ays a stiff game of bridge. If he starts
fighting those gangsters, I do not want to be caught on the
battlefield."

"How about starting a business over in England?" asked Perkins.

"Not a bad idea. I came over here and together we made half a million
selling English groceries to Americans. Perhaps we can make a million
more selling American groceries to Englishmen."

Winifred Willowby not only bought the grocery business of Mover &
Perkins; he bought a laundry, a small hotel, an apartment house and a
theatre. He kept all the old employees, put in a manager, instructed
that the weekly tribute should be paid as usual, and then disappeared
from New York City.

Ten days later, in Paradise Valley, in the broken country below the
Poconos of Pennsylvania, he entertained several men, each an authority
in his special line of art or science. They kept the appointment, not
being at all sure what it was for, but unable to refuse the invitation
which was accompanied in each case with a substantial check. They had
all heard of Willowby, but none had ever seen him. No doubt all were
rather disappointed at his apparent lack of color and personality. They
quickly changed their mind when he started to talk, for there was a man
who, when he had something to say, was able to say it briefly and to the
point.

"You men are all interested in rats," he began, "and so am I. You have
worked with rats in one way or another for a good many years. Perhaps I
ought to introduce you to each other. Mr. William Rastell has written
the best biological study of rats in the English language. He has done
for rats what Beebe did for the pheasant. Now the gentleman next to Mr.
Rastell is Mr. Carol Crawford. I doubt if he ever actually saw or
willingly handled a rat in all his life, but I am told he knows more
about the folklore and traditions of the rat than any other living
person. The third of my guests is Professor Wilson. He is the
psychologist who has tried to breed different strains of rats, some of
superior intelligence and others of the imbecile type. What I want you
gentlemen to tell me is why these rats congregate at times in certain
buildings of New York City, in such large numbers that they are a
serious menace to property and even human life, and, then, as suddenly
disappear as they appeared."

"Are they actually doing that?" asked Professor Wilson, who had suddenly
become vitally interested in the conversation.

"Suppose they are?" quer