aking the truth," said the other coolly. "Your
matter of disagreement with the police in Sans Sebastian was over the
missing of some money in the hotel where you were staying. The room
happened to be next to yours and communicating, if one had the ingenuity
to pick the lock of the door. Also your inability to pay the hotel bill
hastened your departure."

"What an editor!" said the other admiringly, but without showing any
signs of perturbation or embarrassment.

"It is my business to know something about everybody," said the editor.
"By the way, you may call me Mr. Brown, and if at times I may seem
absent-minded when I am so addressed you must excuse me, because it is
not my name. Yes, you are the kind of man I want."

"It is remarkable that you should have found me," said Poltavo. "The
cutting"--he indicated the newspaper clip--"was sent to me by an unknown
friend."

"I was the unknown friend," said "Mr. Brown"; "do you understand the
position?"

Poltavo nodded.

"I understand everything," he said, "except the last and most important
of all matters; namely, the question of my salary."

The man named a sum--a generous sum to Poltavo, and Mr. Brown, eyeing
him keenly, was glad to note that his new assistant was neither
surprised nor impressed.

"You will see very little of me at this office," the editor went on. "If
you work well, and I can trust you, I will double the salary I am
giving you; if you fail me, you will be sorry for yourself."

He rose.

"That finishes our interview. You will come here to-morrow morning and
let yourself in. Here is the key of the door and a key to the safe in
which I keep all correspondence. You will find much to incriminate
society and precious little that will incriminate me. I expect you to
devote the whole of your attention to this business," he said slowly and
emphatically.

"You may be sure----" began Poltavo.

"Wait, I have not finished. By devoting the whole of your attention to
the business, I mean I want you to have no spare time to conduct any
investigations as to my identity. By a method which I will not trouble
to explain to you I am able to leave this building without any person
being aware of the fact that I am the editor of this interesting
publication. When you have been through your letters I want you to
translate those which contain the most important particulars and forward
them by a messenger who will call every evening at five o'clock. Your
salary will