Пользователь - WORLD'S END

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 secretly 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.