"An officer of a liner on shore leave."
"On shore they look like anybody else."
"Well then, how about an Armenian fruit peddler?"
"That would restrict my activities too much. I must be able to go
anywhere."
"I see you have an idea of your own," he said. "What is it?"
"We've used several rough-neck disguises," I said. "Suppose you fix me
up as a swell this time. I have a mind to stop at a fashionable hotel."
"The very thing!" cried Oscar. "A curled toupee, slightly silvered; a
wash for the skin to give an interesting pallour; a little touching up
about the eyes for an expression of world weariness; waxed moustache,
monocle----"
"Easy! The burning-glass would give me dead away. You have to be born
to that."
"Well you don't have to have the monocle," said Oscar regretfully.
"But it's very aristocratic. The costume must be exquisitely
appointed--it will be expensive----"
"Expense is no object in this case," I said.
He set to work and an hour later I left his shop a changed man. In the
event of such a contingency I had already secured from Mr. Dunsany the
name of his tailor, and I now left him a rush order for several suits.
Meanwhile I bought the best I could ready made. I went to the most
fashionable outfitters and invested heavily. Until they displayed
their stock here, I had no idea that men might indulge such extravagant
tastes. All this was to be sent to the Hotel Rotterdam where I engaged
an expensive suite. I believed that it would be the last place in town
where the gang would think of looking for me.
I wished to persuade them that I had been scared off. After having the
cryptogram receipt photographed, I returned it in a plain envelope to
Jumbo's flat. By telephone I instructed Keenan to discharge all the
operatives, close the Forty-second street office and advertise it for
rent. This place had outlived its usefulness. Jumbo, Foxy, _et al._,
had proved themselves more than a match for such operatives as could be
hired.
This done, I went out to Amityville to spend a day with Sadie. I had
promised to lay off for a little, and anyway I had to wait until my new
clothes were done before being seen around town. After the mad
excitement of the past few days, we spent a heavenly peaceful interlude
under the oaks of my friend's big place.
While I was out there an interesting report from my sole remaining
operative arrived.