they held onto the other car. More than once Lanny saw the passenger in front turning round to look-always holding his gray fedora below the level of his eyes. Lanny took off his hat and waved it, to give his friend every opportunity to recognize him. But it had no effect.
However, Lanny’s apache was better than the other one. Kurt’s taxi stopped suddenly in front of a department store, and Lanny’s came up with screeching brakes behind it. Kurt got out, paid his driver, and turned to go into the store; Lanny came running, having also paid quickly. He realized the need of caution, and didn’t call out; he came up behind the other and whispered: “Kurt, it’s me—Lanny.”
A strange thing happened. The other turned and gazed into Lanny’s face, coldly, haughtily. “You are mistaken, sir.” Lanny had spoken in English, and the answer was given in French.
Of course it was Kurt Meissner; a Kurt with features more careworn, stern, and mature; his straw-colored hair, usually cut close, had grown longer; but it was Kurt’s face, and the voice was Kurt’s.
Lanny, having had time to think matters out, wasn’t going to give up easily. He murmured: “I understand your position. You must know that I am your friend and you can trust me. I still feel as I have always done.”
The other kept up his cold stare. “I beg your pardon, sir,” he said, in very good French. “It is a case of mistaken identity. I have never met you.”
He started away again; but Lanny walked with him. “All right,” he said, his voice low. “I understand what is the matter. But if you get into trouble and need help, remember that I’m at the Crillon. But don’t think that I’ve turned into an official person. I’m doing what I can to help make a decent peace, and you and I are not very far apart.”
One of the clerks of the store came forward with inquiry in his manner, and Kurt asked for some gloves. Lanny turned and started to leave. But then he thought: “Maybe Kurt will think it over and change his mind.” So he waited, just inside the door of the store. When the other had completed his purchase and was going out, sure enough, he said: “You may come with me, sir, if you wish.”
VII
The two of them went out to the street, and walked in silence for quite a while, Kurt looking behind them to make sure they were not being followed. Then they would take a glance at each other. More than four years had passed since their last meeting in London; they had been boys and now they were men. The German officer had lines in his long thin face; he walked as if he were bowed with care—but of course that might have been because he was trying not to look like a military man. It was plain that he was deeply moved.
“Lanny,” he exclaimed, suddenly, “may I have your word of honor not to mention this meeting to any person under any circumstances?”
“I have an idea of your position, Kurt. You can trust me.”
“It is not merely a matter of my own life. It might have extremely unpleasant consequences for you.”
“I am willing to take the risk. I am sure that you are not doing anything dishonorable.”
They walked on; and finally Kurt broke out: “Forgive me if I am not a friend at present. I am bound by circumstances about which I cannot say a word. My time is not my own—nor my life.”
“I promise not to misunderstand,” replied the other. “Let me tell you about my job, and perhaps you can judge about trusting me.” He spoke in English, thinking it would be less likely to be caught by any passer-by. He told how he had come to be at the Crillon, and gave a picture of the Peace Conference as it appeared to a translator-secretary.
Kurt couldn’t bear to listen to it. He broke in. “Do you know what is being done to my people by the blockade? The food allowance is one-third of normal, and the child death-rate has doubled. Of course our enemies would like them all to die, so there wouldn’t be any more of us in the world. But is that what President Wilson promised?”
Lanny replied: “There isn’t a man I know in the American delegation who doesn’t consider it a shame. They have protested again and again. Mr. Hoover is in Paris now, wringing his hands over the situation.”
“Wringing Mr. Hoover’s hands won’t feed the starving babies. Why doesn’t President Wilson threaten to quit unless Clemenceau gives way?”
“He can’t be sure what that would do. The others might go on and have their way just the same. It’s hard to get a sane peace after a mad war.”
Said the captain of artillery: “Are you aware that our people still have some of their gold reserve? They don’t ask anybody to give them food, they ask merely to be allowed to buy it with their own money. And there’s plenty of food in America, is there not?”
“So much that we don’t know what to do with it. The government has agreed to take it from the farmers at fixed prices, but now there’s no market. There are millions of pounds of pork that is going to spoil if it isn’t used.”
“But still our people can’t spend their own money for it!”
“The French say they want that gold to restore their ruined cities with.”
“Don’t you know that we have offered to come and rebuild the cities with our own hands?”
