were a good many commonplace things I knew
nothing about. And I didn't want any more questions about myself.
Fortunately, conversation between a young man and a young woman is much
the same everywhere. I didn't have to pretend I was interested in Beth.
She was unusually attractive. And she seemed to find me so.

We talked a bit, laughed a good deal, and when I got up to leave I knew
that I had done well in the initial stage. But there was still a good
deal to be done.

"May I see you tonight?" I asked. "Just a 'coke date'."

That was an expression I'd heard and had taken the trouble to make
certain I understood. It seemed to be just the thing in the present
case.

"I'd like that," Beth said. "Pick me up about nine."

Her choice of time could not have been more suitable. I was out of
money. There was Mrs. Mara to be paid, and now the cost of the evening's
entertainment.

Until darkness fell I could do nothing about that. So I went back to my
room and read old newspapers I had collected. I had discovered on my
first day that those were the best sources of information. Those and the
moving pictures.

For one who must learn a great deal about a people in a short time there
is one infallible way: watch them in their favorite sports and
relaxations. The moving pictures and the comic strips had been
invaluable. In another few weeks I could have passed anywhere.

At eight o'clock it was growing dark. I changed my shirt, put on a sport
coat and left the room. Five minutes later I was walking down a quiet
street that was lined with fashionable homes.

After that it was merely a question of time. I went around the block,
found that it was still too light, and went around again, this time
slowly.

There was only one man on the street on my next time around. I sized him
up quickly and decided that he was prosperous. He came on toward me. I
managed to be looking the other way.

We bumped into each other and he fell. I said, "Sorry" and bent to help
him up. My fingers touched his throat in the proper places and he went
limp.

Within a matter of seconds I had his wallet out of his pocket and
extracted several bills. When his eyes flickered again I was just
raising him to his feet.

"All my fault," I said contritely. "Are you all right?"

"Seem to be." He was gruff, but that was all. He didn't know that for a
matter of seconds he had been unconscious.

At nine o'clock I came up the walk to the Copperd home. This tim