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46 make things plain, when I thought that I could count on her to do her part and make no trouble.

When I came down the next morning I found John on the terrace reading the papers over his coffee. He looked up with a nod and a smile.

We talked for a few minutes, then said John:

"Frank, do you know anything about motors?"

Yes," I answered. "I've fooled around cars a good deal." I didn't add that I had once made a tour of New England in a motor-car, working the different places we struck en route.

"Good," says he, then went on to tell me how for some time past he had been considering a new motor-car proposition. A few days before he came to see me in the Santé he had decided to take it up, backing it with quite a lot of capital. The concern had rented a place on the Avenue de la Grande Armée, but was at a standstill for lack of funds.

"You speak perfect French," says he, "and understand business methods over here. How would you like to take the managership of the Paris office?"

"That would suit me to the ground," I answered.

"Well, then," says he, "we'll go up there this afternoon and look things over. Have you anything to do before luncheon?"

"Yes," said I. "There's one of my former pals I must see and give it out straight that I'm retiring from the graft business."

John looked thoughtful. "Perhaps you're right," says he. "You don't anticipate any trouble, do you?"

"No," I answered, "there's nothing to fear. Thieves often do just what I'm doing; get out of it