“That’s not so simple as it sounds, Kurt. The people here say that would throw their own workers out of jobs.”
“Maybe so; and again maybe it would let them find out how decent our people are—how orderly and how hard-working.”
The two strolled on, arguing. Lanny guessed that his friend was sounding him out; and presently Kurt said: “Suppose it became known to you that there were some Germans in Paris, working secre
tly to try to get this wicked blockade lifted—would that seem to you such a bad thing?”
“It would seem to me only natural.”
“But you understand that in the eyes of military men they would be spies, and if they were discovered they would be shot?”
“I realized that as soon as I saw you. But I don’t see what you can possibly accomplish here.”
“Hasn’t it occurred to you that you can accomplish something anywhere in the world if you have money?”
A light dawned on Lanny. So that was it! He had heard his father say many times that you could get anything you wanted in Paris if you had the price.
Kurt went on: “There are people here who won’t let our babies have milk until they themselves have gold. And even then you can’t trust them—for after they have got the gold they may betray you for more gold. You see, it’s a complicated business; and if one happened to be in it, and to have a friend whom he loved, it would be an act of friendship to be silent. It might be extremely inconvenient to know about these matters.”
Lanny didn’t hesitate over that. He declared with warmth: “If that was all that was being done, Kurt, I should think that any true friend would be willing to know and to take a chance at helping. Certainly I would!”
VIII
The walk prolonged itself to several miles. Lanny decided that his duties at the conference could wait. His friend was questioning him as to persons who might be interested in helping to get the blockade of Germany lifted. There were two kinds whom a secret agent might wish to know: journalists and politicians who might be bought, and idealists and humanitarians who might be trusted to expend money for printing or other such activities. Lanny told about Alston and others of the staff—but they were doing all they could anyhow. He told about Herron, who was being called a Red because he wanted a truce with the Bolsheviks, and a pro-German because he didn’t want the French to keep the Rhineland. He told about Mrs. Emily, who was kind and charitable, also influential; too bad that a German officer couldn’t come to her home and be properly introduced and invited to set forth his case! Kurt hinted that perhaps she might be useful as a distributor of funds. It was hard to give much money without having the French police make note of the sudden increase of spending power of some group. But if a wealthy American lady were willing to furnish funds to help make known the plight of the starving babies of Germany …?
Presently Lanny, racking his mind, mentioned another person who was an idealist and propagandist of a sort, however perverted. That was his uncle. “I never told you about him, because I’ve been taught to be ashamed of him. But it appears that he’s a personage of a sort here in Paris.” Kurt was interested and asked many questions. Just what were Jesse Blackless’s ideas? What group did he belong to? Was he an honest man—and so on.
Lanny answered: “Really, I hardly know him at all. Most of my impressions have come from my father’s calling him names. Robbie thinks his ideas come from the devil, and the fact that he really believes them only makes it worse.”
“How much money has he?”
“He lives like a poor man, but he may give money away. I suppose he’d have to, believing as he does.”
“Do you suppose I could trust him with my secret?”
“Oh, gosh!” Lanny was staggered. “I wouldn’t dare to say, Kurt.”
“Suppose I were to go to him and introduce myself as a musician from Switzerland, interested in his ideas: how do you suppose he’d receive me?”
“He’d probably guess that you were a police agent, and wouldn’t trust you.”
They walked on, while Kurt pondered. Finally he said: “I have to take a chance. Can you do this for me? Go to your uncle and tell him that you have a friend who is interested in pushing the demand for the lifting of the blockade throughout Europe. Tell him that I have money, but there are reasons why I do not wish to be known. Tell him that you know me to be a sincere man—you can say that, can’t you?”
“Yes, surely.”
“Tell him someone will come to his room at exactly midnight and tap on his door. When he opens it the person will say the word ‘Jesse,’ and he will answer the word ‘Uncle,’ and then a package will be put in his hands. He will be under pledge to spend the money in the quickest and best way, for leaflets, posters, meetings, all that sort of thing. I’ll watch, and if I see signs of his activity, I’ll bring more money from time to time. Would you be willing to do that?”
“Yes,” said Lanny, “I don’t see why I shouldn’t.”
“You understand, both you and your uncle have my word that never under any circumstances will I name you to anyone.”
“How much money will it be?”
