fast.

We were talkin' something along this line the other evenin', Vee and me,
sayin' how restful and soothin' these spring nights in the country
was--you know, sort of handin' it to ourselves. And it couldn't have
been more'n two hours later that I'm routed rude out of the downy by the
'phone bell. It's buzzin' away frantic. I scrambles out and fits the
receiver to my ear just in time to get the full benefit of the last half
of a long ring.

"Ah, take your thumb off," I sings out to the night operator. "Who you
think you're callin'--the fire house or some doctor?"

"Here's your party," I hears her remark cheerful, and then this other
voice comes in.

Well, it's Norton Plummer, that fussy little lawyer neighbor of ours who
lives about half a mile the other side of the railroad. Since he's been
made chairman of the local Council of Defense and put me on as head of
one of his committees, he's rung me up frequent, generally at
dinner-time, to ask if I have anything to report. Seems to think, just
because I'm a reserve lieutenant on special detail, that I ought to be
discoverin' spies and diggin' out plots every few minutes.

"Yes, yes," says I. "This is me. What then?"

"Did you read about that German naval officer who escaped from an
internment camp last week?" he asks.

"But that was 'way down in North Carolina or somewhere, wasn't it?" says
I.

"Perhaps," says Plummer. "But he isn't there now. He's here."

"Eh?" says I. "Where?"

"Prowling around my house," says Plummer. "That is, he was a few moments
ago. My chauffeur saw him. So did I. He's on his way down towards the
trolley line now."

"Why didn't you nab him?" I asks.

"Me?" says Plummer. "Why, he's a huge fellow, and no doubt a desperate
man. I presume he was after me: I don't know."

"But how'd you come to spot him as a Hun officer?" says I.

"By the description I read," says he. "It fits perfectly. There's no
telling what he's up to around here. And listen: I have telephoned to
the Secret Service headquarters in town for them to send some men out in
a machine. But they'll be nearly an hour on the road, at best.
Meanwhile, what we must do is to prevent him from catching that last
trolley car, which goes in about twelve-fifteen. We must stop him, you
see."

"Oh, must we?" says I. "Listens to me like some he-sized job."

"That's why I called you up," says Plummer. "You know where the line
crosses the railroad? Well, he'll probably try to get o