WORLD'S END

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.

Lanny answered: "Really, I hardly know him at all. Most of my impressions have come from my father's calling him names. Robbie thinks his ideas come from the devil, and the fact that he really believes them only makes it worse."

"How much money has he?"

"He lives like a poor man, but he may give money away. I suppose he'd have to, believing as he does."

"Do you suppose I could trust him with my secret?"

"Oh, gosh!" Lanny was staggered. "I wouldn't dare to say, Kurt."

"Suppose I were to go to him and introduce myself as a musician from Switzerland, interested in his ideas: how do you suppose he'd receive me?"

"He'd probably guess that you were a police agent, and wouldn't trust you."