"Better pay it," growled one of the men. He happened to own a hotel. He knew how temperamental was the pleasure-seeking stranger. Singularly, that advice was the only brand given by the rest of the Committee. They seemed strangely unable to offer any remedy except to keep on paying and in every way possible bar unpleasant news from the newspapers. Inside of next month, fifty-five hotels were paying a weekly tax to the rat racketeers. One small hotel refused, and was at once deluged with an army of rats which drove out guests and employees, killed one old scrub woman and severely injured twenty of the cooks, waiters and porters who received the brunt of the rodent onslaught. Moyer & Perkins were still paying the five thousand a week when, to their surprise, a visitor dropped into their office and casually suggested that they sell him their business. "It used to be a good business," explained Moyer. "It still is," interrupted Perkins. "What my partner means is this. We have our share of trade, but the overhead has become so heavy that we have not been able to make any money lately." "That is what I understand," commented the stranger. "In fact, I was sent here by the Chamber of Commerce. They told me you had been paying money for rat protection. That is about the only reason I want to buy your business. Your business is supposed to be worth about two hundred thousand and your real estate as much more. Suppose I give you half a million and advise you to keep quiet about the sale?" "You mean carry on the business under the old name?" asked Moyer, looking at the prospective buyer earnestly. "Something like that." The Englishman shook his head. "Not and remain in this country! They kidnapped my son. No telling what they will do next, if the policies of the firm are changed. Anything that is done we shall be blamed for, no matter who really owns the business." "Then, you and your partner take a vacation in Europe. You can afford it. All I am asking for is an exact account of your transactions with these racketeers, so I can have something to work on." "May I ask what you want to do with the business?" interrogated the Junior Partner, Perkins. "Certainly. I intend to use it as one of my experimental laboratories for the study of a mammal, known as the _Mus Norvegicus_, called, in common English, the brown rat. He is supposed to have originated from the _Mus Humiliatus_ of Central Asia. Now will you gentlemen take the half million?" "We will!" exclaimed Perkins. "Then may I ask your name?" "Winifred Willowby." "Not the one who is reputed to own more United States bonds than any other man in America?" gasped Richard Moyer. "I won't admit that I do, but I am the man you are thinking about." "Then I simply cannot understand why you want to mix up in this rat business."