Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-31
CHAPTER XVIII.

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CfAEsT Ell 4
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ipsaic sioly iiNe Iris from = .
officer who might have been expected 20
keen his feeliups in check. lint an Field
i saiIv refiecte7 q Was ,,aaIAss "a anticinate
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Everything had been going beautifully and
smoothly a few minutes faro and nov thu.
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. e'ilio man ne mao peen IN TOO many tlg Mt
places In his life to know the meaning of
the word timfdity, but then he had to exer-
else a certain discretion.
4 AT the same time he was not blind to the
fact that his military ally was In consider
able danger. The only thing now would be
| to blum the whole thing through to pretend
| that the game was up and that the house
was surrounded with police.
| With this intention in his mind, Field
crossed the hall and tried the dining room
| door. He was not altogether surprised to
find the door locked. He listened at the
| keyhoie, but he could not hear anything
whatever. Furthermore. the application of
an eye to the keyhOie disclosed the fact that
the room was in darkness. Despite his cour-
age thrill ran down the spine of the in
i spector. There was some more than usually
deviliSh work going on here.
| We'll, it can't be helped" Field muttered.
tits the fortune of war. One of us has
comesto grief, and If stay here may
share the same fate, and the only one
i LETT who Knows anything OF the secrets Of
/ the prison house. III run over and get as
sistance and We'll search the house. After
ALL. my friend the colonel has only himself
to blame.
/ Without waiting for anything further.
Field slipped out by the way he had come
Once in the road. he glanced back at the
house put the whole place seemed to be IN
pitchy darkness There was nothing for it
now but to. make his way to the nearest
police station, and get all the assistance
possible. There was no trouble at the sta
ton across the common. the mere mention
OF Fields name being sufficient. few min
| utes later half dozen constables in silent
shoes were On their way to the scene of ac-
ton. There was to be no fuss and bother;
| they decided to enter quietly and unostenta-
| tiously by the larder window, which was
done without any noise whatever.
l. once the exits were guarded there was no
] necessity for further concealment. But
| tnough the 1lghts were turned up all over
the mouse and the most careful search
made, not sign of human life could be
| seen: everybody mad vanished, as If the
Whoie thlng mad been dream. Field,
standing In the hall and biting his nails, was
ram to admit that he was beaten.
How on earth had those people managed
to erace themselves In that amazing man
ner! They had all apparently vanished off
the face of the earth. And there was that
bulky package too, that Field believed con-
tanned the body of Sir Charles. 1t was long
past midnight before Field left the house.
having taken precautions not to disturb
anything, but even those precautions might
nave been IN vain For all he knew to the
contrary, the place might be watched by its
late occupants Who were laughing in their
sleeves.
No use staying here any longer, Mack
lin, he said disgustedly. u shall have to
go back on my tracks once more. Never do
l take an amateur into my business plans
again. But 1t looks as if he had paid for
his 1nd1scretion. Good night
1t was late into the following afternoon
before Field saw Beatrice Darryll again.
When he did so, he had nothing to report
save failure. Beatrice listened with the
greatest interest TO what had taken place
the night before but her interest gave place
to grave anxiety when she heard what had
been the result of Col Berrington's daring
action.
DO you suppose that he is in real dam
ger?" Beatrice asked.
We'll. I'm afraid he is" Field admitted.
You see we are dealing with the most dar-
ing and clever and INSCRIPTIONS gang OF
scoundrels that l ever encountered. They
would not stick at murder or anything else
If anybody crossed them Mind you, it was
a most foolish thing for the colonel to DO
Still. he Is soldier and very resourcefu
man and he may pull through. Again these
people may not have designs on his life; it
is just possible that they might keep him
prisoner until their plans had been success
fully carried out. OF course when the col
oneI was talking to the gray lady tonight
was not supposed to listen. But | have very
good ears and they spoke loudly at times
| gathered that the scoundrel Sartoris was
once engaged to young lady who threw
him over. Now it occurred to me that the
youns<lady might give me an idea or two
provided that she is in England at the
present moment.
why should you think that she is not
here?' Beatrice asked.
Because the engagement took place at
Simla. This young lady was staying with
her brother and his wife; unfortunately |
did not catch the name The curious part
of the affair is that she is a ward of your
late father"
Beatrice looked puzzled for a moment She
did not quite understand
''You mean that my father was guardian
under will or something of that kind?"
She asked.
That's it. miss Field exclaimed 1--WE
ought to be able to identify the young lady
between us, especially as the affair only
took place three years ago or so. as | under
stand. If you will pardon me for SAYING so.
Sir Charles was a very careless gentleman,
and hardly the man that a careful parent
would choose as a guardian The vounp
lady's father must have known yours very
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