Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-01
CHAPTER XIX

oner he seemed to have been able to OBJ
tain important information which he had
managed to convey to the outside world
without alarming his captors
Its not so bad altogether Field SAID.
Though 1 am by no means pleased with
the gallant colonel, who has only himself 10
blame for the position In which ne mas
himself You can all go back to the statoh'
and 1 shall not want the telegraph gentle-
man, whose services have been so valuable.
OF course, you will say notnihs VI "iia'
you have seen, sir.
The little telegraph clerk gave the desired
assurance and went his way But Field did
not turn his steps in the direction OF Lon,
don all at once. For long time ne stUoo
looking thoughtfuIly at the house in Audley
place He was just about to turn away
finally when the light began to nash and
flicker again. 1t went on little time ana
finally ceased. =,
asked himself. II wonder If 1t Is posi-
BILE"
Field crept quietly toward the house,
across the lawn, and made his way TO the
back by which he had entered the place on.
a previous occasion. AS he expected the
glass removed by him had not been re-
placed SO that he was free to enter II ne
pleased 1t was a very risky paoG Gao;das
TO try it. He would be much better SATISFIED
to gain speech with Bennington. though the
latters escape might have alarmed the
criminals and sent them to cover again
Field was inside the house again before
he had made up his mind what to do. The
place was very quiet. and 1t was evident
that the servants had not returned. Ter-
hans there was nobody there besides Ber-
rington, who was a prisoner in one OF the
upper rooms. That being the case IT was
by no means impossible to gain speech with
him. Very carefully Field crept along the
passages, listening with all his ears
He had not gone far before he heard
sound as of somebody moving. That some
body was coming in his direction was GER
tain. Field began to blame himselt 1or ms
folly If he fell into trap now, every
thing would be ruined. He turned down a
side passage, without the remotest ldea
where he was going, and came at length 10
a lighted room, at the end of which was a
conservatory full of flowers. The conserva-
tory was open to the room, so that the
whole place was veritable power OF
blooms. On one side was large bank OF
azaleas, behind which Field proceeded to
hide himself He had hardly done this when
there was a kind of creaking sound, the
door was pushed open, and Carl Sartorls
entered in his chair. With great dlmcuity
the cripple proceeded to crawl into big
armchair after which he took from his
pocket a wig and a pair of spectacles He
seemed to be expecting somebody. he gave
a little cough, and Immediately SOMEBODY
in the hall began to talk.
MIR Sartoris is in the conservatory room,
MISS a voice said, and Field had no diff1-
Guilty in recognizing the voice of the doctor,
Brentwood. will you come tnlS way,
pleaSe?"
Field congratulated himself upon the line
that he had taken. From behind the bank
of flowers he could see pretty well himself,
without being discovered. Z pretty girl.
with wonderfully beautiful fair hair and
dark, vivacious eyes, came into the room.
She was not in the least tlmld; there was
an air of eager expectation about her:
This is very good of YOU" she said. L
understand that you sent for me: If you
are not In a proper state of health to talk
to me 1 can call again, Mr.. Sartoris.'
Just for the moment Sartoris made no re.
ply. 1t seemed to Field that he was not
altogether free from physical PAIN. lie
shaded his specialized eyes with trem-
bling hand, as if the light proved little too
strong for him.
at is not in the least inconvenient," he
said Il sent for you at this somewhat late
hour because I may have to leave England
tomorrow. If I do so it will be for some
considerable time.
In his mind, Field differed. He had other
views for the speaker. He was puzzled,
too at all these quick changes, and because
there were so many threads !, in the plot: o,,
Il can give you an hour the girl SAID.
81 must be In London by 10 o'clock"
Every well, l dare say We can manage 1t
by that time. AS I told you in my letter,
am a very old friend of your father. We
were in one or two ventures together, and
some of them turned out to be very sue
cessful indeed Did he ever mention my
name?
II cannot call it to mind" the girl said.
"And yet it is not a common name.
at is not in the least common, Sar-
toris smiled perhaps your father did not
speak of me because we were not quite
friends toward the last. At one time l was
to be your guardian if anything happened
to your father. But We need not go into
| that. because it is not material to the case
at ALL" The girl nodded brightly and her
eyes expressed admiration OF the beauty OF
the surroundings.
II believe my guardian was Sir Charles
Darryll," she said.
$50 1 understand" Sartoris proceeded In
the same grave way. 1T was most ex-
traordinary selection for a man with keen
business head like your father"
But you are greatly mistaken the girl
In business matters. Even 1 was capable Of
advising him for his good I should say
that there never lived a man who was SO
easily befooled as my father"
as that so2" Sartoris burted out I'm
1 mean, of course, yes, as to mere money.
but he was clever enough in some ways.
Still, the fact remains that he made Sir
ever trouble him at alp"
II never so much as saw him, at least in
business sense"
"Ah," Sartoris cried. There was a deep
ring in his voice. Us that really a fact?
You don't know then that certain papers
and documents belonging to your father
! passed to Sir Charles? Your father told
you nothing of this?"
Not a word, except in a joking way. He
spoke of securities and mortgages and the
like that were to be my fortune when he
died He told me to ask Sir Charles about
them"
did you take the trouble to do sop
The girl thought moment before she re-
piled.
Once" she said. "Once 1 did say some
| thing to Sir Charles. He told me that every
paper in his possession had been deposited
| with his lawyers.
Once more Sartoris shaded his eyes with
| his hand Field could his fingers shak-
| ing In hard voice Sartoris asked if the
| girl meant the family solicitor.
mo, / don't" she said without the slight
est hesitation. LAS matter of fact the
family solicitor would have nothing to do
with Sir Charles-he found him too expen-
sive. 1t was some little man In one of the
! Inns, Grayak Inn or Clements Inn, who
kept his credftors at bay. But more than
| that 1 am afraid 1 cannot tell you"
| Sartors muttered something that might
| have been the strangling of an OATH Field
began to understand. Papers, and probably
valuable papers. belonging to Sir Charles
were necessary; and the gang of thieves
was at a loss what to do without them.
| II dare say 1 can find out" Sartoris said.
| IF 1 do, 1 fancy you will benefit consid-
erably More than that dare not venture
| for the present, my dear young lady, be-