“Ten thousand francs should be enough to start with. It will be in hundred-franc notes, so it can be spent without attracting attention. You will be able to see your uncle before midnight?”
“I don’t know. I’ll try.”
“You know the park of captured cannon in the Place in front of the Crillon?”
“I see them every day.”
“There is a big howitzer, directly at the corner as you enter the center lane of guns. It happens to be one that I had charge of; I know it by the marks where it was hit. It’s directly across from the main entrance of the hotel, so you can’t miss it.”
“I think I know it.”
“Can you be standing in front of it at exactly eleven tonight?”
“I guess so.”
“If you lean against the gun, it means that your uncle says all right. If you walk up and down, it means that he says no, and the deal is off. If you’re not there, it means that you haven’t been able to find him, or that he wants more time before he gives his answer. In that case I’ll look for you at the same hour tomorrow evening. Is that all clear?”
“Quite so. Isn’t there any way I can get hold of you again?”
“Your mail at the hotel comes without censorship?”
“Oh, surely.”
“I’ll write you some time, a note in English, just saying, meet me at the same place. I’ll sign an English name—shall we say Sam?”
“All right, Sam,” said Lanny, with a grin. It promised to be great fun. Lanny’s mother would be dancing tonight in behalf of charity, and Lanny would be conspiring in the same cause!
IX
The conspirator paid another call on his Uncle Jesse. This time no one answered his knock, so he poked a note under the door, saying he would return at seven. He had pressing duties, and the only time he could get free was by skipping his dinner; he bought a couple of bananas and ate them in the taxi, donating the dinner to the German babies. On his second call the uncle was waiting; Lanny, explaining that he had to attend a night session of one of the commissions, got down to business at once. “Uncle Jesse, do you agree that the blockade of Central Europe should be lifted?”
“I am an internationalist,” replied the other. “I am opposed to every such interference with human liberty.”
“You know people who are working to have it lifted—I mean they are writing and publishing and speaking in support of that demand, aren’t they?”
“Yes; but what—?”
“I have a friend, who for important reasons cannot be named. It’s enough that I know him intimately, and trust him. He feels about this blockade as you do, and it happens that he has a great deal of money. He asked me to suggest some way that he could put money into the hands of someone who would spend it for that purpose. I took the liberty of naming you.”
“The devil you did!” said Uncle Jesse. “What then?”
“You realize that I don’t know you very well—I haven’t been allowed to. But I have the impression that you have real convictions, and wouldn’t misapply funds that you accepted for such a cause.”
“You have guessed correctly in that.”
“No doubt you have friends who are trying to raise money for promoting your party, or whatever it is?”
“We get it by persuading poor workingmen to cut
down on their food. We don’t have rich people coming and dropping it into our laps.”
“Well, this is one time it may happen—if you say the word.”
“How much will it be?”
“The first payment will be ten thousand francs, in bank notes of small denominations.”
“Jesus Christ!” said Uncle Jesse. Lanny had heard that these Reds were nearly all hostile to the accepted religion, but they still had one use for its founder.
“You have to pledge your word to spend it in the quickest and most effective way to promote a popular demand for the lifting of the blockade throughout Europe. If there are signs that you are spending it effectively, more will come—as much as you can handle.”
“How will I get it?”
“Someone will knock on your door at midnight tonight. When you open the door the person will say ‘Jesse,’ and you will answer ‘Uncle,’ and a package will be put into your hands.”
The painter sat eying his young nephew. “Look here, Lanny,” said he. “The police and military are busy setting traps for people like me. Are you sure this isn’t a scheme of some of the Crillon crowd?”
“I can’t tell you whose scheme it is, but I assure you that the Crillon knows nothing about it, and neither do the police. They’ll probably take notice as soon as you begin spending the money. That’s a risk you have to run.”
“Naturally,” said Uncle Jesse, and pondered again. “I suppose,” he remarked, “this is some of the ‘German gold’ we read about in the reptile press.”
“You mustn’t ask any questions.”
“I’m free to spend the money according to my own judgment?”
“For the purpose agreed upon, yes.”
The painter thought some more. “Son, this is wartime. Have you thought what you’re getting in for?”
“You take risks for what you believe, don’t you?”
“Yes, but you’re a youngster, and you happen to be my sister’s son, and she’s a good scout, even if her brains don’t always work. This could get you into one hell of a mess.”
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