MFU Whitman - The Affair of the Gentle Saboteur Read Free

natural, as Alexander Waverly knew, since the King George Tobacco Emporium was a subsidiary of a British firm and all the salesmen were Englishmen.
    Waverly, patting his forehead with a folded handkerchief, entered from the steaming street and was instantly recognized by one of the clerks.
    "Mr. Cunningham," the clerk said. "So good to see you. Visiting our Washington again?"
    "Hot," Waverly said grumpily. "Beastly hot, this town."
    "Awfully hot, sir. This isn't our best season of the year in Washington, is it?"
    "July—definitely not. Quite an inferno out side."
    "Yes, so the customers tell us. What with the air conditioning in here, we don't feel it. How've you been, sir?"
    "Fine, thank you. Would you please tell Mr. Montgomery I'm here?" H. Douglas Montgomery was the proprietor of the King George Tobacco Emporium.
    "I'm sorry, Mr. Cunningham, he's not in right now."
    Waverly patted his forehead again and put away the handkerchief. "He'll be back, I take it?"
    "Oh, of course, sir."
    "When?"
    "I don't rightly know, sir. He's out on some errands. I can take your order, if you wish."
    "I want five pounds of my pipe mixture—my special mixture. But nobody mixes my special mixture except Mr. Montgomery himself."
    The clerk inclined his head, smiled. "Oh, I know that, sir. Of course, Mr. Cunningham. It shall be prepared for you by Mr. Montgomery himself. And where would you like it delivered? Where are you stopping this trip, Mr. Cunningham?"
    "Hotel Vesey. Suite eight-oh-three. I'll be there the rest of the day."
    "Very good, sir." The clerk made his notations on a pad. "Is there anything else?"
    "That's about it," Waverly said.
    "Thank you then, Mr. Cunningham."
    "Thank you ," Waverly said and went out into the humid heat and got a cab and settled himself, beginning to perspire again.
    "Hotel Vesey," he said to the cab driver and lit his pipe and puffed slowly as the taxi moved into the traffic toward Hotel Vesey where Alexander Waverly was registered as Dale Cunningham.
    "Hot," the cab driver said.
    "Yes," Waverly said.
    "July in Washington—but the hottest," the cab driver said.
    "Hot," Waverly said, puffing contentedly. Just as soon as H. Douglas Montgomery returned to the King George Tobacco Emporium, just that soon would Mr. Alexander Waverly be rewarded with action. Five pounds of the special mixture was the code combination for one word— urgent .
    And H. Douglas Montgomery would himself deliver the can of tobacco because H. Douglas Montgomery was chief of the American Division of British Intelligence, Special Services.
     
    When the phone rang in Suite 803 of Hotel Vesey, Alexander Waverly had just completed a cool shower. "Yes?" he said into the telephone.
    "Mr. Cunningham?" the voice said.
    "This is he."
    "Mr. Montgomery here."
    "Ah, yes."
    "I have your tobacco, sir. When would you like it delivered?"
    "Six o'clock?" Waverly said.
    "Six o'clock. Excellent, sir."
    "I'll be hungry then."
    A chuckle came over the wire. "So will I."
    "Good. See you at six."
    "Good-bye, Mr. Cunningham."
    "Good-bye, Mr. Montgomery."
    Waverly hung up and then called downstairs to the restaurant, reserving his favorite table for six o'clock.
     
    H. Douglas Montgomery was very tall, very thin, smiling and courteous. Waverly stood up when the maitre d' escorted Montgomery to the table. Montgomery first bowed, a correct military bow, then shook hands; then the two of them sat down.
    "How are you, Mr. Cunningham?"
    "Very well, thank you, Mr. Montgomery."
    "Gentlemen?" the maitre d' said, holding a pencil over his pad as the men looked at the menus. "Something to drink?"
    "Nothing here," Montgomery said.
    "Nothing to drink," Waverly said.
    They gave their order for food and the maitre d' went away and then, for the first time, quietly, Montgomery addressed Waverly by his true name. "Rather a surprise, Alexander. To what do I owe the extreme pleasure of your company this warm day in our fair city?" He had a lean, smooth face, ruddy with high