Page:Arthur Stringer - The Hand of Peril.djvu/19

 flooding the country with counterfeits, by leaving every one in doubt as to which is the real thing and which is the worthless imitation."

"And thereby add a little to his own income?"

"I don't think that's the prime consideration. He's always had money enough. I know for certain he got eleven thousand marks for supplying the forgeries of the Kiel fortifications when the originals were carried away."

"And his next move?" prompted Kestner.

"We've concluded that his next move must mean America. It's what he's been planning for, for years. He's laid all his ropes. He's going into the thing on a big scale. In six months' time he's going to unload three or four million dollars in counterfeit on the republic. In the second six months he'll put out more than double that amount."

"And then what?"

"Isn't that enough?" inquired Wilsnach.

"It sounds like a very fine plan. But if you knew all this, why haven't you closed in on them?"

"Headquarters said hands off until you could take over the case."

"That was very kind of Headquarters," sighed Kestner. Then Kestner sat without speaking, for a withered-faced street-vendor had placed on his knees a folded copy of an afternoon newspaper. This paper the Secret Agent carefully unfolded and let lie on the table in front of him, and for a short while seemed busied with its contents.

In that brief space of time, however, Kestner had done several things. One was to hold a lady's bag